FAQ’s for Your Personal Peace (YPP) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

Feelings are there as communication and most times we do not take the time to listen…most times we have difficulty listening because of the all the chatter going on in our heads…from all the thoughts, warnings and beliefs that reside in our subconscious.

Sometimes when doing some deeper EFT work, you may begin to unleash unfamiliar feelings and emotions and because of the mystery of those feelings and emotions…because of the uncertainty of them, well, they just don’t feel good.  Or, at least, that may be your interpretation.

Be careful of avoiding the feelings or being attached to the old and familiar feelings.

“Weird” and “surreal” may be ok…if there is fear behind those perceptions, just let them go and/or tap with them if need be.  It may be an even greater opportunity to come a little farther on clearing even more of the issues within yourself.

I was working with someone a couple months ago (let’s call her Janice; not her real name) and she mentioned having a similar experience to what you are expressing.  She said, “What do I do if I have some weird feelings that I have never felt before…WHAT DO I DO?”

My advice to her and to you as well is, “Don’t do anything with the feelings, just allow yourself to feel them…explore them…experiment with them…use them with your EFT work.  If the feelings are unpleasant, it’s a chance to add more to your personal peace list.”

Are You Sure Those Feelings and Emotions are Unpleasant?

Be sure you are not quick to label them as “unpleasant.”

When Janice (whom I mentioned above) related her “strange” feelings to me and was worried, I asked her another question, “Are those feelings unpleasant?  Sit with them for a while and see how they truly feel.”

She sat for a few minutes as I watched and she said, “Hhhmmm, you know what, actually they are not unpleasant, just unfamiliar.”

Ok, I asked, “How would you describe the feeling?”

Janice said, “Kind of like a high…a bit of a buzz.  I almost feel energized by it.  Actually, it feels good…I like it!”

So, if the feelings are pleasant, as you feel them, move forward and take the actions you feel compelled to do.  Don’t figure it out, just feel and do.

I spoke with her a few weeks later and she was exploring an intimate relationship (several months ago she said she wasn’t looking or ready for anything like that) with a friend she has known for some time and in the relationship discovering more about how
SHE reacts and not blaming.  Also, she is in the process of moving to an area she felt pulled toward but was initially afraid to move to.

Then, a couple more months later, her financial life was looking up, more work than she had for quite a while was occurring and her overall perception of life was lifting and beginning to fly…all during a downturn in the economy.  The intimate relationship
did not continue, but seemed to provide some much needed self reflection, further tapping and releasing that helped to lead her in the direction that she desired.

Interesting how things fell into place because she was able to allow the flow to begin and it started with allowing those strange feelings.

Explore your new feelings and emotions because if some of them turn out to be unpleasant…well…you know what to do…keep tappin’!

Aloha

Well, the true answer to your question is “yes” and “no.”

Not very helpful, huh?

Ok, first, let’s breakdown the USE of EFT into two categories:

1.    EFT in the Moment…that means using EFT to feel better at that moment by tapping on the feelings that are coming up.  Will this provide permanent clearing for you?  Most likely not, but sometimes yes.  It all depends upon how specific you are being and your approach when tapping…your thoughts and focus. This is a good thing…EFT in the moment…because it can produce peace in the moment. Perhaps it can also give you clarity in that moment as well when needed most.  So, it’s not a bad thing at all, and if you persist, you will begin to “know” yourself better and knowing yourself better and better will allow you to discover how best to use EFT in the moment.

2.    EFT to Clear Barriers – The other way to use EFT is in clearing the emotional intensity of your experiences, memories, habitual thoughts and beliefs.  That means you discover something specific to focus on and focus on it with the feelings and emotions that surround the specific event or issue and all or as many aspects as possible and “release” them as you tap.  This is what gives you lasting results or change.  You see, when you have a thought called, say, “I am not smart enough” (this is the table top…details in 3 Keys to Success in Your EFT Work and in YPP);  that state of being or belief was formed as a result of an emotional experience or many experiences (the table legs) in your past that “prove” to you that it is true, such as, “The teacher mocked me when I didn’t have the answer and everyone laughed.”  The emotional component is the glue that keeps you attached to the experiences and gives you your beliefs and thoughts and, therefore, the actions of someone that is “not smart enough.”

Does that make sense?

Now, one more thing.

I know you are a bit overwhelmed in dealing with current feelings and issues while being told that you should find the past specific experiences and thoughts that are the underlying cause of the disruption in your energy system.

So, combine EFT in the Moment and EFT to Clear Barriers.

Here’s a little script or process to use to combine EFT in the Moment and EFT to Clear Barriers:

1.    Be aware of the emotions and feelings in the moment. Be specific…where do you feel them and how do they feel (the quality)?  Allow the feelings to come through; to let the “communication” come through.  Use the E.P.I.C. handout from 3 Keys to Success with Your EFT Work to understand this better.

