John Grinder

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Lore & Background

John Grinder graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.A. degree in psychology in the early 1960s. He then entered the United States Army and served as a captain in the US Special Forces in Europe during the Cold War; following this he went on to work for a US intelligence agency. In the late 1960s, he returned to college to study linguistics and received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1971. His dissertation, titled 'On Deletion Phenomena in English', was published by Mouton in 1976. In the early 1970s, Grinder worked in George A. Miller's laboratory at Rockefeller University. After receiving his doctorate, Grinder took a full-time position as an assistant professor in the linguistics faculty at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). His research focused on Noam Chomsky's theories of transformational grammar specializing in syntax and deletion phenomena. He published several research papers with Paul Postal on the syntactical structures relating to 'missing antecedents' or missing parasitic gaps for the pronoun. Grinder co-authored, with Suzette Elgin, a linguistics text book titled 'A Guide to Transformational Grammar: History, Theory, Practice'. In 1972 (during Grinder's stint at UC Santa Cruz) Richard Bandler, an undergraduate student of psychology, approached him for assistance in specific aspects of modeling Gestalt therapy. Bandler, along with good friend Frank Pucelik, had spent much time recording and editing recordings of Fritz Perls and had learned Gestalt therapy implicitly during intense group sessions. After some time, Grinder was invited to participate in group discussions. Although at first Grinder sat quietly, he eventually approached Bandler and Pucelik with some observations and questions. Grinder left a lasting impression on Pucelik and was later dubbed 'the real genius'. Bandler and Pucelik invited Grinder to team up, eventually creating a close group. From there Grinder and Bandler modelled the various cognitive behavioral patterns of therapists such as Perls, Virginia Satir and later Milton Erickson. As a result, 'The Structure of Magic' Volumes I & II (1975, 1976), 'Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D.' Volumes I & II (1975, 1977) and 'Changing With Families' (1976) were published. This work formed the basis of the methodology that became the foundation of neuro-linguistic programming. The trio began hosting seminars and practice groups. Several books were published based on transcripts of their seminars, including 'Frogs into Princes' (1979). During this period, a creative group of students and psychotherapists were asked to join including Robert Dilts, Leslie Cameron-Bandler, Judith DeLozier, Stephen Gilligan and David Gordon. In 1977, Bandler requested that Pucelik be removed from the group for personal reasons - which was agreed to by immediate mutual consent. It wasn't long after that that Bandler, Grinder and their group of associates split acrimoniously, and stopped working together. Bandler attempted to claim legal ownership of the term neuro-linguistic programming; however, it was eventually deemed to be a generic term, and could therefore not be trademarked. Grinder and Bandler settled their claims around 2001. Between 1982 and 1987, strongly influenced by anthropologist and systems theorist Gregory Bateson, Grinder and Judith DeLozier collaborated to develop the 'New Code of NLP'. The seminars were transcribed and published in 1987 as 'Turtles All the Way Down; Prerequisites to Personal Genius'. John Grinder and Carmen Bostic St Clair have further developed The New Code of NLP. As of 2014 Grinder and Bostic St Clair continue to present public seminars on NLP internationally. In 2001, Grinder (with Bostic St Clair) published 'Whispering in the Wind' with a 'set of recommendations as to how specifically NLP can improve its practice and take its rightful place as a scientifically based endeavor with its precise focus on modeling of the extremes of human behavior: excellence and the high performers who actually do it'.

Reader's Guide

John Grinder's significance lies primarily in his co-creation of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler, a pseudoscience that has influenced management consulting, therapy, and self-help. His academic work in linguistics, particularly on transformational grammar and deletion phenomena, provided a theoretical foundation for NLP's modeling of human behavior. Grinder's collaboration with Bandler produced a set of techniques and publications that have been widely disseminated, though the field remains controversial and is not recognized as a science. His later work with Judith DeLozier on the 'New Code of NLP' attempted to integrate ecological and systemic considerations, while his ongoing seminars with Carmen Bostic St Clair continue to promote NLP internationally. Despite legal disputes and the generic status of the term, Grinder's legacy is tied to the enduring popularity of NLP in various professional and personal development contexts. Grinder has since begun to strongly encourage the field to make a recommitment to what he considers the core activity of NLP: modeling.

Did You Know?

• Grinder served as a captain in the US Special Forces in Europe during the Cold War and later worked for a US intelligence agency.
• His Ph.D. dissertation, 'On Deletion Phenomena in English', was published by Mouton in 1976.
• Grinder was dubbed 'the real genius' by Frank Pucelik after making a lasting impression during early NLP discussions.
• Grinder and Bandler settled their legal claims around 2001, clearing a platform for the future development of NLP.
• In 2005, Grinder published 'Steps to an Ecology of Emergence' with Tom Malloy and Carmen Bostic St Clair in the journal 'Cybernetics and Human Knowing'.