submodalities

Submodalities are the finer qualitative attributes that structure mental representations in some theories of cognition and communication, notably within Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). They refer to the sensory details that make an experience feel vivid or muted, such as the visual qualities of an image, the sound characteristics of a memory, or the bodily sensations accompanying a thought. Mental experiences are described as organized into representational systems—visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and, less commonly discussed, gustatory and olfactory—and each system has its own characteristic submodalities.

Visual submodalities include attributes such as brightness, color, contrast, size, distance, motion, and clarity. Auditory submodalities cover volume, tempo, pitch, location, resonance, and rhythm. Kinesthetic submodalities involve aspects of sensation in the body, such as temperature, pressure, effort, texture, and ease of movement. Gustatory and olfactory submodalities concern the perceived taste and smell associated with a memory or thought, including intensity and immediacy. Some discussions also refer to more abstract or “meta” submodalities related to beliefs or the sense of control within a representation.

In practice, submodality work aims to identify how a memory or imagined event is represented and to alter those representations to affect emotion or behavior. Changes may involve making a distressing image smaller or more distant, reducing its brightness, or altering the perceived sound or bodily sensation. The goal is to shift emotional intensity, increase ease, or empower decision-making.

The empirical support for submodality techniques is mixed. Submodalities are foundational in NLP, a field with limited robust evidence, and critics caution that outcomes may reflect expectancy or nonspecific factors rather than a reliable mechanism. Proponents advocate careful, ethical application and careful evaluation.