Hi, Gary, I'm very glad to see these principles here. EFT is a wonderful tool that works with a specific mindset, and these principles describe that mindset beautifully.

My comments:

<blockquote>It isn't reframing itself that is the innovation, however, for that is a widely held concept within the therapy field. Rather, it is the idea of doing reframing while tapping.  For reasons not yet known, this radically improves how well reframes "land" with the client.</blockquote>

I've noticed the same principle. My take on why reframes work better while tapping is this: sometimes someone will resist a reframe. He may have an emotional charge to the original frame, so he does not want to change the frame. This resistance is often unconscious. But if he's tapping during the reframe, then the charge dissipates quickly, since he immediately tunes into the charge, even if he doesn't consciously notice it's there. He then accepts the reframe easily.

<blockquote>Although testing your work on a 0-10 basis is not a unique concept, my addition to the testing process for EFT included many ways to creatively challenge the apparent results as the sessions unfold.  EFT allows us to rapidly go to new depths with our clients and it thus becomes imperative that we appropriately test so that "we know where we are" in the process. Skillful testing allows us to be as thorough as possible.</blockquote>

I would like to point out that there are ways to test progress other than a 0-10 scale. The method I use for myself after every round of tapping is "Is the issue still there? Yes/No." If No, then I'm done. If Yes, I ask "How has the issue changed, if at all?" This allows me to notice my progress as different aspects are revealed.

In addition, the "we know where we are" phrase struck a chord with me. I know with myself that sometimes (maybe often) I don't WANT to know where I am. I am afraid of finding out that I am in a place I don't like, and then feel like I can't change where I am. So I would rather not know at all. But now that I have EFT, I know that I CAN change where I am, so it's safe to find out where I am. Do you understand what I'm saying here?

<blockquote>Some standard questions help us find Core Issues and, properly used, they almost always lead us into useful territory.  Two of these questions are: (1) What does that remind you of? and (2) If you could live life over again, what person or event would you just as soon skip?</blockquote>

More questions would be useful here. I find this is one of the major stumbling blocks, for me.

<blockquote>Principle #11 - Minimizing Pain: Because we can get to Core Issues with unprecedented speed and depth with EFT, we need another Principle to "sneak up on the problem."  This is so these painful  issues can be handled humanely.</blockquote>

In addition to handling the problem humanely, they make the problem easier to handle. I have often had an issue that brought up a lot of pain, shame, etc. and it was overwhelming to me. So I would Minimize Pain by e.g. backing up the Movie a few seconds to a less difficult moment, and just tapping there. I realized that by minimizing pain in this way, I was sending myself the unconscious message that "I respect the strength of this issue. It clearly means a lot to me and I will treat it with the respect it deserves, and I accept that I am not ready to release it yet."

That unconscious message is very powerful. It erases limiting beliefs like "I MUST resolve this issue right now"; it releases stress or anxiety about not resolving the issue; and it reassures the unconscious that "I will accept and love myself, WHATEVER I am feeling - even if I am feeling this issue that I want to resolve." In essence, it allows me to detach from the outcome of resolving the issue - which makes the issue much easier to resolve.

I hope that helps, and once again I thank you for putting these principles here.

The Discovery Statement

I find it useful when looking for the core issue to keep in mind a kind of corollary of the Discovery Statement, “The original cause of all disruptions in the body’s energy system is a strong negative emotion”, usually dating from our formative years.

The Basic Recipe

I perceive a broad consensus among EFT practitioners to include the “Top of the Head” (I prefer calling it the Crown) point introduced in the “EFT - Beyond the Basics” DVD set, usually at the end of the original sequence. It seems to improve the percentage of success (especially for less experienced practitioners) enough to merit inclusion. You might consider making it official.

Customized Setup Phrasing

It is well worth mentioning that the concept of psychological reversal, and the ways to identify and get around it, have been refined and expanded in the context of EFT. Acknowledging the positive intention of our reversals (to keep us safe) is a powerful reframe in itself.

The “rambling setup” also allows us to peek inside “doors” for possible routes to resolution of the client’s problem. When our words hit home, the client will usually give us a sign like a nod of the head or a gleam in the eyes.

Adding Reframes

It seems to me that the way you have taught us to introduce reframes is almost as important as the reframing itself; that is to avoid rejection of the reframe by couching it at the correct moment and only as a possibility. For example, after reducing the initial intensity of rage, “MAYBE (Perhaps, Could it be that...) my parents were doing the best they could with the resources they had at the time”.

Shifting aspects

It’s worth mentioning the senses as aspects (NLP’s submodalities); for example, switching from the images of an accident to the sound of screams, or the smell of spilt gasoline.

Using Specific Events

Perhaps this section should be titled Being Specific. Although specific events are usually at the root of even our physical ailments, specificity is also important when dealing with current pain, for example, as used in Chasing the Pain.

The Generalization Effect

Another feature of generalization are the beneficial side effects we often see, like no more insomnia after dealing with a traumatic event, or  (a less obvious connection) giving up smoking after working on over-eating.

Testing Your Work

It’s also important that the client recognize the change; it helps them keep from drifting back to where they were and can motivate them to be persistent when the going is slow. I’d mention also the idea of going for zero intensity to avoid resurgence of the problem. The client will usually acknowledge the possibility, if we can go from 8 to 4, why not from 4 to 0? Then the probability of permanent relief is greatly enhanced.

Chasing the Pain

It’s worth mentioning that working with pain has less social stigma and is usually less threatening to the client than working with emotions, AND the effect is tangible even to skeptics.

Finding Core Issues

Tapping on core issues often gives place to the “One Minute Wonders” and make it “work where nothing else will”, that distinguish so beautifully EFT.

Minimizing Pain

People often prefer to live with their problem rather than face the emotional pain associated with many other types of therapy. The gentle thoroughness and surprisingly easy relief provided by EFT are also distinguishing marks.

Palace of Possibilities

This seems too important to me not to be mentioned. It opens the door to a brighter future by eliminating limiting beliefs and allows us to become the most beautiful expression of the potential that is in each of us.

Easy to Learn and Apply to Oneself

What other modality can be learned so easily and applied to oneself just when it’s needed most, in an emergency (or just before an exam, or a job interview, etc.) You have made freely available a complete EFT Manual, tutorials, research reports, tips, refinements, thousands of reviews of using EFT for specific issues. Your training DVD’s are reasonably priced and incredibly valuable. Surely this sets EFT apart from anything else out there.

Over the Phone

What other technique is so effective and safe to apply from a distance, over the phone, or by internet. This has truly opened the world to the healing potential of EFT. I see this especially in Latin America where the need is so great and the resources are so limited. Even where circumstances are not so challenging, the convenience of remote attention and the possibility to choose the best practitioner for our needs from anywhere in the world is phenomenal.

With loving appreciation,

David MacKay

Hi Gary,

I've been reading your EFT manual all weekend and WOW!!!! It's truly amazing the wonderful work you've put together. I am elated to have come across techniques that are easy to understand and to apply towards my self-healing process. My journey to healing has been an on going process since March 2007.... and I honestly would have been saved a lot of time, money, and much grief had I discovered your work early on.

Yet I'm deeply grateful I finally was blessed in receiving this life giving vital information. Though I have much more to learn in my own healing process with EFT I was wondering if it's possible to these valuable skills so that I can be able to assist other's with their personal healing? Of course I would only offer my assistance if and when they ask for my assistance. I would appreciate your advice.

Thanks again for helping me bring the hope and joy within me back into my life :-)

Warmly,

Belinda Campos :-)

Hi Gary,

I've used EFT and have been pleased and intrigued, sometimes downright stunned at what it turns up. I've had memories come to the surface that are just so early, and so "forgotten" that I've really been amazed- and have had good results from tapping the emotional charge out of them.

But what I really think EFT needs is not well-worded guides and manuals, nor professionally produced dvds and the like. What it truly needs is rigorous independent testing, leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals of psychology, science, and medicine. As long as EFT just proposes out of thin air statements such as "The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system", EFT will never be taken seriously by the medical and psychological mainstream community - no matter how popular or effective it is anecdotally.

So I say, rise to the challenge. Lay it all on the table, and subject it to the process of peer-reviewed testing and verification that every single other claim must go through before it rises above the derogatory label 'psuedo-science'. Otherwise it will forever be tarnished the same way as homeopathy, astrology and Scientology are.

Regards

Steve Paton

japan@stevepaton.com

Hi Gary. First, thank you very much. You'll never know how much you impacted my life!

I think you must include the "use it in everything" idea. It always amazes me how useful is EFT in every field: not only the body issues, or not only the psyche issues, but also the dreams, etc... And I think this is so revolutionary that is important to make very clear and visible all the possibilities it includes. Very often we narrow our horizons without noticing.

