In general the people here on AZB are a literate bunch. I suggest that you might like to look at some of the introductory material written by qualified people.
I have written a little on this topic as indicated at the end of this post
About NLP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuro-linguistic_programming
Despite its popularity,[13] NLP has been largely ignored by conventional social science because of issues of professional credibility[13] and insufficient empirical evidence to substantiate its models and claimed effectiveness.[14] It appears to have little impact on academic psychology, and limited impact on mainstream psychotherapy and counselling.[14] However, it had some influence among private psychotherapists, including hypnotherapists, to the extent that some claim to be trained in NLP and apply it to their practice. NLP had greater influence in management training, life coaching,[15] and the self-help industry.[16]
Meditation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditation#Health_applications_and_clinical_studies
A review of scientific studies identified relaxation, concentration, an altered state of awareness, a suspension of logical thought and the maintenance of a self-observing attitude as the behavioral components of meditation;[9] it is accompanied by a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body that alter metabolism, heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and brain chemistry.[72] Meditation has been used in clinical settings as a method of stress and pain reduction. Meditation has also been studied specifically for its effects on stress.[73][74]
In June, 2007 the United States National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine published an independent, peer-reviewed, meta-analysis of the state of meditation research, conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta Evidence-based Practice Center. The report reviewed 813 studies in five broad categories of meditation: mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong. The report concluded that "[t]he therapeutic effects of meditation practices cannot be established based on the current literature," and "firm conclusions on the effects of meditation practices in healthcare cannot be drawn based on the available evidence. However, the results analyzed from methodologically stronger research include findings sufficiently favorable to emphasize the value of further research in this field."[75]
Hypnosis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnosis
http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/Hypnosis_And_Pool.htm
Progressive muscle relaxation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_muscle_relaxation
http://www.sunburstselect.com/PBReview/Competitive_Anxiety.htm