2.    You can then begin to use EFT in the Moment for relief.

3.    While focusing on the emotions and feelings, ask one or more questions to uncover past experiences or specific events:

a.    Have I ever felt this way before?
b.    When did I first feel that way?
c.    Why did I feel that way?
d.    Who or what does this issue or feeling remind me of?

4.    When you discover a memory, write that down on your personal peace list, then ask yourself another question.
a.    When was another time that I remember feeling this way?

5.    Continue asking yourself these questions and write down all the events that remind you of those feelings and thoughts.

6.    If you have time and energy, tap on the specific event or events that come up using the Movie Technique.

7.    If you don’t have the time or energy, you have the event or events jotted down to work on later. You can even categorize them a bit.  When you feel fearful, write down the specific memories of events that come up.

What you have done is begin a list of issues and events that are
a major contributor to your current issues and feelings.

So, you have used EFT in the Moment to feel better in the NOW and also have started a list of events to work on when you have time that will begin to knock out the legs supporting that issue that is “haunting” you right now.

This will take some practice and changing of habits because basically we want to feel better in the moment and, yes, that’s good and ok.

So, if at first you don’t combine the two, that’s ok.

Eventually, you will.

That is part of learning about yourself and how to use EFT in the best way for you in discovering your own personal peace.

Aloha!

There are several thoughts or possible reasons surrounding the use of the 9 gamut procedure in EFT, but let me begin with a simple answer that will cover all situations:

Most times it is just not needed.

That’s about it…next question!

…just kidding…

The purpose of the 9 gamut in EFT is to help involve both sides of the brain in the process or integrate both the left brain and the right brain.

In today’s world, we are more prone to using the left brain because, I believe, of our reliance or even addiction to information, details and logic; for the most part, we ignore or allow our right brain or creative part of the brain or mind to go unused and atrophy…not very balanced, are we?

So, by using the 9 gramut procedure, we can help to integrate the right brain and the left brain and acheive some progress in helping to balance our energy flow.

Ah, but it is not always needed…you see, I am back to my original answer…so what are Jeff’s guidelines for using the 9 gamut?

1. If I am working on an issue and get settled down to a one on the SUDS scale or even less, I will apply the 9 gamut and quite often we will get it down to zero!
2. I may throw in the 9 gamut at the beginning of a session as well to address that part of their system
3. If I am progressing well on most of the aspects while working on an issue, I just don’t use it and I begin to take shortcuts to speed up the overall EFT process.
4. I use it when I get the intuitive hit to use it, so sometimes I do not use it at all in a session.

When you are first starting out with EFT, go ahead and use the 9 gamut procedure each time until you begin to enter into the “art” of EFT and can feel very comfortable with your intuitive work and remember, when in doubt, do the entire Basic Recipe, including the 9 gamut because you can’t hurt anyone or anything.

Good luck…take care…hugs and aloha!

Quite often when we do our EFT work either during the Assessment Phase when we are writing down the past issues or when we are actually tapping, other issues or specifics begin to arise and the following wisdom applies:

Writing is the doing part of thinking!

So, whenever something comes up in your consciousness, write it down.

Now, the question implies that the first thoughts were general thoughts or feelings, let’s say in this example, it’s about “Not Being Loved.”  That is a very general issue and we can tap generally, but the results will be inconsistent…we must get to the point of being as specific as possible!

So, when we begin to give our conscious attention to the general problem, eventually (if not right away) the specifics begin to crop up into our conscious attention, so what do we do?  Write them down. Just write down the thoughts as they come through because your mind is beginning to reveal the specifics that you can work on with EFT.

In this example, all those people that did terrible things came into your attention.  They, in part, represent the specific legs that support the table-top called, “I Feel Unloved.”

Then, begin to access the feelings regarding each person, one at a time, and access the memories that come up when the feelings are accessed.  Here is where we begin to get even more specific about times and places when we encountered each person; the times when the intense emotional states were created and then we use our EFT on them to correct the disruption in our energy system.

An added note to this subject is the answer to the question: ‘Do I have to tap on ALL of them?’ The answer is, not necessarily because of the generalization effect. When we begin to tap on the specifics regarding the memories of these people, then some of them may collapse as well.  Will we be able to skip 1 or 10 or 50?  We never know up front…just begin tapping on each issue one at a time and let your EFT work take its course.

So, at times we feel overwhelmed when the issues come up because we see there is more to it…we may even be very upset as we have avoided the issue for so very long because it is so upsetting.  This is where some gentler techniques may help to minimize (not necessarily eliminate) the pain and trauma of exposing the issues to the power of EFT.

