There are six different combinations of inputs with states of consciousness that are possible: AVK, AKV, VAK, VKA, KVA, and KAV (where each input type is listed in the order of beta trigger, alpha trigger, and theta trigger). Each different type will experience the world differently because of the different states of consciousness triggered by a given input, how they will best process that information, and how they will best communicate what they know and learn from this process to others.
For example, someone who fits the VAK style is someone for whom visual input tends to trigger beta brainwave thinking, auditory input tends to trigger alpha brainwave thinking, and kinesthetic input tends to trigger theta brainwave thinking. Someone of this type will take in and understand new information best when it is presented visually, will best reflect on and digest information that they hear, and will find that intuitive knowledge comes to them through movement or what they feel in their body.
Knowing the kinds of input that correspond to each state of consciousness for a given client can help a coach use the best language, action steps, and tools to use to help a client access these deeper levels of thinking and processing to achieve their desired results. For example, if a coach plans to lead a client through a guided meditation exercise with a future self, this kind of exercise will work best if a client is best able to access their theta (unconscious) state of imagination and intuition. For clients that have a preference for the visual in the theta state (KAV and AKV), language that emphasizes what they may see about this future self and the future self’s surroundings will be most helpful. For clients whose theta state is triggered by auditory (KVA and VKA), language that focuses on what they hear as they talk with the future self will bring more benefit. Clients with a theta state triggered by kinesthetic input (VAK and AVK) will respond best to language that focuses on what they feel in their bodies or what they experience as they move through the landscape of the future self’s life. Appendix A contains a chart that provides addition guidance about how each type of input affects the different state of consciousness depending on what that input triggers.
Open Mind Model in Coaching
For a coach to effectively use this model in a coaching relationship, the first thing that’s needed is a method for determining a client’s Open Mind type. Unfortunately, there is no easily accessible assessment to which a coach can direct a client for the client to complete this assessment independently. Markova (1991, p. 71-3) provides a questionnaire that matches answers to eight simple preference questions to the likeliest type for each answer. Obtaining a client’s answers to this question (without the scoring information) would be a relatively easy way for a coach to determine a client’s type. An adapted version of this questionnaire is available online (EasyChangeWorks, 2004), but several attempts to have a client use this questionnaire proved unsuccessful because people were distracted by the scoring information even (when instructed to ignore it) and found themselves unable to answer the questions. Therefore, it is likely that that a version of this questionnaire would need to be provided to the client and the answers hand-scored by the coach.