And what about the importance of drinking water, for a better energy flowing?

And imaginary tapping?

And, this is very important, your prescription about how to deal with addictions or chronic illnesses: ten times daily, for instance...

And the concept of persistence!

And the idea of experimenting ourselves with the rhythm and the points: gentle, fast, strokes, caresses, touching... Sometimes this kind of advice is needed, because people can be afraid of doing mistakes, or hurting...

And the importance of speaking out loud whenever is possible because other brain circuits participate? If I understood right...

And isn't important stressing the idea of being alert to body sensations during the round, and communicating without fear of interrupting, during the guided round?

And of course I agree with the previous inputs, specially the absence of POP is a pity.

Sincerely,

Cecilia Echeverría

Gary,

I am a huge EFT fan.. incredible results with it... I also started using the Sedona Method, and now days I use one, or the other, or a combination depending on the level of consciosness of my client..

If you are not aware of the details of the Sedona Method (sm), let me give you a few comments where I think EFT will greatly benefit...  With the sm you learn to realease on all the wants (of approval, control, security, seperation or oneess), working at the level of the want that a very specific event brought takes you a long way dwon the road. No, it does not go against the principle of being as specific as possible, I think in complements it. If you first work at the very specific event, get it down or to cero and then you do eft on the want (of approval, etc) you get huge, huge benefit.... bringing along this knowlege from sm to eft I think is of great benefit... regards, Enrqiue

Dear Gary

A friend drew my attention to tapping about 18 months ago.  Not wishing to buy the rather expensive CDs or DVDs,  I opted to download the EFT Manual - which to my horror turned out to be nearly 80 pages, and totally bankrupted my printer cartridge.  So much of this was - I'm sorry to say this - waffle.  I read through this material, trying to get to the heart of the technique , and somehow missed the fact that one should tap all meridian points.  I'd got the impression one could choose one that best suited one's body.  

My point is, could you not write something crisp, succinct and clear?  Skip some of the raptuous reports of other people. One wonders if they are true.  It was only through the guidance of my original friend that I learned the technique.

I am sorry to sound a sour note.  But on a positive note, out of about 50 sessions of tapping, on one occasion  I experienced a diminishment of pain in my knee, and on another a very interesting and vivid recall of a memory of the past.   I believe that one must first open one's soul to this technique for it to work.

Jane Poncia

Thanks for your very helpful categorization and description of the strengths of EFT. I want particularly to mention my agreement with your position on the crucial importance of testing in the EFT process..  I consider this to be a skill that is a must forevery EFT practitioner.  

I'd like to add to the list one more way of testing that I find strikingly effective if a practitioner feels comfortable using it.  Not all do and that's understandable since it involves a kind of ad lib "acting" ability that some people do not possess (or think they don't)- but if one is comfortable using this it has many advantages.  What I do is to use a special kind of role-playing in which I (typically - occasionally we reverse roles) play the other (usually opposing) person in the scenario and the client 'plays' him/herself.  We use this  form of testing to restructure a distrubing memory or an upcoming encounter about which the client is experiencing anxiety.

Before they start tapping, I instruct them to run through the scene and to say what they would ideally like to say (or to have said, if we're targeting an incident in the past) during this problematic encounter. Almost invariably this first run-through of the scene (before tapping) shows us both only too clearly the great difficulty the client has in being effective in this situation - it is also amazingly diagnostic.  We then tap for the issue at hand, after which we immediately re-enact the scene.

As I play my role I am careful to be as detailed and "true to life" as possible (even if I have to ask the client for more details about the other person) - we want it to be VERY specific, very exact, very realistic.  After they have tapped, I use pretty much the same words when confronting them (I play the same role over again so to speak) but not so for the client - the difference in the way the person responds when EFT has "taken" is so dramatic as to be almost unbelievable in some instances.  

In the second (or sometimes thrid, later on) replay of the scene it is immediately obvious to me how far they have come from the way that I (in the role of the other person) responds to how they are now behaving - often they seem like a different person in what they say and how they say it.  Perhaps even more important however (than my own assessment here) is the fact that the client him/herself feels the difference in their own behavior, voice tone, words etc. so strongly that nothing can be more convincing to them than this - except perhaps the elimination of obvious physical pain.  It truly combats the familiar Apex effect.

And if we are future pacing (rehearsing a future interview, confrontation or whatever ) the confidence the person gains through this is invaluable.  It also tells us both clearly what still needs to be tapped on.  I cannot recommend this approach highly enough if one feels comfortable using it, it truly puts the tapped-on behavior or attitude "to the test"!

Thanks for all this,

Pat

The old English teacher in me...

2nd sentence:  It's should be "Its" without the apostrophe.

No drugs or surgeries are involved and it often works where nothing else will. And it's all based on some Timeless EFT Principles that anyone can learn. (I think this should be 3 short sentences for clarity:  No drugs...1st sentence.  It often works where...2nd sentence.  It's based on three short sentences...3rd sentence.

However, these wonderments are different from the Timeless EFT Principles and do not replace them.  Rather, they give you an endless assortment of variations and options regarding how to use these Principles.   I think this is clearer:  However, these wonderments do not replace the Timeless EFT Principles.  Rather, they give you endless variations, as well as, options on using the Principles.

Sorry I can't give this important writing the full attention it deserves tonight, but I will copy and paste it, and send it with the rest of my suggestions.  Where shall I send it?  Thanks for asking for input.

Carolyn Lancaster

Dear Gary,

Thanks for the great summary!

Suggestions:

4th paragraph you say the Timeless EFT Principles are in the Borrowing Benefits, Serious Diseases 1 &2 and Mastering EFT DVD sets and to look there for them. Seems to me they are also in the first DVDs and you might want to lead people toward watching those first (watching the DVDs in order vs jumping first to those you mentioned).

Regarding the Personal Peace Procedure, "If, over 30 days, the client addresses 1 to 3 specific events per day, s/he will have reduced the emotional burden of 90 to 270 of them." If you address 1-3 specific events over 30 days that is 30-90 events you will have addressed (not 270).

EFT works whether the person wants it to or not, meaning it is not simply placebo. It works even for the total skeptic.

With great appreciation,

Kay Christopher

Personal Peace Procedure: This process is widely used for client homework and is ideal for long term work on global issues. In practice, the client makes a list of every specific event in their lives that they wish didn't happen and then performs EFT on them one at a time.

I believe correct grammar calls for the following changes: "In practice, the client makes a list of every specific event in his/her life that he/she wishes hadn't happened, and then performs EFT on them one at a time.

Hi as to Item six Using Specific Events. Any and all change work requires that the client go with in and make an alteration IE change the meaning to this “first cause” be it via visual, auditory, or feelings.  Whichever modality the client uses for this “problem or condition”.  

Now for EFT I’ve developed a method that simplifies the process of tapping. It helps the client to get from a global or generalization. I’ve found that once they apply the process it does help getting to the “core cause”. It is a takeoff of the old knuckle anchor firing . IE create states of mind you would like to have and anchor it to a knuckle then proceed to build this resource by continuing with all the remaining knuckles and then by using the other hand fire off all the anchors.  

Here is what I teach all my clients to do. I do not use the word problem as it presupposes and most people make this declaration (affirmation) preceded with I”AM

So this is what I have them do.( Write down each number on a new line)

1. Take a situation where they are not getting the outcome they want.

2. What is it that prevents or stops it from happening (They may or may not be consciously aware of the cause?  The question however now causes the mind to bring about that state of mind)

3. Once the clients has a idea or a feeling we check for the SUD”S or strength  0 to 10

4. Once they have the number let’s say 8.

5. I then ask them on the scale of 0 to 10 if you were to tap on it 10 being it is all over what number do you get. This is somewhat like muscle testing only they are using numbers.

6. They check the suds and let’s say they get a 6  so 4 is still unaccounted for.

7. So if you were to tap on the 4 remaining what number do you get?  10 is it will be gone.

8. Let’s say they get a 9 I then have them continue till they get a full ten then and only then do we tap.

This gets them to the first cause. Should they come up with a different aspect then we did not get to the full ten. This has yet to happen.

I’ve found that once they do this all the other (as your term “aspects”) also change. When we go over the paper and the client checks they have found them to be “DIFFERENT”.

I've had clients go up to 20 lines before they get the full ten.

I’ve met people who have been to EFT practitioners and the change work that was supposed to happen was left unchanged. This does not detract from EFT as I found for my clients it works very very well once they have a method of getting to the core cause. IE the first time the brain learned how to do that “feeling” by changing the meaning (reframing) of the experience.

