From reading Robert Dilts' book on modeling, as well as many of his articles, it seems he DOES include unconscious uptake in the process in a way that sounds similar to what is described in Whispering.  He may, however, include all kinds of conscious strategy, beliefs, values, etc., elicitations previous to gaining considerable unconscious competency.  For that you'd have to find out from someone who's worked with him.  T? But he does seem to put a high value on using a know-nothing -- what he sometimes calls "nerk nerk" -- state to gain much of the information.  Whether his use of strategies, etc., in the process disqualifies him from doing real NLP modeling, is up to John and him. There might be something to that.  While trying to model someone's interpersonal skills I've come away, not with what I set out to gain, but weight and vision problems.  But things like that often happen to me.  If I set out to model the weight and vision problems I might have gotten the interpersonal skills.  For instance, half the time I use 6step reframing I end up with something less desirable than what I started with.  It's almost as though my unconscious is telling me, "do the work, do it consciously, and I'll fill in the details." Please advise.... anyone. best, JS