A B C D E F-G H I-J-K L-M-N O P-Q R S T U-Z

Law of Reverse Action: A suggestion that reverses itself in the subconscious mind; the harder you try to do something, the more difficult it is to do.

Left Cerebral Hemisphere: This part of the brain is most closely associated with consciousness. The left hemisphere usually manages the right side of the body, controls language and general cognitive functions. It plays a predominate role in deciding what responses are made to incoming stimuli.

Lethargic State: An extremely relaxed state in which the subject may display symptoms of slurred speech, inability to move. Through suggestion a subject can override natural reflex reactions to sensory stimulation.

Limbic System: A collection of interconnected brain structures whose functions include smell and emotional reactions and conditioning. Contains a number of interconnected brain structures which are linked to hormones, drives, temperature control, emotion, and, to memory formation. Neurons affecting heart rate and respiration are concentrated in the hypothalamus and direct most of the physiological changes that accompany strong emotion.

Long-Term Memory: The final phase of memory in which information storage may last from hours to a lifetime.

M

Mania: A mental disorder characterized by excessive excitement. A form of psychosis with exalted feelings, delusions of grandeur, elevated mood, psychomotor over activity and overproduction of ideas.

Matching: Developed by the late Milton Erickson, and used by John Grinder and Richard Bandler in their system of neurolinguistic programming (NLP). The technique consists of adopting parts of another person's behavior, such as particular gestures, facial expressions, forms of speech, tone of voice and so on. Done skillfully, it helps create rapport.

Memory Consolidation: The physical and psychological changes that take place as the brain organizes and restructures information in order to make it a permanent part of memory.

Mental Rehearsal: A way of using the imagination to rehearse what a certain condition or action will be like at some point in the future.

Merging: The process whereby a person allows a greater flow of psychic/emotional energy into their body/mind arising from contact with one's own archetypes.

Mesmerism: The name given to those practices of Anton Mesmer as it related to his theory of animal magnetism.

Mesmerize: An archaic term for hypnotize.

Metaphor: A way of subconsciously equating or tying together two or more separate images through the use of a story.

Modeling: A type of imitation in which an individual mimics behavior performed by another person.

Monoideism: James Braid's finding that the state of hypnosis depends on narrowing or limiting of subject's attention. The domination of the nervous system by one single idea.

Motor Neuron: A neuron that carries information from the central nervous system to the muscle.

Motivation: The force behind manifesting certain desired behavior patterns.

Multiple Personality: A form of emotional disturbance in which an individual maintains two or more distinct personalities usually with no conscious recognition between them.

Myelin: Compact fatty material that surrounds and insulates axons of some neurons.

N

Negative Hallucination: The failure to see an object when looking at it.

Negativism: Resistance to suggestions even to the extent of taking the opposite action.

Neuron: Individual nerve cell. It is specialized for the transmission of information and characterized by long fibrous projections called axons, and shorter, branch-like projections called dendrites.

Neuro-Semantics: The science of the effect that words have on the human nervous system.

Neurosis: A behavior disturbance primarily characterized by excessive anxiety, minor distortions of reality, and subjective reality.

Neurotransmitter: A chemical released by neurons at a synapse for the purpose of relaying information by way of receptors.