I’ve worked with people and they had the changes and never did have any conscious awareness of the cause, yet change took place.

When I taught self-hypnosis I had a phrase: even though I may not know how this can be done I give my unconscious mind six months to find another way to do this. This can be any condition or habit. Had all kinds of people lose weight, stop smoking, nail biting and the list goes on and on. Most often it would happen in a few months. So now I use EFT and NLP together.  NLP supplies the tools EFT gets the client to be responsible and also empowers them for creating their future.

One thing I have observed over the years is the importance you've put on aspects and this inability of some practitioners being unable to recognize when a shift has taken place. I’ve found this several times.

L&H for a wonderful guy named Gary

hank

Dear Gary.... Even what you wrote here is a great overview.

I have a client who gets so overwhelmed (wide eye-ed, wants to bolt the session, standing on tip toes, holding his breath, and ready to vomit at any second and in total stark raving terror)   by even thinking  about thinking about the issue that I am really sensitive to finding the least impinging setup statements and ways of working around  the issue without acknowledging it. I hope that what I have to say may help you and others. Working globally... yea! Not trying to solve the issue or pushing for it.. yea!

PRINCIPLE #6 USING SPECIFIC EVENTS... I would add in the text somewhere in italics: "Excepting where the clients issue or event is too hot to allow specifics." and for someone with a supper hot issue I would test very sparingly or not at all and just watch their demeanor and facial expressions for your clues.

PRINCIPLE #9 Chasing the Pain: When the clients issue is too hot then tapping on pains and chasing the pain is good way to lower the intensity without addressing the real issue or the emotions.

Principle #11 Minimizing Pain:  In using gentleness to minimize the pain, especially with clients who are very visual and work well with visualizations I ask what is the color and shape of the event or issue? Then tap on that. It is also one step removed from from the issue or event.

PRINCIPLE #12 - BORROWING BENEFITS: I don't know if you have mentioned this anywhere but using Borrowing Benefits in reverse works wonders for those with "Too hot to handle event/issues". The client writes down a name for the event/issue (like "this stuff") and then puts their attention on the practitioner and follows the practitioner in tapping on the practitioner's issue thereby taking the heat off of the client's issue and allowing the event/issue to be worked at a lower intensity. It seems that the intention is king here.

Well Gary ... That's my $00.02

In Good faith,

Chuck

Your Maths do not add up in the Personal Peace Paragraph. 1 - 3 events per day over 30 days gives 30 - 90 events. I think you need to change it to over 90 days.

Regards

Ben

The discovery statement.

Sometimes it has been difficult to teach with this statement. For transactional analysts, there is no such thing as "negative emotions". I didn't reword it just replaced in my speech " negative" by "uncomfortable" and during the next training preframed the audience about what I was going to say about "negative emotions".

I find it useful to understand the "energy" principle so vital to understand EFT. "Energy Medecine" by Donna Eden helped me a lot in the understanding of how energy can be disrupted. More on energy "Chi, Ki"  could add more clarity.

The blend of EFT and NLP

I find it a principle as it seems to me that NLP and EFT combined together give faster results. Part of the EFT technique derive a little bit from NLP(Movie, chasing pain). NLP helps building rapport with client (essential because odd doing, odd looking) and is teaching on how to be specific in the movie technique because of submodalities (knowing about inner dialogue, visual details, sensations is essential) , as well as working with pain as well as reframing, and looking back at where the belief, writing on the wall has started.

Odd doing, odd looking

I find it a principle of EFT. It's working wonders and it's looking odd.

Fast self help technique always available

Somebody wrote about it.

With deep appreciation.

Caroline

Hi Gary,

I am an EFT "newbe" so can only offer comments from an early point in my EFT voyage. I find EFT works best on myself when I am not emotionally or physically tense; I use Ba Duan Jin and Chi Kung excercises in the morning to relax myself and find a much better response to the EFT. Easier flowing energy perhaps? My experience indicates pain and distress can cause resistance to energy flow. perhaps making the EFT less effective? I have found this more effective then tapping while saying "Even though I am tense...."

Really finding the whole experience benifical.

Douglas de Gast

stumbling on the number of Capitals Specially At The Beginning. Maybe lc and italics for the words or phrases is gentller - Caps are dogmatic, a bit like shouting, italics smoother, but soft, give the message: "this is important".

This is said remembering your own comments about EFT still being on the ground floor, though I know your purpose here is to stamp on the foundations and declare them sound.

Blessings

Heather

Gary,

Did you see FOX NEWS this week when a guest who was speaking on the topic of how to get a good nights sleep demonstrated using the tapping techniques althought he did not identify what he was doing as EFT.  He simply suggested that after laying down in bed that one should think about a problem of the day that was troublesome and then he demonstrated the tapping.

Dear Gary and with gratitude for opening up an new world for so many of us,

"I first discovered this by listening to the reports of therapists who tapped along with their clients. They cleared up their own thyroid problems, collapsed their own phobias, etc. without ever using EFT on these items directly."

May i suggest that this brings us to an important point: that the act of rebalancing the energy affecting our systems is the prime mover - not the specific issue or its seriousness.  EFT has followed trad psychotherapy by looking back for causes but the cause is in the NOW the quality of balance or imbalance NOW. One perfectly balanced and happy moment free of guilt and shame will have its affect on all other moments past and present. As Einstein said,' the distinction between past. present and future is only a stubbornly persistent delusion". So by tapping on the seemingly unimportant : "I'm upset because I  forgot to put the garbage out" you rebalance - and we know we don't even have to say any words - merely be present with our discord, until it has melted away through tapping on the meridians. Once we can rebalance the small issue that are of the day the so-called big issues, should we choose to look backwards are of the past and  that is where they should be having lost their hold on the present. The more the balancing is done on ANY issue the more this will be achieved - the forest coming down. I do telephone sessions only - the client pays for a four week module and I am available at all reasonable times when issues come up. I have not found that this format is abused - I often need to ring them. A session may last an hour or five minutes and depends what has risen into the clients consciousness at the time. I like to stress that it is more constructive to deal with what this day has served up and if the past rudely intrudes then it IS a problem of today, but we do not go digging, we allow it to float to the surface.  A first session (unless a crisis situation which are rare for first timers)  may be very simple - these are the tapping points -(diagram)  Let us tap through them. Has an incident today made you feel anxious or unhappy, even something as small as not putting the garbage out? Sometimes it is bigger a domestic fight, most times not. Clients usually start therapy when there is a temporary  break in their inner turbulence.  I tell them to start practicing  tapping on these points,  breathe in breathe out. What stands in the way of your happiness? there are three solutions to this whether it be ill health, relationship, performance, money - (a)low self esteem (guilt, shame)  (b) the pain of not having what I think I want is preferable to (c) getting what i want and then suffering the pain of possibly losing it again. I suggest a global intention: With deep gratitude I give thanks for the way being open to valuing fully the wonderful gift that is my life as an expression of......(the client can then add their own 'toppings'). And then over the sessions we deal with the 'yes but's' that may arise, and the blocks that may stand in the way. I hope that this slightly different perspective may contribute so that we can let go of our issues that we so often cling to for what would we be without them - happy, oh go on?.  

Gary, this is a great summary. I think a huge contribution is your definition of core issues, and making people aware that core issues are under so many symptoms. And also the fact that you can access those core issues so much easier with EFT, that the subconscious mind allows them to surface after you have cleared away some layers.

I have had so many sessions in which these core issues and the memories attached to them have surfaced using EFT and intuition. It always seems to be something that the client was unaware of, but is now ready to face. Thanks again for all of your contributions.

In my field of using EFT for weight loss, EFT has been truly a gift to free people from compulsions that have often been there for decades.

Blessings,

Carol

Thank you, Gary, for laying out these principles. This is something I've been wishing you would do for a little while. I really appreciate it and it's helpful.

I don't know if you would consider this an EFT "principle" or not, but here it is for your consideration! I did EFT daily for three years, I studied it thoroughly  and enthusiastically and still do it occasionally. I found that without a positive focus, I was floundering and not getting to where I wished to go. I was focusing on negative emotion and eliminating it, then expecting things to improve. While I felt better, improvement did not come until I learned to have a positive focus. Like your Palace of Possibilities, and Law of Attraction. Once I did everything from the LOA standpoint, and used EFT to make things easier, then positive change happened. Perhaps everyone else gets this, and I'm just slow! But I am a lot of fun. LOL So I believe it's important to point out not to get so caught up in eliminating every negative emotion that you forget to focus positively. (LOA) If you are constantly questioning yourself "In what way do I feel bad about this situation?" (if that's the reason you believe it's not going well), you're just going to bring more bad to yourself. You see what I mean? So encouraging positive focus (and perhaps even studying LOA) is important. Perhaps that's what you mean by reframing, but I think it should be more clear. And I second the idea of including the "Use it on everything" and the importance of persistence. Persistence was VERY important for me. Otherwise, it all seems great! Thank you again, Gary, for all that you do. I would not be where I am to day if it weren't for you. Thanks a million!

