Archive for the ‘Energy Psychology’ Category
How to kill a virus
Shake it, baby, shake it!
According to this Live Science article, “Scientists may one day be able to destroy viruses in the same way that opera singers presumably shatter wine glasses. New research mathematically determined the frequencies at which simple viruses could be shaken to death.”
Every “thing” vibrates because everything is made up of atoms that vibrate. We vibrate. Even our “thoughts” vibrate, because brain function is electromagnetic.
Sounds pretty woo-woo, doesn’t it? But this stuff comes straight from science.
Maybe one day the energy healing folks will have the last laugh. Maybe one day the Stuart Davis “thoughts are things” video (warning — R rated!) won’t be a parody. Maybe Bruce Lipton is right about his understanding of epigenetics, and that our own thoughts control certain genes.
Maybe is the key word for me. Obviously I’m very interested in woo stuff, but I need a lot more scientific evidence before accepting certain notions hook, line and sinker.
Energy shmenergy?
No, no, no. I’m not anti-energy. (Ha ha! Get it?) I just think that it’s jumping the gun to vigorously claim that energy psychology techniques work by effecting so-called subtle energy. This claim scares a lot of people away from these marvelous methods, and I think that’s a shame.
To illustrate my point, check out these interesting responses to an article about Emotional Freedom Techniques. One of the respondents is the happy beneficiary of EFT treatments who was featured in the article — he doesn’t care a fig about how it works.
I am the Gary Williams in the article. I don’t care what anybody says about mumbo-jumbo and all that. All I know is that, after almost 30 years of suffering, I am now leading a healthy, nightmare, flashback and depression free life.
All I would say to the sceptics is: Try it…EFT WORKS!!
For the short-term, I don’t care how it works either. But for the long-term, I do care. I want to know the nature of the universe, what consciousness is and how it works, the role of human intention in healing, and so forth. I think the real question goes far beyond the concept of subtle energy.
So with that little introduction, I am happy to announce The International Society for the Study of Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine (ISSSEEM) 18th Annual Conference, to be held June 19-26, 2008, in Boulder, Colorado. The conference theme is Energy, Intent, and Healing.
The not-surprising-presenters include Larry Dossey, Dean Radin, Luisah Teish, Donna Eden, and Gary Craig. The big-surprise (to me, at least) presenter is Brian Greene, a leading string theorist. I can see why ISSSEEM would invite him, though. Greene studies things such as nonlocal particle entanglement, which is a key component of the theories to explain energy healing and intention. (If you’re interested in cosmology and string theory, I highly recommend Greene’s book The Fabric of the Cosmos.)
May we soon find the answers.
Why does energy psychology work?
I begin with the belief that energy psychology is effective for resolving emotional and physical disturbances.
Energy psychology is an umbrella term for mind-body therapies and techniques which are believed to address disruptions of subtle energy in and around the body, which can cause emotional distress, negative thinking, unwanted behavior, and negative physical manifestations. Many of the popular techniques, including Emotional Freedom Techniques, feature tapping on particular locations on the face and torso. These locations are associated with acupuncture points.
Unfortunately, the existence of subtle energy has not been scientifically proven, at least not by mainstream researchers. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, these “putative energy fields (also called biofields) have defied measurement to date by reproducible methods.”
I’m not in any position to argue whether subtle energy exists. I have no idea if this mysterious force has anything to do with healing. But I do know that energy psychology techniques are effective, and I’m extremely interested in knowing why. Perhaps one day mainstream scientists will prove the existence of subtle energy and tell us exactly how it can be worked with. But until then, I prefer to stick with possible explanations that don’t involve unproven energy fields.
Following are alternative theories put forth by mental health professionals.
Theory 1: Tapping as Affect Activation/Sensory Stimulation
Ronald A. Ruden, M.D., Ph.D. speculates a neuroanatomical and neurophysiological mechanism for tapping techniques.
“We propose that tapping and other sensory stimulation increase serotonin in both the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala. The success of this technique requires that glutamate be first increased in the circuit by activating affect. We suggest the name ‘Affect Activation/Sensory Stimulation’ to encompass this general approach. AA/SS represents a paradigm shift for the treatment of these problems.”
To learn more, read Why Tapping Works: Speculations from the Observable Brain.
Read more articles on Dr. Ruden’s site.
Theory 2: Modulation Via Multiple Sensory Stimulation (Nervous System)
Dr. Joaquin Andrade, along with Maarten Aalberse and Christine Sutherland, have developed a technique (Brief Multi Sensory Activation) that uses tapping as well as other sensory stimulation to modulate emotions via the nervous system. These former leaders in energy psychology no longer support the unproven mechanisms in energy-based systems.
Theory 3: Tapping As a Means for Disassociation and Reframing
Research psychologist Joe Griffin of the Human Givens Institute discusses dissociation as a possible mechanism in the context of treating PTSD. He writes:
“Dr. Farouk Okhai, a consultant psychiatrist in Milton Keynes, has offered some hypotheses as to why the tapping technique might work. He suggests it might work, primarily, because it creates a dissociation between the intensity of the original experience and current emotional experience. Focusing part of the attention mechanism on the tapping disengages attention sufficiently to allow a reframe, a different perspective, to be taken concerning the trauma.”
