Perhaps the most famous technique detailed in the book, the Swish Pattern is designed to break unwanted habits and install new, desired behaviors. The technique involves identifying the trigger image that starts the bad habit (e.g., looking at a cigarette) and creating a dissociated image of the desired self (the non-smoker, confident and healthy). By rapidly swapping the two images in the mind's eye—pushing the bad habit away and pulling the desired self closer—the brain is conditioned to automatically move from the trigger to the desired state. Bandler emphasizes speed and repetition in this process, arguing that the brain learns quickly, not gradually.
: We don't experience the world directly; we experience our "map" of it, which is often distorted by past experiences. Bandler teaches how to update these maps to resolve internal conflicts and change how we feel. get the life you want richard bandler pdf