Dear Gary,

Bravo!!  What a great synopsis of EFT.  Crisp and clear, succinct yet detailed.  Here are a few of my suggestions:

1.  Resistance to Change is a big issue for many (most) people I encounter.  To overcome it I suggest a simple opening round on Resistance to Change and incorporate every area of obvious resistance as well as any that just might be harbored by the client.  They may be "I'm afraid of change" or "I don't know what it will be like to change" or "I'm afraid I'll get it wrong if I change."  As a result, many people don't change as quickly or at all without this beneficial addition at the outset of each session.

2.  Borrowing Benefits:  The use of shouting or increased volume while saying certain phrases makes a big difference to the outcome of the group in general and for individuals in particular many times.  Also, the occasional use of profanity seems to help bring up negative emotions better than anything else and, while I recognize that this is a family oriented site, such words will bring up negative emotions better than anything else.

3.  Many people don't want to say negative phrases for fear their subconscious minds will grab onto them and bring about more negativity in their lives than they already have.  A simple explanation often takes the edge off this distinct problem of resistance to following the wording given to them.  Once they are told clearly that the reason for using negative wording is to "bring up the disruption or blockage in the meridians" they seem to better understand why we do it in the first place.  

I also explain that the whole purpose of negative wording is to accentuate the disruption in the meridians so we can then "tap it away" using EFT.  I further explain that the primary purpose of using negative wording is to not only focus their attention on the negative emotions attached to the words, but to make the disruption as "bad" as possible so they will get the best possible results.  This usually satisfies them and they do get much better results.

4.  When doing the 9 Gamut, I make a habit of watching the client very carefully as they do the eye exercise of clockwise and counter-clockwise movement.  If their eyes "dance" or "Jump" as they travel in the circular movement, I will then stop them and go over and over that particular spot where the eyes failed to follow my fingers in the circular movement.  I also exhort them to follow the fingers with their eyes carefully, telling them to "concentrate" repeatedly until their eyes do follow my fingers smoothly.  Once their eyes have smoothed out, the issue with which they were dealing is always completely gone.  Its somewhat like "regrooving" a 45 record with a nickel on top of the record player's arm (for those older than 50 and still remember record players)

5.  I agree with a previous entry that the "top of the head" or "crown" points are now an integral part of the EFT regimine and I suggest you make them a normal part of the basic EFT Sequence.  They work well and, while they look somewhat silly, they are worth it.  I tap in a "Halo" pattern rather than a single spot in the middle of the head and it seems to work better for my clients.

Thank you Gary for putting this together in such a succinct fashion.  I believe you've been very comprehensive and complete.  These are just a few of the things I use that seem integral to me and I hope they can be useful to others.  Nonetheless, I truly appreciate your openness and willingness to ask for other ideas in the name of bettering what you've done so far.  If none of the ideas are used, they still have been disseminated to all those who read this blog.

Most respectfully yours,

Ted

Gary:  Have you tried Ellen Degeneras?

It all looks excellent to me, I think it's great to have a "foundations" statement so that people can return to the source of EFT. Although I agree that variations can achieve impressive things, I also believe that the basics should be firmly present in each person's practice, as otherwise you could miss out on even greater achievements.

Sorry, I forgot something! I don't think you need to include every method and idea in this document - they can be found out in the usual ways. I think a solid foundation is what is required, not a complete teaching tool. And it certainly shouldn't replace teaching thru the website/courses/practice. Much love, James.

I read it as an editor would and noticed one spelling error: in the first paragraph 'It's results' should be 'Its results'.

I think your newsletters are fantatic!  I don't think think they need to altered in any way.  Keep up the good work.

Let me second the vote for adding that one should drink plenty of water and be properly hydrated for EFT to work its best (especially notable since I live in the desert), and that persistence always pays off in the end.

EFT has been the single greatest blessing in my life, and I can never thank you -- and all the EFT pioneers who participated in your DVDs -- enough for this stunning healing tool.  I don't know any of you personally, but I love you just the same.

With gratitude and love, Aine

Hi Gary:

First, I must say I truly appreciate all you do to bring self-healing to our fingertips, literally.

I am a retired teacher and a certified hypnotherapist. I would like to see a simple printable chart of the short form to give to clients for homework and to have as handouts at classes and speaking events. The process would be made simple enough for beginners to do as homework.

In appreciation for all you do,

Lillian

I think it is very important to have excellent grammar at the very first, to get taken seriously.

My suggestion on the first paragraph is: Its instead of It's in the second sentence (Its results for emotional, physical and performance issues......

Then get rid of the second AND by eliminating the last sentence and adding a comma:

No drugs or surgeries are involved, it often works where nothing else will, and it's all based on.......

You're never supposed to start a sentence with AND.

Gary don't take offense but, I really did some cutting on the principle part.  It got too personal and wordy for a set of principles.  Just my opinion.

The tennis principle, can it be changed from;  "They can tweak their game by variations in their shoes, headbands & tennis rackets, of course" to "They can tweak their game by variations in their shoes, hand grips & tennis rackets, of course"  I play a lot of tennis and that headband reference made me laugh.

Principle #1 - The Discovery Statement: "The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system."

This is the foundation of EFT and also represents the essence of Energy Psychology.  As a result, all versions tune in to the issue at hand and then stimulate the energy points on the body to create energy balancing.  The proponents of the various versions may not state this directly but it is the underlying principle. This statement is discussed in the EFT Manual and in The EFT Course DVD set.

This wording is my own and was developed from my initial exposure to these energy related processes by Dr. Roger Callahan. While I honor Dr. Callahan's important contributions to this field, I have developed, distilled and simplified Dr. Callahan's methods.

Principle #2 - The EFT Basic Recipe:  The full version of this simple procedure is given in the free EFT Manual and is demonstrated profusely in the first two videos of the EFT Course (part of the EFT Foundational Library). There are many variations and shortcut versions that people use but your EFT education is not complete without a thorough grounding in the original.

Principle #3 - Customized Setup Phrasing:  The art of delivery in EFT is the streamlined and intuitive phrasing which enhances the Basic Recipe.    

Principle #4 - Adding Reframes:   This skill can encourage cognitive shifts as done using NLP, which is the ultimate goal in traditional therapy, and has increased the success of EFT on a large scale.

Principle #5 - Shifting Aspects: Since a given issue can have several parts or emotions contained within it (aspects), it is not unusual for an EFT client to resolve one aspect immediately and then shift to another aspect without noticing the previous improvement, thus concluding that "nothing happened."  In reality, they may have completely resolved one aspect and are now working on another.

Principle #6 - Using Specific Events:  Clients almost always portray their issues in global terms like, "I feel abandoned", "I have a bad temper" or "My self image is poor."  However, none of these broad issues could arise UNLESS there were specific events underlying them. So, to support the use of Specific Events with EFT,  the Movie Technique and the Tell the Story Technique were developed.  They naturally force the use of specific events and are described under Useful EFT Tools below.  They have become among the centerpieces to EFT's Art of Delivery.

Principle #7 - The Generalization Effect: After you have used EFT to neutralize a few problems or specific events on a certain theme, the positive effects tend to generalize across related issues. This is because these related events have commonalities. Thanks to this Principle, EFT often clears out a whole forest of diseased trees after cutting down just a few of them.

Principle #8 - Testing Your Work: Testing is an imperative and crucial skill.  Thus repeatedly asking for the 0-10 intensity ratings is essential. Without it you will often not know where you are in the process. Skillful testing allows us to be as thorough as possible.

Principle #9 - Chasing the Pain: If you address the physical symptoms with EFT first you will often collapse the related emotional experience with EFT, since emotional and physical issues are strongly linked.

Principle #10 - Finding Core Issues: Some standard questions help us find Core Issues; (1) What does that remind you of? and (2) If you could live life over again, what person or event would you just as soon skip?

Until you truly resolve the core issues, the problems will appear to "come back."

Principle #11 - Minimizing Pain: This unique EFT procedure adds gentleness to the process.  They include "taking the edge off" by tapping globally at first and The Tearless Trauma Technique (described as one of the Useful EFT Tools below).Because we can get to Core Issues with unprecedented speed and depth with EFT, we need a procedure to "sneak up on the problem."  This is so these painful issues can be handled humanely.