Read this fascinating article, PTSD: why some techniques for treating it work so fast
Theory 4: Tapping As a Means of Enhanced Labeling of Emotion
Renowned energy psychology practitioner Dr. Lana de La Banana theorizes that tapping and other bizarre-looking sensory input such as humming, counting and rolling the eyes while speaking the problem, allows for enhanced labeling of negative emotions.
This theory is based on new research that suggests that if you name your negative emotions — put them into words — activity in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing, is calmed.
The “C” words
Cancer.
Cure.
Controversy.
Cancer recently surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in Americans under the age of 85. So much for winning the war on cancer, as the nation and Richard Nixon envisioned in 1971. Read about the National Cancer Act of 1971. Notice the quote in the sidebar:
According to Vincent DeVita, M.D., director of NCI from 1980–1988, the War on Cancer “…did everything it was supposed to do. It supported basic research handsomely. It set up application programs—the EORTC [European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer] and U.S. clinical trials programs. The incidence of cancer in this country started dropping in 1990 and has continued to drop every year since, and so has mortality. And the morbidity from cancer, comparing 1971 to 2005, is like night and day….So, every benchmark of the mandate has been hit.
For some reason, that doesn’t make me feel any better. Each year more than half a million people die from cancer. We have a long way to go, and I believe that we need to get on a new path. We can start by answering the question: What causes cancer? Don’t be so sure that cancer researchers and drug companies have a handle on the causes and cures.
Get ready for a thrilling ride on the German New Medicine® train! Before we embark, I need to tell you that GNM is highly controversial in Europe (its founder, Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, got out of a French prison just last year) and barely known in the United States. Hamer’s bio reads like a crazy novel, which admittedly can color one’s perception about the doctor and his research, but I think it’s still worth investigating.
Here is Hamer’s theory about cancer and other diseases:
All disease is the result of a biological response to a “conflict shock,†which occurs simultaneously in the psyche, in the brain and on the corresponding organ or tissue controlled by the affected part of the brain. This process evolved to help animals and humans to heal and survive.
This is a revolutionary finding. So revolutionary that it stands mainstream thought about cancer and disease on its head, which hasn’t gone over very well with those whose power, status and livelihood depend on keeping things as they are. Including keeping us in the dark, if the theory is true.
I posted the following several week ago on my blog, but it bears repeating here:
In 1981, Dr. Hamer discovered that every disease originates from a “conflict shock†that catches us completely off guard. He found that sudden unexpected emotional stress, like an unanticipated separation or loss of a loved one, occur not only in our psyche but have, coordinated from the brain, a — predictable — effect on the corresponding organ.
From over 40,000 case studies Dr. Hamer established that, when we experience an unexpected conflict, the shock impacts a very specific area in the brain, causing a disturbance that is clearly visible on a brain scan. When the brain receives the “conflict message,†the organ or tissue that is controlled from the affected brain area also reacts. Whether the organ responds with cancer, a heart condition, osteoporosis, a skin disorder, or with functional impairment as seen in Diabetes or MS depends on the nature of the conflict.
Based on our knowledge of the evolution of man, Dr. Hamer’s findings show that what we commonly call a “disease†never happens by chance, but for a very particular biological purpose. Cancer, for example, is contrary to the conventional view not an error of Nature but rather a “Meaningful Special Biological Program†created over millions of years of evolution to assist us in coping with an unforeseen biological emergency situation. Animals experience these biological conflicts in real terms, for instance, with the loss of the nest or territory, a separation from an off-spring, a mate or the social group, or when they suffer a death fright. Since we humans developed a symbolic way of thinking, we also can experience these conflicts in a figurative sense. A “territorial loss†can translate into the loss of our home, e.g. through a divorce, or an unforeseen loss of our job, an “abandonment conflict†can be caused by being put into a nursing home or by the loss of a loved-one, a “death-fright conflict†can be initiated by a diagnosis shock and the associated fear of dying. When we experience the conflict, the Special Biological Program is instantly switched on and the physical symptoms allow our organism to override everyday functioning and deal with the particular emergency situation.
For example: A mother receives the shocking news that her child was involved in an accident. At this moment she suffers, in biological terms, a “mother-child-worry-conflict.†This type of conflict always impacts in the area of the brain that controls a woman’s breast glands. Since, biologically speaking, an injured offspring recovers faster when it receives more milk, extra milk production is immediately stimulated by increasing the number of breast gland cells. Even if the woman is not breast feeding, the event still triggers the onset of this response as it has been doing for millions of years. As long as a woman is “conflict active†the breast cells will keep dividing and multiplying, forming what is commonly called a glandular breast tumor.
Since healing can only occur after the conflict has been resolved, GNM-therapy focuses on identifying and resolving the original conflict situation. During the healing phase, the entire organism undergoes a period of repair and recovery. The healing period is often accompanied with fatigue, painful swelling (particularly when the cancerous growth is broken down), inflammations, fever or infections. Understanding the biological nature of the healing symptoms is essential, because it allows us to free ourselves from the fear and panic that often come with the onset of symptoms.
The “Five Biological Laws of the New Medicine†that control the cause, development and healing process of a disease apply to all of medicine. Dr. Hamer’s findings have been verified 30 times by physicians and professorial associations, including the Medical Faculty of the University of Trnava (Slovakia).
Source: An Overview of GERMAN NEW MEDICINE® by Caroline Markolin, Ph.D.
