Submodalities are the finer distinctions within the modalities (Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic). They give meaning to our internal representations — almost like the programming language of our minds.
For example, within the Visual modality, submodalities include whether an image is bright or dim, near or far, in colour or black and white, moving or still. Within the Kinaesthetic modality, submodalities include where in the body a feeling is located, how intense it is, and whether it moves or stays still.
There are 2 important elements in eliciting submodalities:
- Speed — eliciting submodalities quickly, before the conscious mind interferes
- Finding the Driver — the one submodality that, when changed, shifts the entire experience
Submodalities are used in many NLP techniques, including collapsing anchors, the Swish Pattern, and changing the intensity of beliefs and values.
See also: What is NLP?