Principle #12 - Borrowing Benefits: Properly done, simultaneous benefits can be borrowed by rooms full of people. It revolves around the fact that you can identify issues of your own and improve them by "tapping along" while someone else is undergoing EFT for a completely different issue.

Principle #13 - Surrogate EFT: You can do EFT on yourself in behalf of someone thousands of miles away and often generate benefits for them (and sometimes for yourself). Among other things, this extraordinary principle allows you to help others who are unable to help themselves (e.g. infants, pets, disabled people, etc.).

Surrogate work like this is not new as various forms of prayer have shown similar benefits. However, adding EFT to the surrogate healing process can dramatically accelerate the results.

Principle #14 - Doing EFT THROUGH you, not BY you:  This is the central idea behind the use of intuition within the EFT process.  It involves "getting yourself out of the way" and this customized approach is discussed in depth in our DVD set EFT-Beyond the Basics.

Intuition is always useful in the healing process but takes on a new importance now that we have a tool that can readily collapse the issues that your intuition uncovers.

Thanks Gary, you're the best.

Love and kindness

Lillian

Is it really essential for EFT to believe that some emotions are "negative", and that they originate from a disturbance of an  "energy field"? I am a scientist and use EFT on my self-defined issues because it works. When I first looked at the website, that was what you assured, leaving any possible explanations open. Had I been asked to first accept a new-agey-sounding axiom, I might never have tried it.

in the print of your document many lines are undecipherable...don't think it's my computer ????

Gary:  I hear you loud and clear, the need to really embody traditional EFT.  Similar to any art, one must not only understand the mechanics but have them so engrained when applied, the art and intuition can then express.   Mastering the core, and really getting it so it's second nature, first,  then the improv and instinct of the practitioner can express with a firm foundation.

   The EFT tools are a wonderful additional arsenal to my healing arts self.   Discovering the nuances are part of the adventure.  

    You are clear, articulate, centered and grounded in knowing what is best for the technology of EFT.   CW

Dear Gary

I learned EFT from your manual on January 6, 2002 and its application has been life saving since.

Regarding the principles.

a) Energy Toxins - During my very first issue it was tapping on the ET that triggered the issue even after it was resolved that cleared the issue totally. Even though this thing has this effect on me and even though I react in this way ti this thing. So I suggest taht you add Energy Toxins and their neutralization with EFT to the Principles.

Another 'principle' I found to be effective is that the person involved (client) if the issue is TOO charged emotionally, they do not have to 'speak' out while another does the tapping to experience full benefit of release. - tearless trauma as in 'not even looking at it directly' - until the charge has dissipated considerably.

(The example would be: My client has a highly charged 'core' incident and does not want to 'talk' about it. I tap on myself, using whatever reminder phrases come up for me while the client keeps quiet. Result - great release every time.

Another 'aspect' I found is that tapping alone (as in I for myself) is effective - tapping in groups of two or more increases the effects exponentially.

Another principle mentioned should be the 'long lasting effect'. When the 'core' diisruption has been released/neutralized the issue is gone 'forever'.

One minute wonders and persistence - even though EFT practitioners experience many 'one minute wonders' with their clients some issues need to be addressed over a period of time before significant progress is evident. (like ppp)

Try it on everything has been mentioned. Maybe add the inanimate realm as possible 'client'. (computers, cars, household issues like clogged drains, plants, and of course pets)

When you mentioned the 'through us not by us' I actually expected a slightly more 'spiritual' approach. The energies at large that are working when EFT is applied should be fully acknowledged. Energy is intangible enough - go the full way and say whatever happens happens because the Universe approves - or something like that. (Sorry I am not good enough in English to express it and hope you understand.) - The idea as I understand is that 'our iintervention with the EFT' is not because I as a practitioner am so good but because the 'Universal forces' are in agreement with wholeness which 'becomes' as tapping occurs.

You might also include the 'principle' of 'openess' which allows EFT to be added to other forms of therapy, thereby enhancing the other forms.

Another principle - EFT has/is no placebo effect - Whether you believe in its effectiveness or not it still works. EFT is no placebo - it is the real thing.

Another principle - EFT works for dead people, too. Or family skeletons if you want to call it that. Patterns of belief handed down over generations can be resolved. - I have personal proof. :) (Resolved one of my dead grandfathers issues with immediate fiscal results in my own life.)

which brings me to this extraordinary principle of - EFT goes beyond space and time. - past lives? EFT, Skeletons in the closet? EFT, Beliefs from the great grandparent - EFT - ALL gets cleared - if you know where to dig. :)

Oh, and another principle - sometimes a little intervention is enough to go far. I did ONE short session with a very minor second league local soccer team two years ago. They carried on on their own since then and now they are moving up into the first league! (And the one person I worked on during the one match I attended now is a player in an European team already!) EFT is absolutely the max thing for performance. (An aside - I did EFT with a friend who plays golf. Whenever she gets into a 'tight' situation she taps and it works out well for her. Unfortunately I never tapped that she would feel easy in introducing me to her golf mates. :))

Gary - If you ever want a vote of confidence you can count on me

Blissings

Ulrike Haupt

from Namibia - somewhere in Africa

Hi Gary,

I don't see The Apex Effect mentioned. Should it be?

While it might not be a necessary item on the list of "how to do EFT," My guess is all EFTers run into clients who apex and are puzzled or frustated by it.

The longer I do EFT the more I'm amazed by people's "apex responses." Perhaps you can touch on the underlying reasons for this effect somewhere in this document. I have begun to think of The Apex Effect as almost more amazing

than EFT itself.

Hi Gary,

Thanks for always bringing us back to the basics!  Being a teacher, I'm very aware that sometimes we slip into a language that assumes the newcomer is away or many fundamentals or basics, and then forget that we have to teach them the basics first and give them a chance to get it. That takes time.

I will digest your thoughts here as I ride into the city to work with a very sad case that came to me from your site, of a fellow with late Lyme disease. We've made tremendous progress, but he had to stop because he does he feels that deeply and completely accepting himself is akin to accepting his condition. But he has gotten to the point where he is embracing undergoing Lyme treatment which is a huge step and wouldn't have happened weren't it for the EFT I'm certain.

I would like to put out there that I have not met as much resistance to healing from any illness as much as Lyme disease.

I have watched the brain definitely light up after EFT work. And I can't say enough about how grateful I am for its arrival, no doubt at a time when the world seems to need more healing than ever.

But I'm intrigued at the role that EFT plays with some of these deeper physiological issues. I'm concerned that some practitioners might intimate, or more likely, that clients will feel that just because they feel better, their condition doesn't merit further appropriate treatment.

That's just information that might be helpful to the practitioners. I do try to work well with other people as the need arises, and I think most people do. But EFT'ers might need to know that if someone is not responding to EFT as quickly as they can, underlying structural issues may exist within the central nervous system that need to be addressed in other ways.

Even with the neurofeedback I do, there are limits that occur, structural ones of the brain and central nervous system, that I make the necessary referrals to. But they are few and far between compared to all the unbelievable results that I see occur with the EFT. I think that we have learned so much about the central nervous system as a result of all your work and it's absolutely fascinating and we're still learning.

I will read through the above a little more thoroughly and let you know if there's anything else.

Thanks,

Helena Kerekhazi, NY

Hi, Gary,

Thanks for the great outline of the essentials of EFT. A few thoughts about additions:

You might consider adding persistence—each day, on aspects, and over time when needed—as a separate principle. The principle would include the idea that persistence can make headway even when specificity isn’t possible—for reasons of memory, perhaps. Persistence also brings up the issue of the need that sometimes arises to find those things that stop progress, or more progress still: psychological reversal, for example, or energy toxins and dehydration. You could include the point that the depth and impact of an issue is not a measure of the difficulty of clearing with these techniques—though complexity, seen in aspects, requires persistence. The topic of persistence could also bring in the question of one minute wonders.

Psychological reversal, and self-acceptance as its undoing, may merit a principle of its own.

A principle about Intuition and Tuning In could incorporate the current Principle #14, Doing EFT Through You, Not By You. As you teach EFT, both the person using EFT and the practitioner tune in and let the truth arise through us, not by us. The principle would include the way the person using EFT tunes in to focus the body’s energy system on the issue and underlying energy disruption. It includes the experience of the practitioner’s simultaneous tuning in to act as a surrogate for the person using EFT (while the practitioner also Borrows Benefits). Tuning in holds all the forces and participants together in a shared field.

Try It On Everything, combined with Don’t Go Where You Don’t Belong, might serve as a separate principle.

Many thanks for this thought-organizing summary of the foundations of EFT, and for EFT,

Penny Seator

Hi Gary,

Just a thought...

