what is eft?
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a sophisticated cousin of acupuncture that has combined the best new knowledge about how we deal with stress and pain into a practical healing tool. It is a form of psychological acupressure that uses a simple, gentle tapping technique instead of needles to stimulate the traditional Chinese acupuncture points. Combined with verbalization of the identified problem, the EFT tapping technique balances the energy system and relieves stress and pain in most cases. The body’s energy system, when balanced, is able to resume its automatic healing abilities.
EFT belongs to a new class of treatments known as Energy Psychology or Energy Therapy. This new field is becoming known as the field of epigenetics–that which works from outside the gene. Its use is by no means limited to psychological challenges, however, and it is remarkable in its effectiveness in relieving pain and illnesses. Of all of the new approaches that use the body’s energy system, experts who write about the field, including Dawson Church, note that EFT is the most effective.
Gary Craig, a personal performance coach and Stanford-trained engineer, developed EFT and has dedicated himself to teaching it to others via his website, emofree. It is a rich source of information. Craig launched EFT in 1995; since then hundreds of thousands have downloaded the free manual and thousands of therapists, physicians, and practitioners worldwide have begun to use it regularly.
meridian system
EFT uses the body’s meridians. The meridian system is a grid of energy pathways that run throughout the body. Evidence of merdian knowledge dates back more than 5,ooo years in Eurasia; it was refined by the Chinese, who have used it consistently in what we now know as acupuncture. There are fourteen major meridians; the endpoints of each meridian sit close to the skin’s surface. The endpoints are known commonly as acupoints, acupuncture points, or acupressure points, and in EFT, we tap on them while tuning into the problem with a verbalization. The combination balances the energy system and releases problems—physical, emotional, or psychological—and allows healing to occur. We in the West have been skeptical of this apparently invisible system, but research is now validating the physical presence of the meridians. Studies using radioactive tracers injected into acupoints reveal the meridian map precisely. Channels of information discovered by Bonghan and published in 1967 have been validated and now captured on film in the early 2000s. These threadlike microscopic anatomical structures, called Bonghan channels, correspond to the layout of traditional meridian channels.
eft is laserlike and easy to learn
EFT is, to date, the most effective of the meridian-based therapies. It is laserlike in its ability to focus specifically on the problem and clear it. It zeroes in exactly on the problem, and by tuning in and tapping on the meridian points, the problem, be it physical, stress-related, or emotional, simply resolves. Sometimes it can happen in a few sessions, sometimes it takes many more. I work very closely with each client to map out an approach that suits the need—the aim is always healing and resolution and so far the effectiveness rate is extremely high. And while I love working one-on-one with my clients, it works wonderfully in groups, and it is an excellent tool for everyone to learn; you can apply EFT to yourself very effectively.
eft research
EFT is still in early days, but research has been building and studies continue on all aspects of EFT’s efficacy.
- Click here for a list of current research featured on EFT Universe, the revised founder’s site.
- For research featured on the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) site, click here.
- For an article listing research and results published on the Energy Medicine Institute site click here
- For a clinical trial of PTSD treated with EFT performed at Marshall University click here