This morning I received an e-newsletter from Dr. Joseph Mercola, a naturopathic doctor who supports Hamer’s theory. In one of the articles, Dr. Mercola comments on a new report from the American Institute for Cancer Research, which details the main risk factors for developing cancer and what you can do to reduce your risk. Missing from the report, of course, is the notion of resolving any past emotional traumas.
Dr. Mercola writes:
Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. Fortunately, there are now practical tools that can address this. One of the best was developed by Dr. Hamer and it is called German New Medicine. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology is one of the best approaches, and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique.
I have interviewed two of the top experts in the U.S. in this area. One is Dr. David Holt who is the leading US physician in German New Medicine, and Dr. Bruce Lipton who is the top researcher explaining why this approach works. I grilled each of them for nearly three hours and it was absolutely amazing information.
If the American Cancer Society knew this information and applied it, I would donate money to them because then they really would be making a difference, instead of serving as pawns of the drug industry.
Either way, information is massively important for ANYONE who is currently battling cancer. Both of these interviews should be out before the end of the year. The first one should come out the last week of November, and best of all, you will be able to get it mailed to your U.S. home for FREE.
Read the entire article (registration required) in which Dr. Mercola discusses several ways to virtually eliminate your cancer risk.
I can’t wait to hear the interviews.
Meanwhile, here’s an interesting excerpt from the Reno Integrative Medical Center website. Dr. Holt works at the center.
In the Spring of 2006 we set out to prove that Dr. Hamer’s assertions regarding cancer (and most other disease) were incorrect. After having received some initial training and applying these concepts to our patients for several months we were confronted with an abundant amount of empirical evidence supporting Hamer’s ideas. Our most basic assumptions regarding cancer had been incorrect! This paradigm turns conventional medicine and even much of alternative medicine on its head, but once an understanding of the process is grasped, it points the way in terms of choosing various diagnostic or therapeutic interventions.
As I always say, we’re living in exciting times!
3D Success: Design, Desire, Discipline, plus one big A of S
Coach and success strategist Philip Humbert teaches success in 3D. I agree with his strategy, but with the addition of a couple more letters — A of S. Read his article below and then my comments which follow.
Success in 3-D
Last summer, I was hired to work with a group of 27 sales people and I was charged with helping them develop and master a “system for achievement.” The VP who hired me made it clear he did not want “another motivational speaker” or a goal-setting workshop. “My people have had that, and generally, they don’t think those systems work. I’m hiring you to bring them something that actually works and that they will actually use every day.”
The system had to be easy to understand, powerful enough to get results, and flexible enough to help them achieve any goal from sales to relationships to spirituality. How would you like that for a contract?
Here’s what I taught them:
1. DESIGN the outcome.
The first step to achieving anything is to design it in every detail. I love Stephen Covey’s famous recommendation to “start with the end in mind.” I also love Michael Angier’s phrase that “clarity is power.” In most areas of life, vagueness is the killer.
When we say we want “more happiness” or “less stress” we aren’t saying anything meaningful. Our brains are confused by a vague wish that things would be “better” or “different” and unless we take the time to define EXACTLY what we want, we mostly spin our wheels and waste time.
On the other hand, if you specify exactly what you want, our incredible minds can usually achieve it. Most people are afraid to be specific, afraid to design the future they really want. If you want a new car, for example, dare to design it in every detail. Do not set a goal for “a new car this year!” Instead specify the make, model, color, special amenities and the date you want it in your driveway.
When you take time to DESIGN the future you want — when you design the marriage, the income, the home or career — you really, really want, your brain will create it for you.
2. DESIRE is key.
The size of your results will exactly reflect the depth of your desire. If you “hope” or “wish” or “wonder” about something, it may (but probably won’t) happen. If you MUST have it, if think about it and talk about it and read about it all day long, your desire will inevitably bring it about.
Many people have had the experience of making a “dream board” with pictures of their ideal home, then contacting Realtors to visit homes like the one they want and found a way to get it, or something even better, in a very short time. Motivation is never a problem when we pursue things we truly want with all our hearts.
But note that the outcomes you have DESIGNED and the DESIRES of your heart must agree! No matter how perfectly you design the expedition and study the route, you will never climb Mt. Everest if your heart’s desire is actually for security or safety or to be “ordinary.”
Design the outcome or result you want, and be sure you desire it with your whole being.
3. DISCIPLINE is essential.
Climbing Mt. Everest is not difficult! It is (I imagine) a simple matter of putting one foot in front of the other and repeating the process all the way to the top. The hard part is the daily discipline of preparing your body and learning the ropes. (Sorry about the pun!)
With modern equipment and a good guide, the hardest part of climbing Mt. Everest is not the cold or the altitude or the danger of frostbite. The much harder part is going to the gym every day. The harder part is the discipline to climb a hundred smaller mountains for practice. The harder part is putting the money in a special savings account, every month. The hard parts are the “small daily disciplines” of preparing to climb Mt. Everest! Fortunately, however, these are also the easiest things to do.
The same is true of learning a new language, changing careers, or sailing the world. The hard part is not the thing itself (if others have done it, you can, too!) but the daily disciplines of preparing yourself for the adventure.
With a well-designed outcome, profound desire, and daily discipline, you can achieve whatever you want. The process is simple. The individual steps are easy, and the results are predictable. But most people never do them. Fortunately, that is not you!
Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. Philip Humbert.
Contact him at www.philiphumbert.com or Coach@philiphumbert.com.
