NLP Representational Systems (VAKOG)
Visual, auditory, kinesthetic, olfactory and gustatory: learn the 5 NLP representational systems with exercises to spot them in others.
Written by Niels AmmerlaanLicensed Master Trainer of NLP · Updated
In NLP Olfactory is one part of the Representational System. An example is: “Smelling how great that apple-pie smells!”. Or maybe a more nasty one: “It smells like dogshit!”. There are legions more. Just say only think about food and the smell of it and a legion of examples will popup.Olfactory is relating to smell or the sense of smell.
Olfactory events, smell you experience are accompanied most of the time with Kinestethic events. The smell of a specific product will give you a specific feeling. Therefore Olfactory breaks down into two parts: Internal and External. An example of Olfactory Internal is that you start to remember how you felt when you entered grandma’s house and got the smell of freshly baked cookies, a hint of cinnamon and other powerful herbs. Are the cookies here now? No they are not. You just remember a situation that is good to you and you can smell those nice cookies again!
An example of Olfactory External is more direct, here in the now! Imagine when you walk on the street and you smell someone BBQ great meat. Immediately your thoughts are like “Hmm, I can have a piece …”. Read the following words as an example for what we are about to tell you: It smell’s good, great aroma, sour smell, I can smell the victory, I smell fear, sweet, pungent, fresh, stale, putrid, chemical, burnt. As you already notice, all of these are examples of the Olfactory part of the Representational System in NLP.
Most important, an exercise you can start to listen to the language an other person outputs. What is he or she talking about? Is this person talking in Olfactory mode? See what happens when you start talking back in Olfactory mode, to build up Rapport. And even more interesting, what happens if you answer in another part of the Representational System? Your job is to investigate. As one of our teachers used to say: “Be that nutty professor”. See what works for you and see what does not.
Another exercise is to make lists of Olfactory words. Just to exercise your recognition system for the words that come to you. And when you have a hundred or maybe more, start to classify them in Internal and External experiences. And as a highly subjective experience and exercise; are those words Remembered or Constructed? Remember that the quicker you are with this tool, the more it becomes useful in your daily life!
Mind Tools provides NLP Practitioner and NLP Master Practitioner Trainings and Certifications. We educate you according to the renowned, latest and highest standards set by the Society of NLP. We will train you thoroughly in all the corners of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and some extras we learned from Dr. Richard Bandler directly.
About the author
Licensed Master Trainer of NLP (Society of NLP) · Managing Partner, Mind Tools
Niels has trained and coached leaders, teams and individuals in Thailand and Europe for more than 30 years. He teaches the Licensed NLP Practitioner and Master Practitioner courses in Bangkok.
Learn NLP in person
The 6-day Licensed NLP Practitioner course in Central Bangkok turns what you read here into skills you use every day. Certified by Dr. Richard Bandler and the Society of NLP.
Next course: 17–22 Nov 2026 · Bangkok
Our Licensed NLP Practitioner Training starts in:
17–22 November 2026 · 6 days
Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24