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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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