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EFT as "pattern interrupt"
Why the EFT setup statement is not a negative affirmation

Sometimes I work with clients who are familiar with the use of positive affirmations to bring about positive change. And so they are also (rightly) wary of saying anything negative which might be programming their behaviour in a negative way.
And this issue also recently came up on the Yahoo group that I help to moderate (at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EmotionalFreedomTechniques/).

These people often worry that the EFT setup statement is acting as a "negative affirmation" because it involves repeating the problem. (For example: "Even though I feel angry I deeply and completely accept myself"; or "Even though I can't seem to make progress in my life, I deeply and completely accept myself").

But it is my firm belief that stating the problem in the EFT setup statement is NOT having the effect of a negative affirmation.

The most convincing reason for thinking this, is the effect of EFT itself. Applying EFT causes the stated problem to go away - or at least be reduced. There has been no "affirmation" of the problem. But why should this be? Here's my understanding of why repeating the problem within the EFT procedure is not like making a negative affirmation.

When we perform the EFT procedure, we do at least two things which negate or interrupt the negative.

Firstly, the setup statement linguistically overrides the problem with a positive statement ("I accept myself"). "Even though" is the same as "but". I believe this has some effect even without tapping, as many people report intensity dropping just while doing the setup (although they will also be either rubbing the sore spot or tapping the side of the hand).

Secondly, and most importantly, we never simply say the setup statement or the reminder phrase by itself - we are also TAPPING at the same time. It is the tapping  that "undoes" the disruption around the issue. I understand it this way:

The central "discovery" of EFT (and other meridian therapies) is that "all negative emotions are caused by a disruption to the energy system".

An original event (such as a trauma) produced a physical disruption to the energy system and that event becomes associated with the negative feeling that accompanied it (e.g fear or grief). This "programs" the system. So whenever the system is reminded of the trauma (by thinking about it), the program "runs", re-creating the energy disruption and re-creating the negative feeling at the same time.

When you try to "run" the program by stating the problem, but you tap at the same time, the tapping acts as an energy "interrupt".

The tapping interferes with the running of the old program, and pretty quickly, the energy system re-aligns and learns that the old program does not have to be run every time the trauma is remembered. And in fact, it can't run - because the old association has been overwritten by the new one.

But you can't "interrupt the program" in this way, unless you have started the program running to start with. That's why you have to "tune in" to the problem by stating it, and tap at the same time, to stop it running.

In fact, it is actually useful to focus on and voice the problem with as much negativity and intensity as you can (i.e. really tune into it) while you are tapping (but without unduly upsetting yourself in the process, which isn't necessary).

EFT workshops and events

Announcing upcoming EFT workshops and talks.


Thursday 16th October
Introduction to EFT
Free talk
Harmony Centre, Halesworth

Friday 17th October
Less Stress Fast - Business
Full day workshop
Novotel, Ipswich

Monday 20th October
Less Stress Fast - Business
Evening workshop
Novotel, Ipswich

Saturday 8th November
Less Stress Fast - Personal
Full day workshop
Harmony Centre, Halesworth

All workshops teach how to use EFT confidently for self-help use and include the opportunity to work on personal issues on the day.

Costs and booking information

Whose problem is it anyway?
Using EFT to deal with other people's problems affecting you

People who have learned EFT and know just how many different emotional and physical issues EFT can help with, start to look at other people's problems and think "If I could just do EFT with them I bet we could fix that". And although this may be true, the fact is that it isn't always possible or appropriate to start tapping on people we just met, or even close friends and family. And this leads to frustration which is only compounded if the person's behaviour is something that we personally find irritating.

We might try proxy tapping of course - but not everybody is comfortable with the idea of remotely tapping on someone without their knowledge. And then there may be underlying aspects and causes that you just can't know about which prevent it working. But there is another way.

My partner snores. And I'm a light sleeper. We met about the same time as I was introduced to EFT, and so naturally I was keen to "help" my partner stop snoring and wondered if EFT could help. Though of course, really I was trying to help myself. But since he was always asleep we couldn't work out how to do EFT with him.
But when I went to do my practitioner training, I asked my trainer (Ananga Sivyer) whether she thought that EFT could help. Her immediate and insightful reply was "I don't know - maybe - but have you done EFT on yourself? - it might stop you minding".

That evening I did EFT on myself: "Even though he snores, I deeply and completely accept myself". Then, to try and alter my response to the snoring more positively, I used a Choices statement for the next round of EFT: "Even though he snores, I choose to find it comforting and it helps me sleep". Even though this felt pretty ridiculous and unlikely at the time, I was curious to see what happened.

Since then, I have noticed that I tend to sleep quite happily even if my partner is snoring. How do I know he snores if I was asleep? I seem to have a "memory" that he was snoring but somehow it didn't seem to wake me - and I certainly didn't feel any annoyance.

I've since used EFT many times for my own emotional reaction to someone else's problem - and it works. If I can help the person directly, of course, then I do. But for the other cases, being able to control my own frustration certainly helps keep my own stress levels down.
This is a technique I recommend to people in work situations where maybe they don't have the power to get the other person - perhaps a colleague, customer or supplier - to tap on themselves.

Gary's Corner

Gary Craig, the originator of EFT maintains an excellent website packed with real case histories. Each month I select one case history that really shows the power and range of EFT.

This month:

Courtroom anxiety and anxiety about calling employers

In this pair of short cases, we see how EFT can help with both personal stress (relating to appearance in court and family relationships) and business stress (relating to making a phone call in connection with work).

Of course the distinction between personal and work related stress can be very fuzzy indeed - but these cases demonstrate how dealing with either is the same with EFT.

Learn EFT now! You can start using EFT for yourself right now by downloading my EFT QuickStart manual.