Okay, so what is the other key ingredient, A of S? Agreement of Subconscious. You can desire something with all your heart, on a conscious level. But your subconscious, the part of your brain that operates out of your awareness and primarily runs the show, also has to agree. If it doesn’t, you’ll stumble and stagger all the way — if you even stay on the path, that is.
For example, let’s say you want with all your heart to lose 50 pounds. You have the end goal firmly in your mind to weigh 125 pounds by June. You sign up with a weight loss program and are ready, willing and able (at least consciously) to do whatever it takes to eat right and exercise. You start taking the steps. You are willing to forgo the comfort and safety of your warm bed to get up for an early-morning jog. You really, really, really want to lose that weight!
But it doesn’t happen. Why? Barring any physical condition, such as a thyroid disorder, that would keep you from losing weight, more than likely you are working against a subconscious belief. Such as, “It is not safe for me to be slim and attractive.” Or, “If I lose weight and look good, my sister will be jealous and hate me.” Or, “My mom is overweight, and she is extremely loving and giving. It is necessary to be overweight in order to be loving and giving.” (That last example is a belief that one of my friends held.)
It doesn’t matter if the belief is logical or not. Most of the time these subconscious beliefs aren’t true. They were instilled in early childhood when you didn’t have the ability to reason logically.
Is it possible to erase the beliefs you don’t want and program in those you do want? Yep. Stay tuned!
The benevolence of evolution
Readers of this blog know I enjoy receiving Bob Tschannen-Moran’s weekly e-newsletter. Today he writes about evolutionary wisdom and benevolence. He opens with:
You may think of life as dog-eat-dog, but that’s not the whole story. If it were, life would have ended long ago. Other qualities have been more critical to our survival, including empathy, mutual aid, reciprocity, and a community of concern. These benevolent dynamics are not our invention and are not unique to human beings. They are, rather, in strong evidence in many animal species. By extrapolating and building on these tendencies, human beings have developed the sensitivity that makes life worth living.
He goes on to talk about his recent trip to the hospital to be treated for a raging urinary tract infection, which he says, with no irony, was a wonderful day.
So how could both days be wonderful? It’s all about benevolence. Last week, when everything was right with the world, I felt cared for by the universe itself. This week, when the universe threw me a curveball, I felt cared for by my wife and the staff at the hospital. It was her caring and concern that helped me to decide to go to the hospital earlier rather than later; it was the caring, concern, and competence of the hospital staff that helped me to get better. What could be better than that?
Benevolence is the way the world works. It is the undergirding principle of life itself. Contrary to popular opinion, evolution is not about survival of the fittest. It’s about survival of the kindest. Only through empathy, caring, reciprocity, and cooperation do species and their individual members manage to make it from one generation to the next. (Read entire article.)
And here’s yet another reason why the urinary tract infection could be seen as evolutionary benevolence. Just yesterday I learned about the intriguing work of Dr. Ryke Geerd Hamer, developer of German New Medicine®, who claims that all disease is the result of a biological response to a “conflict shock,” which occurs simultaneously in the psyche, in the brain and on the corresponding organ or tissue controlled by the affected part of the brain. This process evolved to help animals and humans to heal and survive.
In 1981, Dr. Hamer discovered that every disease originates from a “conflict shock” that catches us completely off guard. He found that sudden unexpected emotional stress, like an unanticipated separation or loss of a loved one, occur not only in our psyche but have, coordinated from the brain, a — predictable — effect on the corresponding organ.
From over 40,000 case studies Dr. Hamer established that, when we experience an unexpected conflict, the shock impacts a very specific area in the brain, causing a disturbance that is clearly visible on a brain scan. When the brain receives the “conflict message,” the organ or tissue that is controlled from the affected brain area also reacts. Whether the organ responds with cancer, a heart condition, osteoporosis, a skin disorder, or with functional impairment as seen in Diabetes or MS depends on the nature of the conflict.
Based on our knowledge of the evolution of man, Dr. Hamer’s findings show that what we commonly call a “disease” never happens by chance, but for a very particular biological purpose. Cancer, for example, is contrary to the conventional view not an error of Nature but rather a “Meaningful Special Biological Program” created over millions of years of evolution to assist us in coping with an unforeseen biological emergency situation. Animals experience these biological conflicts in real terms, for instance, with the loss of the nest or territory, a separation from an off-spring, a mate or the social group, or when they suffer a death fright. Since we humans developed a symbolic way of thinking, we also can experience these conflicts in a figurative sense. A “territorial loss” can translate into the loss of our home, e.g. through a divorce, or an unforeseen loss of our job, an “abandonment conflict” can be caused by being put into a nursing home or by the loss of a loved-one, a “death-fright conflict” can be initiated by a diagnosis shock and the associated fear of dying. When we experience the conflict, the Special Biological Program is instantly switched on and the physical symptoms allow our organism to override everyday functioning and deal with the particular emergency situation.
For example: A mother receives the shocking news that her child was involved in an accident. At this moment she suffers, in biological terms, a “mother-child-worry-conflict.” This type of conflict always impacts in the area of the brain that controls a woman’s breast glands. Since, biologically speaking, an injured offspring recovers faster when it receives more milk, extra milk production is immediately stimulated by increasing the number of breast gland cells. Even if the woman is not breast feeding, the event still triggers the onset of this response as it has been doing for millions of years. As long as a woman is “conflict active” the breast cells will keep dividing and multiplying, forming what is commonly called a glandular breast tumor.