As you are currently defining basic principles and also trying to achieve acceptance in the more tradtional or 'scientific' areas of healing, it may be helpful to also consider space for a more scientific explanation of the EFT process.  You used to refer to this as "building a bridge to their belief system".  

As I have a scientifc background, I usually explain that recent acupuncture research shows changes in activity in certain brain areas, specifically those that deal with fear and the storage of emotionallly related memory.  I equate the 'electrical hyperactivity' in these areas with the term "disruption in the body's energy system" and this creates a 'bridge' to clients who dont believe in a subtle energy system and also those that do.

Thanks for the opportunity to contribute,

Lynne Redan

Hi Gary,

Firstly a HUGE thanks for EFT..HUGE.

I'm not sure that you could call this a principle but the need for hydration deserves a mention. My husband has heamophillia (I hate spelling that word) and related artheritis for which he takes strong pain killers. The pain killers dehydrate him. Recently he got a wasp sting - two at once. He was in considerable pain. We tapped. Nothing. Tapped more, the pain went up and down. I thought chasing the pain but it felt odd. We taped for about 5 mins with nothing. I have been using EFT for years and so knew this was unusual. I grabbed him a glass of water and within seconds the pain had gone. Completely. What was interesting was that we didn't need to do anymore tapping for the pain to disappear. It was as though his ody was catching up to the EFT we had already done.

Hence my feeling that it is important and one that most people (outside of this field) do not consider.

Everything else seems to have been covered :-)

Thanks for the opportunity to contribute

Blessings

Cara

I had to laugh as I read through the comments, you've gotten much help, including other modalities.  

I have a great deal of respect for what you teach as EFT Basics.  I'm here to tell you that as a novice who has only read the free manual and watched Borrowing Benefits series of DVDs, I've had three years of success with family and friends using the Basics and such innovative and scary variations as surrogate tapping, imaginary tapping, and using only one tapping point (always the crown point.)

Reading the cases written up in the EFT Insights newsletter has also helped me greatly.

My two year old great grandson uses the crown tapping point on himself, his baby brother, and last night on his mother.  He regularly requests "Tap, Tap, Nana" from me when he feels the need and he pleads with me not to Tap, Tap when he doesn't want to go to sleep, knowing that he will if I do.  Incidently, I've intuited a Tap, Tap, Tap bedtime song as a work around for that issue.

Add water and I think you have it, Gary.  And thank you and My Higher Power for EFT, it is a true Miracle of our time.

Namaste',

Sandy

I'd just like to offer that the 9-Gamut procedure seems to add "unnecessary" complexity and extra "weirdness" to the initial EFT training. I watched you, Gary, work with SO many clients in the later videos, in live workshops, and in descriptions of case studies, you almost never used the 9-Gamut. It wasn't necessary, and in the time it takes to do the 9-Gamut procedure, you can do 2-3 more rounds of tapping. To me, the simplification rule applies: that which is not necessary to get results should not be included in initial training. To me it fits into the category of Useful EFT Tools... alongside Constricted Breathing Technique.

Gary,

I just want to say thank you for your genorosity in making EFT so freely available.

I hope one day to be able to afford further training, but I have had great success with both myself and my lovely wife just applying what I have learnt in the free manual and other resources that you make available.

Thank you, Gary, for expressing these principles so purely. I am a newbie and mostly use EFT on myself, but have used it on a few friends. They want to know more and this will be a wonderful tool for me to use to explain in a very simple way the principles of EFT.

Thank you for your gifts to the world of tapping,

Jo

Dear Gary

As you are the founder and discoverer of EFT I congratulate you on your current manifesto and under your leadership the good ship EFT will sail through many uncharted waters, and much resistance will be encountered by all and sundry.

EFT will never be accepted by the medical profession as they only accept medicine

as being scientific, anything else is non scientific so they are not interested. It is political biased and also there is no money in it for the drug companies. In spite of this EFT will

survive and many variations will unfold and I honestly believe EFT will be embraced by the people for the people. In spite of all of this Gary Craig will always be the founding father of EFT.

EFT needs to have exposure to peer review Journals and I ask all EFT practitioners

who have a tertiary degree to start doing some research to enable them to have their work published in a peer review Journal.

I realize that a lot of EFT people may have completed the EFT course and passed with

flying colours, I’m not saying don’t do any  research, go ahead and do it by all means,

however, it will not be accepted for publication in a peer review journal.

Gary thank you for allowing me to have my two bobs worth.

Dochold     Downunder

Hi Gary,

I noticed a misprint: Last paragraph of Principle #1 should read ‘I have developed’ instead of ‘I I have developed’.

About new tapping points. As an enthusiastic newcomer to EFT I have done a lot of tapping in the last month and a half while working on the Personal Peace Procedure. It was my impression that the wrist point was highly effective against grief, far more so than the other points. Unfortunately (well…) there was not much grief to clear in the periods of my life I have worked on so far, so this remains a fleeting impression. I checked it with a friend with whom I worked over the phone on an issue involving a grief aspect and she confirmed the wrist point had the biggest impact for her too. I wonder whether other people have had the same experience.

Thank you Gary for this wonderful technique which is changing my life.

I love your newsletters, and always look forward to your 'thought of the day'.

I am new to tapping, but I am seeing positive changes.

I agree that variations can achieve impressive things, but I also believe my clients miss out on even greater achievements when the basic recipe or foundation statement are not learned. I feel this needs to be stressed constantly, otherwise, everything else begins to fall apart and the client becomes frustrated. Thank you for all your newsletters and "thought of the day".

Hi Gary,

In the total EFT picture,  I am a "newbie"  :)     However,  I have many success stories re myself that I share with others.    

THANK YOU for allllll of your heart, hard work and dedication.

Also,  a thought:   along with Oprah,  I would try the ABC show,  "The Doctors"  and the new "Dr. Oz Show"   (an Oprah production).      I am in a NW Atlanta suburb,  just watched Dr. Oz  ( 3 pm est)  while working out and one segment was on Acupuncture  (forgive sp.)     What an "ah ha"  moment ---  I immediately ran into my home office to send this email!

Blessings alllllll around.......  

Your newbie buddy.....Di    =^..^=

Hey Gary...It's been 19 months since you pretty much  saved my life.  I could never Thank You enough. What I do try to do is introduce  other Veterans to  the 'Little Miracle' called EFT.  I will be honest. I am asked all the time "How did you get so calm" by  other Vets and Dr.s.  Those  with PTSD often live fractured, chaotic lives. Sadly  most  won't download and  read a 90 page manual.  I realize you want to be  all inclusive, not miss anything.  Just as you are doing here by opening  up a dialogue  to catch anything the Community feels is important. We have to remember less than 25% of the world is online. Sometimes where EFT could be most useful it is unknown,  as there  are no computers. What we  really need a sanctioned Booklet to distribute. Might  I suggest one, strickly basics without  the  tools used infrequently like  9 Gamut, finger points & consticted breathing?   Something that could be easily distributed to Homeless Shelters,  Detox facilities even Incarcerated people. Would this not be a lot closer to getting the 'word out'

to a population that could most benefit? Sometimes those whose lives are circling the drain, need something to grasp onto.  I remember Louise Hay's 1st 54 page manual was called a Book.  Your manual includes  so much it can be overwealming. Everything changes. Maybe an  EFT primer or booklet "Start EFT Today" Then an updated (I know,again?) Manual without the  un used procedures.  When we (The Disabled Vets)  where taught EFT for that week I remember you guys (The Masters) dealt with absolutly horrendous stuff that we unloaded. Most of the time it was just using the simple shortcut method.   It worked, brilliantly with everyone of us getting improvments.  Ours was a desperate bunch, yet  we did fine.  Some thoughts you might want to consider.

1  Hydration, can't say it enough.  A dehydrated body is ripe for  trouble.  So many times when doing the Personal Peace Process, hydration would flush the problems.

2. I understand many suggest "Use it on everything"  This is a slippery slope as there is another community that produced an excellent movie, with a similar title.

3. Often I encounter those that havn't made the  connection as to the Mind Body Spirit being one.  They find it hard to realize the body can  heal itself. The bridge I use is to remind them that when we break/Fracture a bone,  the Dr dosn't 'heal' it. All a Dr does is  'set the bone into alignment' using a cast. We heal ourselves. With EFT  I find that once the body is energetically in alignment, you have a complete circuit instead of a disruption. I am much more inclined to deal with stress when  it comes my way. Sometimes in life it isn't the things that happen but in the way we handle them that is important. EFT gives us that emotional tune-up we desperatly need.

