How does EFT work to release negative emotions
How Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) functions as well and dependably as it does is explained within the discovery statement or fundamental premise of EFT. This concept is the starting point of understanding how EFT reduces emotional stress:
"The cause of all negative emotions and beliefs is a disturbance in the body's energy system."
Emotional Freedom Technique approaches the problem of emotional stress from the vastly different standpoint of Energy Psychology, certainly not the way the psychologists or psychiatrists consider these problems. For this reason the mechanics and outcomes of EFT are unlike what people expect.
This energy system referred to above is the same animating and vitalizing energy system associated with the ancient healing art of acupuncture, called chi. Chi energy travels within and over the body in 14 clearly described channels, pathways or meridians. Another principle of acupuncture that applies to EFT is that any disease, pain or disturbance of the body is caused by a disruption of chi energy. As such, negative emotions like anxiety, fear, anger, a phobia of any kind, and so on, are also caused by a disturbance in one or more chi energy meridians.
It was Gary Craig’s genius, developer of Emotional Freedom Technique, to theorize and determine that when the person with a stressful memory or event thinks of it, the linked or associated energy disturbance that was created because of it becomes activated, causing the person to experience the negative emotional and physical response connected to that memory or event.
Emotional Freedom Technique reduces the emotional and the physical reaction associated with the distressing memory or event by neutralizing the connection between the memory or event and the disturbed energy response. This is done by the person being treated by EFT who deliberately and methodically experiences the reaction of the energy disturbance, while holding the thought of the negative or stressful memory and tapping with the fingertips on a few acupuncture points on the face and chest.
With this tapping action, additional energy is brought into the body to neutralize, normalize or reduce the energy disruption in all affected meridian pathways. Energy flow is normalized, and as a consequence the body functions better in all physical, emotional and mental dimensions.
It is critical to the EFT process to remain clearly focused on the distressing thought and memory. In this way, the energy disturbance will remain activated during the corrective tapping process. Becoming distracted by outside thoughts will break the energetic and neurological connection between the memory and the feeling. This disruption between the two would prevent the corrective process from occurring.
As the process of EFT treatment continues to neutralize this connection, the individual will experience a rather sudden awareness of detachment and absence of the familiar stressful response while thinking the stressful or disturbing thought. It is often reported the reaction is as if the negative emotions have been drained away. This individual will then be able to think the previously stressful thought, picture the disturbing mental image, or mentally relive the hurtful event, without any undesirable negative response.
This is "how" Emotional Freedom Technique works, or at least the best theory to date.
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