Since healing can only occur after the conflict has been resolved, GNM-therapy focuses on identifying and resolving the original conflict situation. During the healing phase, the entire organism undergoes a period of repair and recovery. The healing period is often accompanied with fatigue, painful swelling (particularly when the cancerous growth is broken down), inflammations, fever or infections. Understanding the biological nature of the healing symptoms is essential, because it allows us to free ourselves from the fear and panic that often come with the onset of symptoms.
The “Five Biological Laws of the New Medicine” that control the cause, development and healing process of a disease apply to all of medicine. Dr. Hamer’s findings have been verified 30 times by physicians and professorial associations, including the Medical Faculty of the University of Trnava (Slovakia).
Source: An Overview of GERMAN NEW MEDICINE® by Caroline Markolin, Ph.D.
So, according to German New Medicine, Bob was in a healing phase, which often is painful and what drives people to seek treatment. However, perhaps he didn’t need antibiotic treatment — the bacteria was there to do its job (says GNM, I don’t know if it’s true).
I have much to learn about this theory, but I’m very familiar with many of its ideas and principles. For example, Neuro Emotional Technique (NET), is based on the theory that specific emotions affect specific organs. I’m also familiar with Candace Pert’s research on neurotransmitters and cell receptors (the “molecules of emotion”) throughout the body, including on organs. And I’m well aware of the writings and techniques of those who allegedly are plagiarizing Dr. Hamer’s work.
You can read about my introduction to NET here. NET is a form of energy psychology, which is based, in part, on the concept of blocked or disrupted subtle energy (chi). I don’t know if subtle energy exists or how energy psychology techniques actually work. Hamer’s work may provide more clues.
Download PDF: “German New Medicine® (GNM) - an Introduction to Dr. Hamer’s Medical Paradigm,” published in EXPLORE! Vol. 6/3, May 2007
Part Two: Name Them, Tame Them
I’m a very happy consumer of energy psychology. But as a skeptic, I’m still waiting for research that proves how these techniques work. Is there really such a thing as subtle energy? Does it run through the body? Can it get stuck? I don’t know.
Yesterday I speculated about why energy psychology techniques may work in light of research that suggests that putting negative emotions into words calms the brain’s emotion center. What if the main ingredient in energy psychology is the enhanced labeling (through repeating the negative emotion while tapping on the body)? The more specific you can be, the better.
If you’re not familiar with energy psychology, watch this clear demonstration of Emotional Freedom Techniques (one of the better EFT videos on YouTube).
The key may be labeling plus the intention to “let go” or “clear” the emotion. Some people really like tapping and find that it keeps them focused. Others prefer EP techniques that don’t use tapping — and they work too, perhaps because of the labeling and intention aspects.
Negative emotions: Name them, tame them
According to the LiveScience.com article “Brain Scans Reveal Why Meditation Works,” new research suggests that if you name your negative emotions — put them into words — activity in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing, is calmed.
Apparently, people who meditate often label their negative emotions in an effort to “let them go.”
That is very interesting. Several mind-body and energy psychology techniques include finding and labeling negative emotions. The more specific, the better. Perhaps it’s the specificity and clarity that these techniques bring to labeling emotion and its context that makes them so effective. And maybe the other mechanisms used in popular EP techniques, such as tapping spots on the body, moving the eyes, and so forth, serve to reinforce or enhance the labeling.
Another interesting point is that meditators hold the intention to “let go” of the negative emotion. I don’t know if the researchers consider that as significant, but it may be a main part of the equation. We know from personal experience that we can label and talk and journal endlessly about our negative emotions, and sometimes it only makes us worse. We also know that talk-it-out therapies often fail. So intention and belief about our ability to “let it go” should be looked at as well.
Reminded why I love energy psychology
I didn’t sleep well last night. I got up around 6:00 feeling drugged. My muscles were weak, and I felt like a ragdoll. I chalked it up to being on the computer until 11 p.m. and going to bed later than usual.
Still, I felt really, really weak. My face had no color. While the coffee brewed, I stretched out on the couch and wondered if something other than lack of sleep was going on. Using my favorite energy psychology technique (NET), I discovered that a blog post I’d read just before going to bed had triggered a DVD in my brain to play, subconsciously. That DVD contains a traumatic event in which I believed an anesthesiologist was trying to kill me. The physiology of the traumatic memory makes sense — drugged and weak.
I used another energy psychology method (Zensight Process) to “clear” the troublesome recording. Thirty minutes later I was full of energy and happily chatting with my husband (poor guy, he was barely awake).
I love EP. I don’t know what kind of shape I’d be in without it.
More posts about energy psychology
“Consider that a man’s brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose.” -Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
New Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) video
A video introducing energy psychology technique Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is now available. According to Gary Craig, the developer of EFT, the high-quality film was several months in the making. Numerous EFT clients and practitioners contributed.
You can watch it here and at Gary Craig’s site. A free EFT training manual is also available at the site.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nRY3UtTHvo[/youtube]
Tips for dealing with trauma
Events like yesterday’s massacre at Virginia Tech university can trigger anxiety and fear not only in those closely involved but also in the public at large. Those who have experienced similar trauma are particularly at risk for experiencing flashbacks and high levels of anxiety.
The following tips for dealing with trauma are from a licensed clinical social worker and trauma specialist in New York who has treated 9/11 survivors.