4.  Reversals.  How  we deal with this, especially when someone is stuck.  Maybe a few sentence  explanation with the  reflection back to the set-up.  K.C or sore spot?

5.  Yes, Buts... I think a paragraph  is in order on how to best  proceed. Before I forget, the  absolute importance on "Not going where you don't belong"  After our week with you, one of the guys asked me to work with him over the phone. I think I hurt his feelings,  as a newbie I felt totally unprepared to deal with anothers  PTSD.

6.  My favorite answer to anyone  even remotley interested  in EFT...

    "It costs nothing to try.  So You have nothing to lose... except Your Problems!"

Principle 15 #Forgiveness

Hi Gary.  

Superb work!

One gramatical usage error:  'Thus you can do EFT on yourself in behalf of someone '  should be 'on behalf of'

Cheers,

Steve.

Thanks for all you do for everyone, I'm a newbie to EFT but am loving the results, can't wait until I can order the DVDs thanks again

Some information that may increase the timelessness and broaden the appeal of using acupuncture points, acupressure and EFT:

The discovery in the Alps of a 5,000 year old body with tattoos on acupuncture points was recognized by some authors that energy healing techniques may have been European in origin.

Citation:

A medical report from the stone age?

www.thelancet.com/.../fulltext

The following is from en.wikipedia.org/.../Acupuncture

"...In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the Stone Age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones. Stone acupuncture needles dating back to 3000 B.C. have been found by archeologists in Inner Mongolia. [15][16] Clearer evidence exists from the 1st millennium BCE, and archeological evidence has been identified with the period of the Han dynasty (202 BC–220 AD).

Recent examinations of Ötzi, a 5,000-year-old mummy found in the Alps, have identified over 50 tattoos on his body, some of which are located on acupuncture points that would today be used to treat ailments Ötzi suffered from. Some scientists believe that this is evidence that practices similar to acupuncture were practiced elsewhere in Eurasia during the early Bronze Age. According to an article published in The Lancet by Dorfer et al., "We hypothesised that there might have been a medical system similar to acupuncture (Chinese Zhenjiu: needling and burning) that was practiced in Central Europe 5,200 years ago...A treatment modality similar to acupuncture thus appears to have been in use long before its previously known period of use in the medical tradition of ancient China. This raises the possibility of acupuncture having originated in the Eurasian continent at least 2000 years earlier than previously recognised."[17], [18]...."

The above may mean that the energy healing systems such as EFT are ancient beyond what was previously known and were used by more of our ancestors than was previously supposed.

Wonder if you tapped into cellular memory... ;-)

Hi Gary,

I am also a Reiki Master.  With Reiki, the student is told to self-heal every day for 21 days after their initiation, and serious students are advised to self-heal every day from there on.  PPP  to me is simply another extension of this, and imho essential to the successful practice of any energy modality.  When people come to learn EFT in my day workshops, I teach them PPP along the same lines of Reiki self-healing.  They love it!

However, I disagree with one suggestion about PPP in the Manual, and that is to list negative events.  For some people, these events are horrific, or just sitting down listing them all exacerbates anxiety or depression unnecessarily for such an otherwise elegantly gentle process. Better imho to take one event, one day, and let it go.  The next day, tap on another event, and so on.  One (or two or three) event(s), one day at a time.

I have also found it unnecessary to say "remaining".  This came about as I was doing mechanical EFT with people in whose language "remaining" was not easy to translate, so we dropped it, and the EFT worked just the same.  Logically, what do you do after you have said "remaining"?  "Remaining remaining"?  No, it is just "remaining", but then the amount remaining has changed, the wording does not, and it still works beautifully!  

The EFT process itself is beyond wonderful - there are no words to describe the power of EFT.  I think the world is truly blessed to have EFT.  Thank you so very much for this amazing tool, and thank you for asking us for feedback.

Thanks for creating this list to make clear what is and isn't EFT.

One thing I think is really missing is a Principle on Psychological reversal. In the manual there it is not clear whether you are talking about a person's energy running in reverse or whether there is psychological reversal based on secondary gains such as the benefits received from hanging on to a condition.

A principle making clear what you mean by psychological reversal and how EFT corrects it would be appreciated.

I am not sure about what most people do, but I however use the whole original long version, WITH THE CROWN CAKRAH, (top of head,) as you used to, along with mant other , YIN /YANG & THYMUS.

it's so short, why not...

I always begin by correcting any possible reversal as well.

GREAT WORK

blessings Divora

serendip.brynmawr.edu/.../latinhib.html

Hi Gary,

This website has many interesting explanations for the working of the brain. it explains how our brain does not just see things as they are but interprets them and fills in gaps in images and I assume auditory inputs and all other inputs. We are unaware of these patterns because our left and right brain can never be aware of what either is experiencing. I like to explain that EFT brings the experiences of left and right brain out into the open so that we can see some of the ways our brain may have falsely interpreted a situation which is then generalised for all further similar physical inputs.

"The organization of the brain is such as to create "abstractions", rather than to simply take input at face value"

"Clearly, what we see is not "what is out there", but rather something which is significantly affected by the structures of our brains. That's an important and quite general (lateral inhibition networks are only one of myriad examples) lesson to keep in mind, both for oneself in trying to make sense of the world and when arguing with other people (whose brain structures may differ) about what it is REALLY like out there. Its a particularly important lesson to keep in mind since the lateral inhibition network (and similar brain structures) are having their effects in ways that we are normally totally unaware of, until they are called to our attention, and even then are more than likely to stop being aware of when we stop thinking about them. Lateral inhibition networks are operating as part of the "unconscious" brain, and largely without providing any information to the "conscious" part of the brain about what they are doing. "

I assume EFT works because it brings physical and emotional brain reactions together at once to help reprogramme.

Not sure if this is helpful.

Kindest regards

jo

Dear Dr. Gary Craig,

Hi. I don't have any credit card, so I cant by your products and your DVDs too. What shuld I do?

Yours Sincerely,

Parvaneh

I hope you're getting a commission from Dr. Mercola's use of EFT on his website calling it Tapping Technique.  He used to refer to EFT often and positively, but now seems to have "stolen" the idea to sell online workshops on tapping.    Comment?

I have been using EFT extensively for myself for the last 6 years with great benefits. I have all the DVDs and most of the books and E books that have been written and published by experienced practitioners. Most of them are well put together and of great benefit for someone like me who can draw from the experiences of those doing it professionally.

I was recently gifted a book called Emotional Freedom Technique by Sangeeta Bhagwat, published by Wisdom Tree, New Delhi, India.

Much to my astonishment, I saw that it is a compilation of other EFT related work interspersed with the author's client stories. The book is even titled Emotional Freedom Techniques!

Although you and emofree have been mentioned in the book, in my view, the entire book's authenticity is questionable.

I had recently observed your disturbance over Nick Ortner's "World EFT Summit". I appreciated all the points you made at the time, "misleading" being the key point.

I wonder if the author and publisher of the above mentioned book has your permission to use the title and that of the other original authors for everything else in there.

If yes, I am not sure I understand your effort in standardizing EFT as YOU have given the world.

Cheers from India

Printing short version:

Just use your .pdf printing system to print 'The Basic Recipe' on pages 20 - 32 (6th edition); you can print odd pages first, then turn them over and print even pages to reduce actual paper usage.

Gary's newsletter:

I subscribed years ago, but found that all I received was a notice "since you do not have html on your email you don't get nothink" (or words to that effect !

Overall Approach:

Gary's gift to humanity is great !  But I perceive the insistance on the importance of 'approved' methods as counter-productive.  Perhaps it would be best to recognize (AND PUBLICIZE) the many variations that other experienced practitioners have developed and found useful - 'Faster EFT' and 'Matrix re-Imprinting' are two examples, as well as the suggestions made by some of the contributors to this particular blog.  

Speading the 'Word':

The main intent MUST BE to get EFT out to all for the benefit of all.  Do not expect the medical profession to be supportive - they are 'guided' by the drug companies who are more interested in profit than healing.  Perhaps the best approach would be to somehow get EFT as a 'required ?' course in teachers colleges, if someone can work out how to do this !

Work with your 'Heart':

Your Heart has its own set of neurons, and is your direct link to 'Upstairs'.  It works directly with your mind-field, and by-passes ego.  Working with your Heart is not just being sincesre, but treating it as a separate Being in its own right.  

Form a question in your logical mind, and then ask your Heart (AS IF IT WERE A SEPARATE  PERSON) for the answer - pay attention to the very first thought that comes - further thoiughts are often from the ego which 'thinks it knows it all'.  This method can be used with clients - ask you Heart to connect and work with the Heart of the client to guide you in your Healing work !  Try this, and be surprised !

