“Unclean spirits!” The words hit me like a ton of bricks. Across my face.
Besides being rejected, I felt lightning had just stuck the ground beneath me. I detected fear and the raising of a drawbridge that would block out all light, no matter where the Source originated.
It is now back to “devil idolatry.” With the words above, my spouse slammed shut any chance I had of sharing with her a new approach to peace that had just been introduced to me at a class. It’s called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). I first saw it on a “Wellness” site on the internet. Got drawn to a discussion of connecting it with inner peace and harmony. Then this woman started to move her hands across her face and head, parts of her chest and seemed to be “tapping” the sides of her body below each armpit in a “monkey” style.
I thought she was having some sort of fit right in front of me!
But she was simply demonstrating this technique first championed by a fellow named Gary Craig, according to my class instructor, Sarah O’Doherty. He introduced it to the “West” in 1995. Born in 1940, Craig, a Stanford engineering graduate, uploaded the practice to the ‘Net and has made it available for free. EFT Sixth Edition “I’ve been doing energy healing work since 1991 and my jaw still drops at the results,” he said in a pamphlet provided by the Resiliency Center, Ambler, PA. “I’ve lost count of the number of phobias, panic/anxiety attacks, traumatic memories, guilt, grief and physical ailments that have been elegantly relieved (within minutes) by this procedure. Even though EFT violates just about every conventional belief out there, the results remain remarkable,” he said, while adding it was not 100 percent perfect, “. . . it usually works well and the results are sometimes spectacular. It often works where nothing else will.”
I felt immediate relief of a mild headache that was developing while attending my first class yesterday. Our teacher told the six students to focus on a “problem” each had, and to label it according to a scale from 1 to 10, with ten being the highest degree of irritation and one, the lowest. I wrote “3” and had to admit it dropped to a “1” by the end of the 10 minute practice.
I have been looking for an easy to use energy-healing method. Being visual and getting easily confused with written instructions I looked EFT up on YouTube and found many videos on the topic including Garry Craig’s intro video.
I’ve used EFT successfully for over a year by now and have not had any signs of evil spirits entering me ,-) Quite the contrary; especially applying it on any kind of anxiety attacks leaves me feeling divinely at peace – transformed so to say through simple tapping!
Of course it seems like the most nutty thing to do (I loved the humorous way you describe it), but the immediate results are astonishing and so my mind has agreed that I do it.
Hey Michael J! Sorry to hear about your family woes with EFT. I discovered it maybe a year ago, was very sceptical, but willing to be scientific about it and actually give it a try, eyes wide open for “placebo effect” and self-hypnosis.
All I can say is that I found it quite effective for many ailments, and find it’s especially effective right after I’ve had an emotional run-in with someone. It helps me get at the energies that are roiling about in me in a way that takes me a lot longer with metta or meditation (though not always, sometimes love just calms everything down as nothing else.)
But when my mind is overwhelmed with anger or fear or whatever, I find that doing this physical action really helps. I think it’s similar to accupuncture in the way it affects energy lines in the body. When I’ve calmed down with EFT, I can often do better meditation. Sometimes, I decide to just “be” with the anger or hurt or whatever and work with it in terms of mindfulness, or I may try to hold myself in loving-kindness, but speakign for myself, sometimes EFT is just the thing. The long-term and “final” solutions, I feel, are in mindfulness and love and awakening, but I think some of these techqniques can be a huge help along the way. My two bits. Steve
I tried EFT just before a meditation session (alone, of course) and it was so easy! I mean, I was right there, in the zone. did not have to “nudge” outside thoughts away. They were already kept at bay by the EFT.
gotta get this message out to people . . . for meditating purposes alone, if for nothing else.
Michael J
*(Note: I tried something new, publishing-wise, If I think my post is running too long, I can try to break it into two parts. This way, I think some readers won’t be scared off from reading a “long” post. Once you get the readers attention, though, they will go to the “jump” page, that is, the continuation. It’s that first decision whether to read or not that concerns me, the writer.* ** *Want to insure someone is reading.* *It can be the next best thing since Hemingway, but if no one takes the time to read it, well . . . it don’t get read.)*
I agree that EFT’s a great complement, and I’ve shared it with a number of people. I think EFT came out of Gary Craig’s great compassion for people’s suffering, and his love and openness to light — qualities that shine in his face and instructions.
I had indeed noticed your breaking up of your posts into parts…it’s an interesting idea…I think it would work pretty well for many readers — I’ve been wrestling with the whole length issue too….trying to make (some of) my posts shorter, giving subheads to longer posts, and trying to be aware of big blocks of text. I did break up one overlong piece into a “part 2.”