Ten Tips for Trauma Recovery
By Mary Sise, LCSWIt is helpful to begin by understanding that your body reacted normally to an abnormal, frightening event. All of the systems of the body went into fight-flight-freeze mode, and your brain released a cascade of chemicals to help you to survive.
Sometimes when that happens the brain can’t do its other jobs, like processing the trauma so that the body knows the event is over. Sometimes the trauma gets stuck. Images might stay intense, smells might trigger panic, sounds might also trigger panic as if things are frozen in time and you aren’t safe anywhere.
Research shows that most people (85 percent) will heal by themselves. In other cases, especially if the body was hurt in the trauma, you might need the help of a therapist. Although it will take some time, there are certain things you can do to aid your own recovery.
Here are some ideas to help:
1. Use all of your senses to help you. Play soothing music, light a candle, take a bubble bath, get out in the sunshine. Seek safe physical contact. Hug each other. Talk to your body/mind. Tell it is safe now.
2. Exercise helps to release endorphins in the body. Walk, move the body, swing your arms back and forth.
3. Breathe deeply, sending oxygen all the way to the bottom of the lungs. That brings more oxygen up to the brain, which sends a signal that you are safe again. In the trauma, many people hold their breath without realizing it. Deep breathing restores the feeling of safety.
4. Eat healthy. Your body has been in a shock. It needs help to recover.
5. Sleep may be disturbed. Your brain is trying to process the trauma to help you know that it is over. However, sometimes you wake up having nightmares interrupting the processing. If you sleep through the nightmare and wake up in the morning, that is a good sign the brain is better able to do its job. If you wake up in the middle of it very afraid, then the processing is interrupted. At that point it might be helpful to use some of the Energy Psychology techniques to calm the body down, and help you to sleep.
6. Avoid alcohol or illegal drugs. While they may initially put you to sleep, they will disturb the processing that the brain can do at night. Use regular medicines under the direction of a physician.
7. Limit how much trauma you watch on TV. Distract yourself with more hopeful things.
8. Be active. Don’t sit around. Do something that empowers you, rebuild something, take action in a positive direction.
9. Count your blessings, even though it may be hard at first.
10. Learn some simple Energy Psychology techniques to help the body calm down. Seek the help of a therapist or a trusted friend if needed.
Mary Sise is a past president of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. Energy psychology techniques are very effective for calming the mind and body. Mary is one of many mental health professionals who use energy psychology to treat trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Visit her site.
Learning an energy psychology technique
You can learn the popular Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for free. EFT is based on concepts from acupuncture. You’ll learn to lightly tap on acupuncture points. This technique may look strange, but it works. I don’t use EFT as often now that other techniques have been developed that don’t involve tapping. I recommend visiting the EFT website and reading about the amazing results people routinely experience from using EFT.
Another easy-to-learn technique is Zensight Process. This technique does not involve tapping, which appeals to those who think tapping is just plain weird 
The developer of Zensight Process, Carol Ann Rowland, MSW, also specializes in treating trauma.
Carol Ann offers a low-cost manual and other products to learn Zensight Process. She also provides the convenience of telephone sessions. Visit her site to learn more.
I’ve mentioned several times on this blog that energy psychology is controversial. Some think it’s bogus. Obviously I don’t agree. If you are interested in energy psychology research, read articles available at the ACEP website.
Nothing wrong with negative emotions
Calista McKnight writes in a recent blog post, “Abraham-Hicks and other law of attraction gurus state that you should avoid negative thoughts at all costs. They say negative thinking and corresponding bad moods act as repelling forces. Your goal, they claim, is to ‘feeeel good’, or else you won’t attract what you want.”
She nails one of the huge concerns I have about The Secret and its teachings. We have negative emotions for good reasons. Yes, emotional management is essential for overall success and happiness. But the current emphasis on avoiding negative thoughts and emotions at all costs is extremely detrimental.
Some how, some way, the suppressed negative emotions will try to find expression. This can lead to anxiety, depression, loss of energy, physical pain or discomfort, and other signs of stress.
Negative thoughts and emotions are a part of life. They give valuable feedback. I don’t think that A-H argues that. However, what I’ve seen happen with A-H students is the extreme application of the need to feel positive. Many are “frightfully overjoyed,” which is an unbalanced state. The “fall” from this state can be brutal.
In an earlier post I recommended an article series on applying the Law of Attraction, which is being written by Dr. Patricia Carrington, a respected mainstream psychologist. Pat is also a leader in energy psychology, an admittedly controversial field. Personally, I don’t know if energy psychology techniques have anything to do with “energy.” But these techniques work.
I share Pat’s concerns about people attempting to use the (so-called) Law of Attraction, which has everything to do with managing beliefs and feelings, and finding themselves stuck, at best. Most people will find that deciding to think or feel a certain way isn’t easy. In fact, it might be extremely difficult or even impossible at the moment. So, if you find yourself struggling, I encourage you to read the series. Parts 1 and 2 are available here. Sign up for the free e-newsletter to keep posted on the series.
Secrets to using the (holding my nose) “Law of Attraction”
I wish we could have a new name for the principles that most in the business and personal development worlds have called the Law of Attraction. Why? Because that Law of Attraction we know and love is not the same as the Law of Attraction being taught in The Secret film and book. And it’s going to confuse people.