Namaste              John

Holistic Intuition Society

Gary,

I am going to comment on some of the others comments first: I do agree with the women that has shorted the EFT principles since they are not to be teaching EFT  and seem a little to personal.  The EFT manual is quite involved  also I thought...it is soooo hard to please everyone. ha ha

I am a Naturapath and use Energy Therapies in my pracitice,  I would like to ask you if you consider EFT to be an energy therapy? It  is my favorite  tool to use under the umbrella of Naturapathy care. I will hope that I am protected to use EFT if not certified or what ever comes out of the EFT guidelines. I notice you were waivering fees for some past EFT students.

ANYWAY,

I am glad to see you are creating EFT principles and asking for our thoughts on them.  NATURAPATHS HAVE PRINCIPLES that I subscribe to  and EFT is a perfect fit to them...maybe they can give you some direction

in  writing EFT's principles

NATUROPATHIC MEDICINE PHILOSOPHY

Naturopathic Medicine is a distinctively natural approach to health and healing that recognizes the integrity of the whole person holistically. Naturopathic Medicine is heir to the vitalistic traditionof medicine in the Western world, emphasizing the treatment of disease through the stimulation, enhancement, and support of the inherent healing capacity of the person. Methods of treatments are chosen to work with the patient'svital force, respecting the intelligence of the natural healing process. The practice of Naturopathic Medicine emerges from six underlying principles of healing. These principles are based on the objective observation of the nature of health and disease, and are continually reexamined in light of scientific analysis. It is these principles that distinguish the profession from other medical approaches:

• The healing power of nature. vis medicatrix naturae

The body has the inherent ability to establish, maintain, and restore health. The healing process is ordered and intelligent; nature heals through the response of the life force. The physician's role is to facilitate and augment this process, to act to identify and remove obstacles to health and recovery, and to support the creation of a healthy internal and external environment.

• Identify and treat the cause. tolle causam

Illness does not occur without cause. Underlying causes of disease must be discovered and removed or treated before a person can recover completely from illness. Symptoms are expressions of the body's attempt to heal, but are not the cause of disease. Symptoms, therefore, should not be suppressed by treatment. Causes may occur on many levels including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The physician must evaluate fundamental underlying causes on all levels, directing treatment at root causes rather than at symptomatic expression.

• First do no harm. primum no nocere

Illness is a purposeful process of the organism. The process of healing includes the generation of symptoms which are, in fact, an expression of the life force attempting to heal itself. Therapeutic actions should be complimentary to and synergistic with this healing process. The physician's actions can support or antagonize the actions of the vis medicatrix naturae. Therefore, methods designed to suppress symptoms without removing underlying causes are considered harmful and are avoided or minimized.

• Treat the whole person holistically. The multifactorial nature of health and disease

Health and disease are conditions of the whole organism, a whole involving a complex interaction of physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social, and other factors. The physician must treat the whole person by taking all of these factors into account. The harmonious functioning of all aspects of the individual is essential to recovery from and prevention of disease, and requires a personalized and comprehensive approach to diagnosis and treatment.

• The physician as teacher. docere

Beyond an accurate diagnosis and appropriate prescription, the physician must work to create a healthy, sensitive interpersonal relationship with the patient. A cooperative doctor-patient relationship has inherent therapeutic value. The physician's major role is to educate and encourage the patient to take responsibility for health. The physician is a catalyst for healthful change, empowering and motivating the patient to assume responsibility. It is the patient, not the doctor, who ultimately creates/accomplishes healing. The physician must strive to inspire hope as well as understanding.

• Prevention. Prevention is the best "cure"

Any health care system’s goal should be prevention. This is accomplished through education and promotion of life-habits that create good health. The physician assesses risk factors and hereditary susceptibility to disease and makes appropriate interventions to avoid further harm and risk to the patient. The emphasis is on building health rather than on fighting disease.

I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER LISTING THE WORD HOLISITC -- EFT has holistic benefits and I worry that EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNICQUE IS MISLEADING - clients may think it is just for emotional issues...and miss out on healing body, mind  etc,  also.  

As the man from India I  had recently observed your disturbance over Nick Ortner's "World EFT Summit" and MTT  I must mention.. I hope that you can sort through all the complications of  these set backs to your EFT promotion efferts and that it doesn't come down to  legal issues.

I love your newsletters and the pracitioners cases are so inspiring.

I thank you for being the first to offer all the FREE EFT articles so that all these other copy EFT websites are forced to follow suit

Love and Light sent to you dear heart and your passion for EFT ..TRUDY

Getting the message out !

This is the most important aspect of work to be improved.  There are less EFT practitioners listed than there are Heart surgeons ! (Let alone dentists, chiropractors, and other medical categories). In my opinion EFT is much more important, since it gets at the 'root cause' of many illnesses.

I have been pushing EFT for years - although not a practioner; I have submitted articles on EFT to the Government of British Columbia, Canada, (with Gary's consent) to try to get health care costs reduced - and better health for everyone !  

Unfortunately the governmental 'health' services are controlled by the medical fraternity, which is 'guided' (and funded to a large degree) by the pharmaceutical (drug) companies, who seem to be more interested in profits than healing (which would reduce their sales).  I have encourgaged the use of EFT in the books that I have written on Dowsing and Healing - again with Gary's permission.

Grass-roots effort needed !

Perhaps the best way to do this is to be like 'Johnny Appleseed' - to get as many people as possible to just try EFT. A help in this direction would be to have a list of 'EFT Users / Helpers' for people who are not yet 'qualified' by taking EFT examinations.  Such a list would indicate that there are many people using EFT successfully and willing to help others get started - without charge.

This is important since the number of listed practitioners is very small - and in may places there are none in the vicinity. This is very obvious when you seek to find a practitioner in a rural area, certainly this is so in the vast Canadian provinces and it most secondary cities (I could list these, but space prohibits).

Examination and Fees.

The indicated cost of taking the Basic examination (US$300) represents a total family wealth in poorer countries - where EFT is badly needed !  It is also a deterent to those in USA and Canada who are on low incomes - especially the poor who would benefit, improve themselves, and spread the word.

Personaly I find it hard to justify such a large fee, and suggest that it be reduced to about US$50 - or even less, for encouragement !  This could persuade many beginners to study and becone 'qualified' so as to be able to advertize their skills - and spread the word more !  Remember that these people have already shown good intention by downloading the manual and buying/borrowing the DVDs to study.  Fees for higher level acreditation are not a problem - since these people are probably using it for business as therapists.

Gary,

My two-bit..

Have found these to be very effective approaches:

1. Having the client use their hands or full body to narrate and express what is going with them. Often done without words.

Have always surfaced core issues.

Tapping as we go along to collapse whatever is coming up.

2. Completing incomplete conversations with someone, aloud or mentally, while tapping.

Peace!

Jasmine

This comment is regarding the "Certification Program".  I am most appreciative I am at the thoroughness of the exam, but I am presently feeling very frustrated with one aspect of the process.  I wrote the exam, did not receive a passing mark of 85, so after another four weeks of very intense study of the material I rewrote on October 10th, and missed the pass mark by 2.3 marks.  I have concerns that my answers may have been incorrectly recorded, BUT, I have sent two emails to the EFT EXAM CENTER with absolutely no response from anyone, not even to acknowledge receipt of my email.  Now I understand that this may not be the best way of getting a real persons attention, but I can not find a number to call, so you may want to include such a contact method for those of us who have queries or  questions regarding the exam.  I will rewrite if necessary, but sure would love to discuss this matter with someone.  Hopefully this might do the trick.

 Kindest regards and respect for your wonderful work.  Donna Cail-Wallace

Dear Gary,

I have seen such amazing results in my life and those of my clients. I am also having issues with the EFT exam. I have been doing EFT since 2003, and have read, studied all the recommended material and also failed twice. The exam was really difficult for me, and i really dont understand why. I have now wasted 300.00 and i still dont have a certification. Am i missing something? Im not angry or anything, just really frustrated at not knowing how to pass it. Do other people know something about the test that i dont? I feel discouraged about ever taking it again in the future. The amount of information in the books and videos are quite overwhelming and easily forgotten, with so many details about each case study. I certainly dont want to spend another 300.00. Im thinking i will never be a Master anytime soon. I agree with one writer above that the price should be reduced, as well as the time limit of 6 months before re-testing should be changed to 60 days at the most. oh, and one last thought, is that it should a little easier to submit an article online. I never found how to do that either, so should i snail mail my really great experiences with EFT?  Everything else is great!!  Anyway, I really love the technique and how much it has helped me personally. I use EFT every single day!

Bless you and all your hard work.

Sincerely, Dr.Debra Lohri