Select a problem involving a spontaneous negative state, and establish an anchor for inducing it.

Break state.

Elicit a positive state.

Amplify the state.

Elaborate on the state.

Anchor the resourceful state.

Break state.

Trigger the states.

Release the anchors.

Test your work.

Strengthen the anchor.

This pattern helps in changing a dysfunctional response. It involves triggering an anchor for a negative state and an anchor for a positive state simultaneously. The result is an opportunity to reprocess the stuck pattern involved. The Collapsing Anchors pattern may help resolve dysfunctional thought or behavioral patterns that have been difficult to change.

The result is greater ease in bypassing the dysfunctional state and the spontaneous generation of more appropriate states for coping with the challenging situation that has been reprocessed. Many people say that the anchor collapse was kind of strange, but in a good way.

This pattern serves to free you from negative feelings that a situation or memory triggers in you. The pattern starts by establishing an anchor for the negative feelings. Then you create a different anchor that is loaded with positive states.

Once the positive anchor is more powerful than the negative one, you fire both anchors at the same time. The result, at first, feels strange. The person’s eyes may dart around, as if their mind is trying to restore some kind of order or make sense of things.

The end result is that the person is freed from the association between the trigger situation and the negative feelings.

The anchors are usually on opposite sides of the body, such as one spot on each knee. Placing the feelings in the palms of each hand and then bringing the palms together also collapses the anchors.

Step 1: Choose a problem that involves a spontaneous negative state and create an anchor for inducing it. #

Choose a problem that is part of a stuck, dysfunctional pattern. Create an anchor for the negative state.

Step 2: Break the negative state (for instructions, see the State Interrupt pattern). #

Step 3: Induce a positive state. #

Elicit a resourceful, positive state.

Step 4: Amplify the state. #

Amplify the state with methods such as enhancing sub-modalities.

Step 5: Elaborate on that state, for example, by talking about what you would like to experience in that situation in each rep system. #

Step 6: Anchor the resourceful state. #

Once the state is firmly established, anchor it.

Step 7: Break state. #

Break the resourceful state by clearing your mental screen, opening your eyes, and moving around for a moment.

Step 8: Trigger the states. #

Fire the anchor for the unresourceful state, then the resourceful state immediately after. Hold both anchors. This supports continued processing. It also helps to periodically remind the person to fully experience their current state. You are likely to observe physiological changes, including facial expressions and eye movements that suggest confusion or processing.

Step 9: Release the anchors. #

Once you feel that adequate time to process has taken place (halting of the physiological changes usually occurs at that time), release the negative anchor first, then the positive anchor after a brief delay.

Step 10: Test. #

Break state. Fire the anchor of the unresourceful state, or ask the person to attempt to call up their unresourceful state by thinking about the issue. If they are unable to easily experience the unresourceful state, then the pattern was successful.

Step 11: Strengthen the anchor. #

a. Break state. Trigger the resourceful state anchor. b. Strengthen the positive state through sub-modality work and other appropriate methods. c. Re-anchor the resourceful state.