Setting Anchors

Purpose of the Technique:

Setting an anchor means deliberately linking an external stimulus to an existing experience. Anchoring can use all sensory channels (visuals, sounds, sensations, smells, taste).
Anchors can be set and triggered either by oneself or by someone else (self-anchors, external anchors).
“Firing an anchor” means triggering the stimulus to reactivate and relive the previously anchored experience.

Standard Steps:

• Vivid, associated recall of an experience
• Set the anchor just before the emotional peak
• Separator: change the internal state
• Test: trigger the anchor again

Tips for Effective Anchors

Timing the Anchor:

A good anchor has a 1:1 relationship with the emotional curve. That means you start setting the anchor just before the emotion reaches its peak and apply pressure (in the case of a kinesthetic anchor) as the emotional intensity rises. It's important to stop in time to avoid anchoring the emotional decline as well.

Intensity of the State:

To install a truly powerful anchor, the emotional state must be strong. Anchors don’t create a state—they capture it. You can only anchor what is already present.

Precision of Repetition:

If the anchor isn’t applied in exactly the same spot, it may not work—or may not work with the same intensity.

Uniqueness of the Anchor:

If the same anchor is used for multiple states, the states may blend together. If you want to install an anchor that lasts over time, choose one that won’t be frequently triggered by everyday experiences. For example, a handshake is a poor choice for an anchor because it's associated with many different situations.

Purity of the State:

If someone remembers a positive experience but simultaneously thinks about how quickly it ended, the resulting wistfulness gets anchored too. Make sure the state being anchored is as “pure” as possible.

Learn more about setting anchors in the online seminar recording with our trainer Joerg-Friedrich Gampper.

Exercise: Simple Anchoring

First, determine the resource or emotional state you'd like to access "at the push of a button," and choose the anchor you'd like to use to trigger it.

1. Fully associate into a memory where you had access to that desired resource.
2. Activate the chosen anchor just before the emotional peak—the moment of greatest intensity.
3. Separator: Interrupt the state, e.g., with a distracting question.
4. Test: Fire the anchor again to check if it works.