Sunday, December 5, 2010

Structure of Magic Reframed

On Sunday, December 5th, 2010 Azeem Bolar joined us for what we called as practice sessions in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. We ended up realizing that we learnt more than we bargained for. Azeem is a rare kind of optimist. His zest for excellence is refined to the point of an absorbing state of mind he calls 'passion'. While in Africa, he progressively began to lose vision, and he is often recalling his father's description of him then - VIP - and that could mean at least two things - Very Important Person or Visually Impaired Person.

In September 2004, in Bangalore India, Azeem struggled due to a paralyzing stroke, that got his right hemisphere frozen (arms and legs too); and his jaws clammed up to speak anything. Again, he recalls the doctors writing him off for his neurological condition. He bloated having been fed soft sweet - the MysorePak, just to get his energy stoked. But while at home, when he thought he was a vegetable, his father tried feeding him and while on the bed, he recalls his father's utter disbelief. "My son's a fighter. This cannot be Azeem". And fight back he did. Today, Azeem is a preferred counselor to many, and his learning in NLP a tribute he owes to Rev. Fr. Richard McHugh, SJ (Dick); through whom we learnt of Azeem.

In a rare series of events, and sheer dint of the human mind in Azeem, Dick ensured that Azeem got a seat at the course for the Basic, Advanced and NLP for Health courses in one go. Azeem had only his ears to rely on for pedagogic content and process knowledge. Later Azeem also learnt of Deep Hypnosis via NLP through Owen Fitzpatrick, who also taught at Ashirwaad, coming in all the way from Ireland. Azeem's high-point is that he climbed the two floors of Ashirwaad the Jesuit training center off St. Marks Road in Bangalore - twice daily to be with the learning process. Azeem also acknowledges critical nudges from those of the Ali Khwaja tradition of counseling and the Banjara Academy, where he gives his Saturday to rare cases in Counseling.  Azeem remembers one lady speak to him on the phone while everyone thought he was a vegetable. The voice said "Don't let those neurons give up. Get it going again. Anchor your recovery".

I seem to miss having my digital voice recorder on December 5. But my auditory senses are heightened in this recall. For what Azeem actually did on December 5, 2010 was to re-frame our own understanding of re-framing. Firstly, he knocked off the 6 steps to non-content re-framing. Secondly, he established the rapport he required to get his client to a lower deep hypnosis in a jiffy, a tribute he says he owes to his sixth sense. Next, he provides an alternate reference modality for the one he wishes altered in his client. Then, from that stage of kinesthetic dissociation and sub-conscious suggestion, his voice retraces the journey back to reality. If you descended down the escalator from th 9th floor office, he'd reach you back there, with the staff exactly in those seats as they were when you walked out. Then, he confirms sensual awareness to break the trance. Then the favorite question with a shrug of achievement and the smile of smartness "So how does it feel now?"

Azeem's magic is his inventiveness of the visual walk or the kinesthetic journey in the dissociated state. He revels in qualifying the client's need, so that he anchors or hypnotizes for desired effect. I look forward to learning more from his impassioned state of co-responsibility. He is not only a picture of achievement and confidence, but a source of inspiration and contribution. I write to keep his indomitable spirit alive. VAKOG - Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Olfactory, Gustatory. What is your modality of choice? More another time.

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