Richard Bandler

Richard Bandler (full-name: Richard Wayne Bandler) (born February 24, 1950) is an American author and the co-inventor (with John Grinder) of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and Design Human Engineering (DHE).

Co-Founding of NLP

Richard Bandler was invited by Bob Spritzer, owner of Science and Behavior Books to attend trainings by Fritz Perls and Virginia Satir, and was later hired by Spritzer to help edit one of Perls' books. Because this happened prior to his meeting with John Grinder, Bandler has claimed that NLP originated with him. ^{{citation needed}}

Bandler met Grinder when he was a student at UCSC. Bandler (and Grinder) met Gregory Bateson when they moved to a small community on Alba Road in the Santa Cruz mountains. Bateson was to have a profound influence on the development of NLP by supplying the intellectual foundations and by introducing the pair to Milton Erickson.

In 1974 Bandler and Grinder collaborated to produce models of the language patterns used by Satir, Perls, and later Erickson. Their results were published in The Structure of Magic Volume I (1975), The Structure of Magic Volume II (1976), Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson Volume I (1975), Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson Volume II (1977) and Changing With Families (1976), which was co-authored with Virgina Satir herself.

Bandler also modeled Israeli physicist and founder of the Feldenkrais school of body work, Moshe Feldenkrais, and later published his book "The Elusive Obvious". In many of his classes, he has taught elements of this form of bodywork which he modeled.^{{citation needed}}

Contributions to NLP

Richard Bandler was a major part of the development of many of the most important ideas that are considered a part of NLP. Among ideas that Bandler has developed include nesting loops, chaining states, advanced submodality applications and multiple timelines.^{{citation needed}}

Richard Bandler together with Todd Epstein developed much of the NLP theory and practice associated with submodalities[1], i.e. "the particular perceptual qualities that may be registered by each of the five primary sensory modalities"[2]. Post-1980 much of Bandler's work revolved around the NLP concept of submodalities[3].

Bandler independently developed Neuro-Sonics, Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning, Persuasion Engineering and Design Human Engineering and authored Magic in Action, Using Your Brain for a Change, Time for a Change and Persuasion Engineering (written with John LaValle). Bandler continues to lecture, consult and produce media on NLP.

Bandler currently teaches classes with co-trainer John La Valle and with stage hypnotist Paul McKenna and Michael Breen.^{{citation needed}}

Education and Background

Bandler holds a BA (1973) in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC)[4]and an MA (1975) in Psychology from Lone Mountain College in San Francisco. Bandler has claimed in at least one seminar that he submitted a dissertation to, and was awarded a doctorate from the University of San Francisco [5]. There is no record of a Richard Wayne Bandler having submitted a dissertation at USF[6].

Litigation, Prosecution and Bankruptcy

In 1980 Bandler's company Not Ltd had reported earnings of more than US$800,000 and he and his then wife -- Leslie Cameron-Bandler -- were living an opulent lifestyle. By the end of 1980 Bandler's collaboration with Grinder -- where they lectured, trained and co-authored -- abruptly ended and his wife filed for divorce (after two years of marriage). Leslie Cameron-Bandler was later to report that Bandler was emotionally and physically abusive.[7] In 1983, Not Ltd declared bankruptcy.[8]

Bandler's heavy use of cocaine and alcohol continued through to 1986 when he was charged with the murder of prostitute Corine Christensen. Bandler's trial ran for three months where he was represented by M. Gerald Schwartzbach and was acquitted.

In July of 1996 Bandler filed suit against Grinder and again in January 1997 against Grinder and numerous prominent members of the NLP community including, Carmen Bostic-St. Clair, Steve Andreas and Connirae Andreas. Bandler claimed trademark infringement, intellectual property ownership of NLP, conspiratorial tortious interference and breach of settlement agreement and permanent injunction by Grinder.[9] [10] [11]

In addition to claiming (retrospective) sole ownership of NLP, Bandler claimed "damages against each such defendant in an amount to be proven at trial, but in no event less than [US]$10,000,000.00". The list of defendants included 200 "Does", i.e. empty names to be specified later. [12]

On February 2000 the Superior Court found against Bandler stating that "Bandler has misrepresented to the public, through his licensing agreement and promotional materials, that he is the exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights associated with NLP, and maintains the exclusive authority to determine membership in and certification in the Society of NLP." [13]

Contemporaneous with Bandler's suits in the US Superior Court, Tony Clarkson (of Clarkson Knitting Limited) sought the revocation of Bandler's UK registered trademark "NLP" in the UK High Court. The UK High Court found in favor of Clarkson Knitting Limited and on 11 July 2000 Bandler was made bankrupt. [14]

By the end of 2000 some sort of rapprochement between Bandler and Grinder was achieved when the parties entered a release wherein they inter alia agreed that "they are the co-creators and co-founders of the technology of Neurolinguistic- Programming. Drs. Grinder and Bandler recognize the efforts and contributions of each other in the creation and initial development of NLP." In the same document, "Dr. John Grinder and Dr. Richard Bandler mutually agree to refrain from disparaging each other's efforts, in any fashion, concerning their respective involvement in the field of NeuroLinguistic Programming." ("Release" reproduced as Appendix A of Whispering in the Wind by Grinder and Bostic St Clair (2001)).

Bibliography

• The Structure of Magic, 1975, with John Grinder
• Frogs into Princes, 1979, with John Grinder (ISBN 0911226192)
• TRANCE-formations, 1981, with John Grinder (ISBN 0911226230)
• Reframing, 1982, with John Grinder (ISBN 0911226257)
• Using Your Brain for a Change, 1985 (ISBN 0911226273)
• Magic In Action, 1992
• Time for a Change, 1993
• Persuasion Engineering - 1996

See also

• List of NLP topics

External links

• Richard Bandler entry in NLP Encyclopedia
• Scanned version of Mother Jones Magazine article
• Bandler's trademark dispute
• NLP Comprehensive's Lawsuit Response
• The Superior Court's 'Order On Motion For Summary Adjudication' re Not Ltd. v Unlimited Ltd
• An interview with Richard Bandler before the Superior Court verdict
• Text of Bandler Lawsuit (retrieved from Wayback)
• Grinder's statement in response to Bandler's lawsuit (retrieved from Wayback)