The Rewind technique is one of the better-known descendants of NLP. It’s used in Human Givens therapy, and in some services for veterans, as a way to take the sting out of traumatic memories. It also shows how an NLP-style idea can attract genuine research interest.
Where it comes from
The technique is similar to the fast phobia cure (visual-kinaesthetic dissociation) described in NLP (see NLP part 9). It was developed into a trauma treatment by psychiatrist Dr David Muss, and is taught in the Human Givens approach founded by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell. Its relationship to the NLP method is widely described, though I didn’t verify the precise history.
What it involves
In outline, and not as a self-help guide:
- Create calm. The therapist helps the person reach a relaxed, safe state, often using guided relaxation.
- Dissociate. The person imagines watching themselves watch the memory on a screen, to keep distance from it.
- Fast forward. They view the memory as a film from before the event began to after it ended, played quickly.
- Rewind. They imagine the film running backwards at speed, often a few times, until it loses its power.
- Check. They think about the memory and note how they feel now.
The aim is for the memory to be remembered as something that happened, without the same physical alarm.
What the evidence shows
- A small NHS study. A study from Veterans’ NHS Wales (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board), published in BMJ Military Health, treated 10 military veterans with the Rewind technique and found significant improvements in PTSD symptoms, depression and insomnia after an average of about three sessions.
- A small, uncontrolled study is a start, not a conclusion. There was no comparison group, and numbers were small.
- Descriptions in the literature call the evidence “preliminary”, suggesting Rewind is a promising technique that needs larger, controlled trials.
- Not yet in major guidelines. The recommended PTSD treatments are trauma-focused CBT and EMDR, which have much stronger evidence.
Why it might work
It has features in common with established trauma therapies: controlled re-exposure to the memory, relaxation and distance to prevent being overwhelmed. Those may explain benefits, whether or not NLP’s theory is right.
Cautions
- Only with a trained trauma therapist. Going through a traumatic memory alone can distress or re-traumatise.
- Not a first-line choice yet. If you have PTSD, ask your GP about trauma-focused CBT or EMDR.
- Beware of claims such as “cures PTSD in one session”.
- Check the practitioner’s training and registration.
The bottom line
Rewind is an NLP-rooted technique with promising early results from a very small study. It deserves proper trials. Until then, treat it as an option to discuss with a qualified clinician, not a replacement for recommended PTSD treatment.
Next in the series: Perceptual Positions: Seeing a Conflict Through Three Pairs of Eyes
This article is for general information and is not medical advice.