Human excellence can be modeled, duplicated, and improved upon regardless of past experience.

NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming is the ability to model human excellence. Human beings are wired to experience reality through Representational Systems (aka “Modalities”). For example, you may experience a tremendous amount of fear at the thought of public speaking — even in the comfort of your own home.

The human brain cannot tell the difference between a powerful thought & reality. The reason is because we don’t experience reality directly. Instead, we experience our representation of reality usually metabolized through different information aspects — essentially the “map” of reality instead of the actual territory. This is why we can carry major traumas in our “pain bodies” for years. Practices like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Neuro-linguistic Programming are all ways that we address this map and attempt to “re-write” it.

No. In my opinion, it should not be considered a science. It is a methodology. In other words, it is a way to approach optimum human performance using a series of techniques that are also found in various self-development systems including but not limited to: meditation, yoga, martial arts, sports, and sales. What works for one person, may not work for someone else, so it's about approaching each individual as a unique person, and being able to identify strategies that work for them.