All over the world, there are people practicing something they call “energy tapping.” They say the East-West approach helps them with mind and body health, stress, and trauma. More and more scientists and health experts are proving its effectiveness. And it is increasingly being used in healthcare settings, including psychiatry. But, tapping is still not mainstream. And that may have something to do with the simple fact that it is so easy to use. After all, “something that simple can’t really work” is still an old perspective for many of us.

When proponents introduced the peculiar new technique of tapping for health in the 1980s, the world saw it as highly controversial. Still, a lot has happened since. Today, more and more people use the method and say it works for them. ‘Energy tapping’ comes in different forms. Today there are for example Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). This form of tapping for health is considered the original, and developed by Gary Craig. There is also Thought Field Therapy (TFT). Tapping is a mind body healing, and people use it as a self-help method. Something we can use for the rest of our lives. On our own, through scripts that are available online, or with a licensed practitioner.

Tapping for health is based on the idea that emotions are stored in the body as energy. Plus, that this stored energy, when negative, can be bad for our well-being. It is also based on the connection between body and mind. That our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes can influence our health. Proponents say the process works as it helps them stimulate key energy or acupuncture points. They do this whilst putting into words a mental or physical issue. They say that this combination of Eastern-inspired acupressure points with Western psychology, helps them release stored energy in the body. All in all, those that love it say the process helps them improve their health. And that both mind and body work together in this approach. It’s not just about the body. And it’s not just about the mind.

Words are powerful

The idea that our inner voice, beliefs and perspectives affect our health is becoming more mainstream. And, say proponents of tapping, this is what this body and mind method can help with. Acknowledging a problem (physical or emotional) in this way can help us let go and heal.

So, we can do this whilst tapping and talking about an issue at the same time. For example, “I have just had a diagnosis, and I feel so scared.” Or: “I feel so stressed about the way the world is right now.” It’s about the combination of tapping on our body on certain points whilst verbalising such thoughts. It means we can send calming signals to the brain. Even when we have these stressful thoughts. We can let our subconscious know that all is well, say people that use tapping for health.

People that tap can also use a few more other rounds. To work through some other issues that have come up during the process. Plus they often end their session with a few ’rounds’ of positive words about the topic. This can help them see their issues in a different light, or use a perspective ‘mindshift.’ For example in the above examples: “My body is stronger than I think.” Or: “There are things I can do to get healthy.” Or: Maybe things in the world aren’t going to be as bad as we all keep saying.”

Tapping for health and stress

Today we are starting to understand more and more that a lot of poor health is related to stress. And particularly how this relates to our ancient survival fight-or-flight system. Which in today’s world, is being kept way too busy. The mind body healing of tapping for health appears to be particularly successful with this.

“Tapping has been shown to change activity in the amygdala. The part of the brain that moderates the fight-or-flight response (sympathetic nervous system),” said Dr. Kim D’Eramo, sharing her perspective with us. Dr D’Eramo is the author of the MindBody Toolkit and Founder of the American Institute of MindBody Medicine.

“This allows the resolution of triggers where perceived threats ignite a full-blown sympathetic nervous system response,” she explained. So, by shifting this activity: “We are properly responding to stimuli, by not igniting this trigger response inappropriately.”

“It has also been shown to alter brain activity and serotonin, and re-balance the autonomic nervous system,” she added. Tapping, she explained, has proven useful for anxiety and depression, as well as hard-to-treat chronic pain or fatigue.

“EFT Tapping helps to access the body’s energy and send signals to the part of the brain that controls stress.” These were the words of EFT Tapping therapist Kim McPherson in an Australian magazine. In the article, McPherson, a former nurse, refers to an EFT study among nursing students. She told Perspective Living she has helped many of her clients with eating disorders through EFT.

“Tapping has been shown to change activity in the amygdala. The part of the brain that moderates the fight-or-flight response (sympathetic nervous system).”

Psychology: mind body healing

Tapping for health has become so popular it has even entered psychology. We know more and more about the delicate relationship between our minds and bodies. And this field too is now also making use of energy tapping. Experts like Phil Mollon of the British Psychoanalytical Society refer to it as energy psychology. Mollon, himself the developer of something called Psychoanalytic Energy Psychotherapy [PEP], has called energy psychology ‘a missing ingredient in psychotherapy.’ And that it can help create a ‘truly astonishing’ fast and in-depth change.’

When we spoke to him, he said: “Emotions are, of course, bodily events as well as mental. The deeper patterns of emotion and behaviour are encoded in the subtle energy system.” To which he added: “Energy psychology methods such as acupoint tapping, can enhance psychotherapy greatly. By combining attention to the body, mind, and subtle energy system concurrently, we achieve a much greater effect than focussing on the mind alone.”

“By combining the body, mind, and subtle energy system, we achieve greater effect than focussing on the mind alone.”

The scientific viewpoint

It is estimated that “10 million people worldwide have used tapping,” wrote Nick Ortner in the Huffington Post. Nick, who recently joined the advisory board of the Center for Comprehensive Healing at Massachusetts General Hospital), offers online support on The Tapping Solution and the annual Tapping World Summit. He is one of the well-known tapping experts. He has been making the method more available to the public all over the world.

Scientists are increasingly discovering that acupoint tapping for health is an evidence-based, self-help therapeutic method. There has been a growing body of evidence that it helps with anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). And that it produces fast results. Researchers such as Susan Patterson have found EFT to be an effective easy tool for stress management and anxiety relief. All in all, more and more research findings are available on tapping too. From helping children at school with test anxiety to relief for veterans with PTSD.

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