I see at least four major problems with The Secret’s Law of Attraction. Number one, it’s not a law like the law of gravitation, as The Secret teachers claim. Number two, The Secret film and book make other claims about this so-called law, many with terrible ethical and philosophical implications. Number three, the film and book take bits and pieces of stuff that does work and is proven, mixes it with conjecture and personal beliefs, and calls the whole mixture truth. Number four, this version of the Law of Attraction has been brought to you by an allegedly real group of enlightened entities known as Abraham.
Ick, ick, ick, ICK!
The primary allegedly scientifically proven fact from The Secret is that thoughts are things — vibrations based on our conscious or subconscious beliefs and feelings — which are broadcast into the universe, attracting the same vibration. Of course, there is no proof for this claim.
However, science does show that we are a mass of vibrations and frequencies. Emotions are mediated through vibrating molecules. Thoughts can be measured. Electromagnetic fields that extend out from our physical bodies are measurable. What we believe, think and feel has a tremendous effect on how we perceive our environment and how we behave. Much of our behavior is driven by the subconscious. Synchronistic events do happen. Seemingly miraculous things do happen. The quantum world is absolutely, totally weird and spooky and scientists are still trying to figure it out. Quantum mechanics enigmas do remain. And we still don’t understand consciousness.
So it’s easy for concepts from The Secret to grab our imagination and gain traction.
But my bottom line is that any claims about how or why the Law of Attraction works is conjecture. And the idea that thoughts are intact, meaningful, coherent vibrations going out into the universe with the ability to create your reality based on like vibration (and somehow tied in with quantum physics and observer-created reality) is indeed interesting, but not proven.
Now that you know where I stand, I would like to introduce you to what I think is extremely helpful information about putting the (holding my nose while I say it) Law of Attraction into practice. It involves another controversial area known as energy psychology. No one truly knows how energy psychology techniques, which are based on the concept of so-called subtle energy, work. However, I do know that energy psychology techniques work incredibly well. That’s why I use and promote them, with the hope that one day we’ll figure it out.
Dr. Patricia Carrington, a leader and innovator in energy psychology, is writing a series of seven articles about the Law of Attraction as depicted in The Secret.
In this 7 part series, EFT Master Pat Carrington delves into the complexities of the Law of Attraction as depicted by the DVD and book known as “The Secret.” The Law of Attraction (LOA) has tremendous appeal but most people just can’t seem to harness it in their favor. This series will tell you why it can be so difficult and how EFT is the essential ingredient to making it work. Indeed, EFT may well be The Answer.
Parts 1 and 2 are available here at Gary Craig’s EFT web site. I recommend signing up for Gary’s free e-newsletter to be notified about the article series. Plus, you’ll get to read other mind-boggling, real-life applications of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
I would love to hear your comments!
And weird treatment for allergies and chemical sensitivities
I’ve been an energy psychology practitioner for many years. I admit that the concepts and techniques from this field seem weird. Oh well — I get results! I don’t know if we’re dealing with the so-called subtle energy system or not. There are other explanations that don’t involve subtle energy, but we still don’t know how or why these techniques work.
I can’t wait for the day when we have it all figured out, scientifically validated, and hailed in peer-reviewed journals. But until then, I invite you to dip your toe into the exciting world of energy psychology.
Last night I wrote a post about being allergic or sensitive to something in ShiKai shower gel. Well, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I have several chemical sensitivies and food sensitivities. Coincidentally (?), this morning I received Gary Craig’s EFT Insights Newsletter, which features an account from a woman describing her successful elimination of multiple chemical and food sensitivities using Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
Jo Hainsworth (from New Zealand) gives us a detailed trip through all the erroneous beliefs that caused her decades long problem. She says, “That afternoon, something incredible happened. It was like I was all of a sudden redefining my whole beliefs about food. I realised for the first time in my life that, despite my lifelong battle with dairy [and other foods], my body does not have a problem with food; it’s the subconscious beliefs that cause the reaction, not the substance itself.”
Our subconscious “beliefs” and “programs” are powerful. Some are beneficial; some are harmful. The interesting thing is that harmful perceptions and beliefs often form as the result of our mind or body attempting to protect itself. However, those instantaneous self-preservation responses may no longer be appropriate. The idea behind many of the energy psychology techniques is to “update” the body, mind, subconscious, cells, energy system (whatever!) with a new message, a new belief.
I’ve used EFT to help clear my allergies and sensitivites with some success, but I still have more work to do. Jo’s story is amazing. It gives me new resolve to keep at it! Persistence often is the key.
Happiness and Subconscious Programs
As if we didn’t have enough challenges contending with flaws in forecasting the emotional impact of future events (see related post), we also have to contend with subconscious programming.
Your genetically programmed instincts and your beliefs learned from parents, teachers, church and others in your very early years (up to age 5) form the subconscious mind. Your subconscious, operating behind the scenes, primarily drives your behaviors — for good and for bad. It’s hard to be happy, for example, if you have hidden DVDs playing in your head that say you don’t deserve to be happy.
I know this isn’t news. But what may be new to you is that today we have innovative techniques to update the subconscious. Ways to clear out harmful programming. Methods to erase painful effects of trauma, no matter at what age trauma was experienced and got locked into the mind and body.
Want to learn more? Listen to my interview with Susan Kimball, a psychotherapist in Florida who uses Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) in her practice. Also visit the NET site.
Why we get stuck
Now that most of us in modern society no longer need to worry about having food, clothing and shelter, we can move our attention to creating higher levels of being.
