We then applied EFT to several of his most intense war memories and neutralized all of them within an hour. He still remembers them, of course, but they no longer have any emotional charge. We taught the techniques to Rich so he could work on the rest of his war memories by himself. Within a few days they were all neutralized. They no longer bothered him. As a result, his insomnia went away. Two months later I spoke with Rich on the phone. He was still free of the problems. That’s real emotional freedom. It’s the end of years of torment. It’s like walking out of a prison. And I had the privilege of handing him the keys! This is the promise of EFT.’
‘The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system’ Gary Craig
THE MERIDIANS
The meridian system is an intricate web of energy pathways that flow through the body. These pathways closely resemble the nervous system and they are responsible for channelling energy through the physical body.
Traditional Chinese Medicine maintains that physical vitality and peace of mind are reliant upon the clear and even flow of these invisible energies. If disturbed, disease or emotional problems may result. Therapies such as Acupuncture and Acupressure directly stimulate, balance or unblock the meridian channels to relieve physical illness and promote psychological health.
There are 14 major meridians that form an interconnected circuit – 12 of these pass through the main organs of the body. Identical sets of meridians are found on each side of the body. The two remaining meridians control and modify the supply of energy within the entire circuit.
The two end points of each meridian channel appear close to the surface of the skin. Spaced along each meridian there are key points, which act as amplifiers or gateways. These are commonly known as acupuncture or acupressure points. EFT uses the end points of each meridian.
ENERGETIC DISRUPTION
EFT views our emotional reactions as the direct result of disturbances within the energy system. The first indication of an emotion is a change in the body’s energetic or electrical state. Conventional methods focus on treating distressing memories or thought processes that cause us emotional pain. Roger Callahan discovered that an additional stage occurs between accessing a painful memory and the resulting negative emotion. This is that traumatic memories and thoughts cause an energetic disturbance within the body (Fig. 1). This disturbance is then experienced as a negative emotion. Once the energetic disruption is released, memories cease to hold the original emotional intensity, enabling negative feelings to be resolved quickly. This extra dimension is the vital link within emotional healing. In essence, the energy system holds the key to unlocking your troubling emotions.
Figure 1 - The Chain Reaction
When our energies are flowing smoothly we feel calm and peaceful. When the energy system is disturbed we become out of balance and emotional. Blockages within the body’s energy can lead to all manner of negative reactions and experiences. Energetic disturbances can limit your functioning, creativity and potential. They can be likened to boulders in a stream creating a blockage within the channel, preventing a free flow of energy around the body. Removing the boulders allows balance and equilibrium to return. Energetic disruption can be caused by any stimulus that triggers a painful memory or upsetting thought. For instance:
EXERCISE – PERSONAL TRIGGERS
Identify any triggers that provoke a reaction for you. Write them down and keep the list to be used later when you start applying EFT.
THOUGHT PATTERNS
The body and brain function on an electro-chemical level, so our thoughts are constantly creating patterns of electrical energy. In turn, neurotransmitters, hormones and chemicals are released in response to this electrical energy. By interrupting this chain of events the predetermined emotional reaction can be altered.
EXERCISE – THOUGHT ENERGY
The effect of our thoughts can be demonstrated quite clearly. Spend a few minutes thinking about an unhappy or negative memory in your past. As soon as you begin to remember this event, something very tangible should happen to your energy. How do you feel?
Now repeat the same process, this time thinking about a positive event. If you cannot think of a happy time in your life, focus your thoughts on the positive things that you would like to happen in the future. Do you feel quite different to the first attempt?
Positive thoughts invariably produce a more energizing and vibrant feeling than negative thoughts. These subtle changes within our electrical energy affect our attitude, emotional responses and physical bodies. A single negative thought can influence your mood for anything from a few minutes to several hours.
In this modern age where people are constantly thinking about their mortgage, their performance at work or relationship problems, negative thinking can multiply exponentially, causing a bombardment of relentless thoughts and concerns that eventually overwhelms the energy system. If left unchecked this can lead to depression, as the energy field becomes weighed down by our ‘heavy’ responsibilities.
By correcting disrupted energy flow, EFT effectively breaks the link between thoughts and negative emotions, leaving all memories intact, but releasing the emotional intensity connected with them. Once the emotional charge is removed from a traumatic incident or future event, the negative emotions associated with it can no longer be felt.
kirsty’s story – car accident memory Kirsty was involved in a car accident