Still, I don’t think that either of want to just to share is just another 200 to 300 words of internet eye-candy! 🙂 It takes more thought and space to really develop some ideas and concepts, and I guess I feel that those who want or need this greater depth, will find it, and those that don’t will probably pass by looking for something “lighter” (no judgment intended in that)…my metta aspiration for my site is just that, and I pray that the hungry heart who needs what I particularly have to share will be led my way. Myself, I tend to go for sites that do have longer articles and more depth. But yes, I really need to do better on length, keeping in mind my reader more, even if Metta Refuge is a kind of personal journal.
Contoveros 
Thank you Michael!
I have been looking for an easy to use energy-healing method. Being visual and getting easily confused with written instructions I looked EFT up on YouTube and found many videos on the topic including Garry Craig’s intro video.
Namaste
Teri
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I’ve used EFT successfully for over a year by now and have not had any signs of evil spirits entering me ,-) Quite the contrary; especially applying it on any kind of anxiety attacks leaves me feeling divinely at peace – transformed so to say through simple tapping!
Of course it seems like the most nutty thing to do (I loved the humorous way you describe it), but the immediate results are astonishing and so my mind has agreed that I do it.
Seems more nuts not to do it if it works, no?
Snædís
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To Be or NUT tO bE . . .
I always preferred Almond Joy over Mounds any ole day. The nuttier, the better!
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Hey Michael J! Sorry to hear about your family woes with EFT. I discovered it maybe a year ago, was very sceptical, but willing to be scientific about it and actually give it a try, eyes wide open for “placebo effect” and self-hypnosis.
All I can say is that I found it quite effective for many ailments, and find it’s especially effective right after I’ve had an emotional run-in with someone. It helps me get at the energies that are roiling about in me in a way that takes me a lot longer with metta or meditation (though not always, sometimes love just calms everything down as nothing else.)
But when my mind is overwhelmed with anger or fear or whatever, I find that doing this physical action really helps. I think it’s similar to accupuncture in the way it affects energy lines in the body. When I’ve calmed down with EFT, I can often do better meditation. Sometimes, I decide to just “be” with the anger or hurt or whatever and work with it in terms of mindfulness, or I may try to hold myself in loving-kindness, but speakign for myself, sometimes EFT is just the thing. The long-term and “final” solutions, I feel, are in mindfulness and love and awakening, but I think some of these techqniques can be a huge help along the way. My two bits. Steve
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Steve,
Your right!
I tried EFT just before a meditation session (alone, of course) and it was so easy! I mean, I was right there, in the zone. did not have to “nudge” outside thoughts away. They were already kept at bay by the EFT.
gotta get this message out to people . . . for meditating purposes alone, if for nothing else.
Michael J
*(Note: I tried something new, publishing-wise, If I think my post is running too long, I can try to break it into two parts. This way, I think some readers won’t be scared off from reading a “long” post. Once you get the readers attention, though, they will go to the “jump” page, that is, the continuation. It’s that first decision whether to read or not that concerns me, the writer.* ** *Want to insure someone is reading.* *It can be the next best thing since Hemingway, but if no one takes the time to read it, well . . . it don’t get read.)*
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I agree that EFT’s a great complement, and I’ve shared it with a number of people. I think EFT came out of Gary Craig’s great compassion for people’s suffering, and his love and openness to light — qualities that shine in his face and instructions.
I had indeed noticed your breaking up of your posts into parts…it’s an interesting idea…I think it would work pretty well for many readers — I’ve been wrestling with the whole length issue too….trying to make (some of) my posts shorter, giving subheads to longer posts, and trying to be aware of big blocks of text. I did break up one overlong piece into a “part 2.”
Still, I don’t think that either of want to just to share is just another 200 to 300 words of internet eye-candy! 🙂 It takes more thought and space to really develop some ideas and concepts, and I guess I feel that those who want or need this greater depth, will find it, and those that don’t will probably pass by looking for something “lighter” (no judgment intended in that)…my metta aspiration for my site is just that, and I pray that the hungry heart who needs what I particularly have to share will be led my way. Myself, I tend to go for sites that do have longer articles and more depth. But yes, I really need to do better on length, keeping in mind my reader more, even if Metta Refuge is a kind of personal journal.
Best wishes, and keep on tappin’ 🙂
Steve
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I read recently that Hemingway believed one of his best short story was less than 10 words:
“For sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.”
I had gone into journalism with that in mind, and I look at self editing from the same view. KISS
(I don’t mean that in the lower case. KISS means “keep it simple stupid,” in military case.)
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