The Symbolic Meaning of Meta

In NLP, "meta" generally refers to a "higher" state or position, in the sense of "about". Hence a meta emotion is an emotion about an emotion (for example: "I feel sad that I always get angry with my father").

Linguistically, meta means "among".

So how is meta represented in symbolic terms? The answer is "it depends". It depends upon:

• The person doing the representing
• The sensory system in which we are representing
• The context

For example, in a visual context meta might well be represented as "above", because we can then "look down on" the first issue.

In a kinesthetic system however, meta is more likely to be represented as "below" (as in "what underlies that"). Alternatively it may be represented by "stepping back" from the first issue.

Shawn Carson

International Center for Positive Change and Hypnosis

NLP Training in New York

A post script: it is interesting to note the relationship between meta and dissociation.