The Representation Systems are the basic building blocks of the language of the nervous system, derived from the five senses. They are the channels through which we take in and process all experience.
| Modality | Sense | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Visual | Sight | V |
| Auditory | Sound | A |
| Kinaesthetic | Touch, feelings and balance | K |
| Olfactory | Smell | O |
| Gustatory | Taste | G |
There is also Auditory Digital (Ad) — internal self-talk and inner dialogue — which is the way we process experience through language and logic rather than direct sensory input.
Everyone uses all of the representation systems, but most people have a Primary Representation System — the one they favour most when forming their model of the world.
See also: What is the Primary Representation System? | List of Predicates | What is NLP?