For some, it’s a piece of cake: decide what you want and just do it.
For others, it’s a herky-jerky, frustrating ride. We get stuck and we don’t know why or what to do about it. If that’s your experience, I invite you to visit my You! Unplugged Show and listen to my enlightening interview with Maryam Webster, a psychotherapist and coach.
Trauma? Heart break? I’ve got the solution
Seems like I’m always talking to the TV. Last night I watched Dr. Phil and House. Dr. Phil had a guest who had been wrongfully convicted for murder and had spent six months in jail. He was released, but he is traumatized and remains in his own prison. Thankfully he will be getting treatment. But before Dr. Phil introduced the expert who would be helping the man, I was imploring Dr. Phil to hook him up with a trauma specialist trained in energy psychology.
On House, the doctors thought a man was suffering from a broken heart over unrequited love, which was triggering heart attacks. Their solution was electric shock to the brain to wipe out memories, including the memory of his beloved. I was appalled. “No, no, no!” I said to the doctors. “Energy psychology can fix him!”
Many energy psychology techniques are excellent for treating trauma. Right after Hurricane Katrina, the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology listed some trauma resources on their site. This is a good place to start if you’re interested in trauma treatment.
How I Became a Happy Consumer of Energy Medicine
Fourteen years ago while living in San Diego I picked up a newspaper to read while eating breakfast. An article about a local chiropractor caught my attention. Apparently he had developed a technique that investigated and treated emotional underpinnings to physical complaints.
Because I was interested in the mind-body connection and had plenty of physical complaints, one in particular that was causing discomfort and pain, I was intrigued. The chiropractor, Dr. Scott Walker, was nearby in Encinitas, so I decided to make an appointment to experience his Neuro Emotional Technique (NET).
Several days later I arrived for my appointment, eagerly waiting to meet Dr. Walker. Unfortunately, he was out of town, conducting an NET training seminar. Another chiropractor who had been trained in the technique was holding down the fort.
Our session began with a brief explanation of the technique. Then the doctor acknowledged that NET sounded rather strange and asked if I wanted to try it. “Sure,†I said, and we got down to business.
Read the full article at energy-connections.com (another site I own and manage).
Got a phobia or fear? EFT to the rescue!
Yesterday while I was at a salon getting my hair done, a woman mentioned that she was terribly afraid of being near water. She was in a waterskiing accident at age 13, which traumatized her. I told her that there are techniques available that can clear traumas and phobias.
She seemed interested, so I told her the story of how the energy psychology technique Thought Field Therapy was developed. It started with Dr. Roger Callahan, a clinical psychologist, and one of his patients who had a longstanding, severe water phobia. I mean severe. She couldn’t even take a bath or shower.
I don’t know if I have all the details correct here, but the gist of the story is that Dr. Callahan had been studying acupuncture and its relation to emotions. One day while treating his water-phobic client, he asked her if she would be willing to try something different. She was willing, so he asked her to tap on certain points on her body as she thought of being near water. Suddenly she jumped up and ran out to the back of his house, where he had a pool. Dr. Callahan ran after her and found her laughing and playing with the water from the edge of the pool.
The phobia had vanished.
Dr. Callahan went on to develop Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and taught the technique to thousands of people around the world. One of his students was Gary Craig, a Stanford-trained engineer. And you know how engineers can be. They love tinkering around and seeing what can be improved or simplified. Gary thought that TFT was unnecessarily complicated, so he developed a simplified version, known as Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT).
Gary invites EVERYONE to freely learn EFT and try it for EVERYTHING, from emotional issues to sports performance, from minor annoyances to life-altering challenges. You can go to his site and get a free manual that teaches the basics. If you want to learn more, you can purchase training materials, including DVDs, at low cost.
Gary’s site is packed with articles and stories from EFT practitioners and clients. You’ll love his free e-newsletter (it comes with the free starter package), which is full of inspiring cases and real-life examples of how EFT is changing lives. You might want to have a box of tissues nearby while reading!
Yes, I do practice EFT. I also practice other energy psychology techniques, which I’ll describe in future posts. I’ll also tell the story of how I got involved with this mind-boggling, paradigm-shattering stuff. Stay tuned!
Five Principles for Happiness, plus a missing key
Did you happen to see the article Five Principles for Happiness in 2007 by David Bach? He writes, “I believe each of us has the power to discover our purpose and become joyful in the process of journeying toward that purpose. It’s not easy, however. Nothing important and meaningful ever is.”
I agree that it ain’t easy.
He goes on to list five principles:
Principle 1: Give Yourself a Break
Principle 2: Get Connected with Your Truth
Principle 3: Stop Judging Yourself
Principle 4: Stop Judging Others
Principle 5: Pursue Fun with a Vengeance
I think these principles are great. But I have a question. Why is it that even though we may know, believe and do these things, we aren’t happy or living fulfilling lives?
I believe it’s because we operate according to our subconscious programs. We may consciously desire to be a certain way or do certain things, but no matter how hard we try, we end up sabotaging ourselves. What if “your truth” (principle 2) needs to be updated big time?
Understanding that your subconscious is running the show is so important when it comes to goal-setting and making New Year’s resolutions! You may really, really want to lose 25 pounds by summer, and you’re ready and willing to eat right and exercise. But I wonder what your subconscious programs are saying?
This subject is near and dear to my heart, so I’ll be writing a lot about it!
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