That is one perspective…

Another perspective…a more empowering one…is the opportunity you are being presented to finally straighten-out the disruption in your energy system and bring you closer and closer to Your Personal Peace.  Each issue that comes up is an opportunity to heal…take it!

Take care and keep tappin’!

Let me start out with a statement that will cover that question very quickly…then, if you need to, read on for more comments:

If it works and does no harm, stop asking questions and just keep doing it.

Now, that may seem a bit harsh and I have never actually said that to anyone; so, why make that statement?  Because it will be enough for some people…it will be enough to jar them away from the habit of doubting or resisting something that benefits them and their growth in life.

We should probably spend more time experimenting and experiencing life than sitting and intellectualizing ad nauseam.

Of course, beware just jumping in without using your conscious thought…you should use your intellect and the power of questions to discover more about life…but, please, do not spend the majority of your time “thinking about it.”  At some point when inspiration hits us and we have gone within to check with our Spirit about taking action, it’s time to adhere to the Nike slogan, “Just Do It.”

Ok, let me move on and answer the question more directly…

Our entire Being is quite complex and is comprised of many aspects…some are tangible and physical while others aspects are not…that’s why describing our Being as a “mind/body” entity is so accurate.

EFT addresses both the tangible and the intangible in the “mind” and the “body” and I believe that is necessary for most people when they are working with their limiting beliefs because the beliefs and thoughts not only reside in the intangible parts of our minds, but also in the physical parts of our bodies.

So, these physical actions (tapping on the end points of the meridians…aka: EFT tapping points) help to send a signal to the energy system and allow us to make the changes, release the energy and even install positive intentions and thoughts.

Can we have an effect without tapping…absolutely!!!  I have done it myself and have seen others do it as well.

I believe when we have particularly tough or overly intense issues, that the tapping gives us an extra boost, so to speak, in allowing us to overcome those issues.

So, when do you need to tap and when do you not need to tap?

Well, I cannot give you that answer, just like I cannot tell you about your purpose in life…these aspects of your life are entirely up to you!

My job is simply to help you discover and develop a glorious relationship with the guru within you…the guru that knows your purpose in life and knows what tools or methods will help you in that quest.

So, to discover when to use tapping and when you don’t need to…Experiment!!!

Have fun with this tool and any others that you work with…discover what works best for you.

As you experiment, be sure you have established a way to determine your progress.

Most importantly, if you are stuck and not sure what to do…

Just tap anyway; because if it helps and does not harm you, well, you know…

Take care and keep…well, you know…

This is a common question that I will address with three main points:

First of all, there is a popular school of thought that tells us to affirm our desire or intention and basically ignore the negative thoughts that come up; basically, to overpower the negative thoughts…why the heck do I need to bother with EFT or anything else?

Sometimes that can work and hard work it truly is; in fact, it also will take an inordinate amount of patience before you can change those thought processes by force or willpower because they may be quite ingrained within your Being.  As we all know, ignoring the negatives does not make them go away.  Here are some notes from Edmund J. Bourne, PhD. (psychologist) on the subject of our thoughts (I summarized for this post):

* Emotional reactions usually occur without our noticing what we said to ourselves just before we reacted.

* Self-talk is often in shorthand, where a word or image contains a whole series of thoughts, memories, and associations.

* Even irrational self-talk tends to sound like truth; it reflects beliefs we are scarcely aware of, so habitual irrational self-talk tends to go unchallenged and unquestioned.

* Negative self-talk perpetuates avoidance. You tell yourself a situation is dangerous and avoid it, and by avoiding it you reinforce the belief that it is dangerous.

* Negative self-talk is a series of bad habits. We aren’t born with a predisposition for it; we learn to think that way.

My second main point is that when you access those negative emotions, thoughts and memories, we do NOT do it in the same way when we use EFT.  When I work with individuals, quite often, they begin to fall into their same story-telling mode that they have used to recount their terrible experience over and over again.  As an EFT practitioner, one of my main jobs as a guide is to shift my client’s focus or interrupt their pattern and approach the negative issue or story in a different way.  That is by addressing resistance, being specific (including looking for details that, quite often, are overlooked and are the “triggers” to their emotional intensity) and staying focused amidst shifting aspects.  When we use EFT to clear or straighten out the energy system in relation to a memory, we are doing it in the interest or with the approach of allowing the energy to flow…to release…rather than “reliving” it in the same manner.

The last point is that when we do EFT, we actually have incorporated a positive affirmation in the statements, such as, “I deeply and completely love and accept myself.” Or, we use other methods of reframing, such as: humor, other positives, the Choices Method, etc.  So, we are also inserting some positive into the void left by the negative energy as it flows and releases.  We are exposing the issue and our entire being to love, acceptance and forgiveness.

What you resist…persists!

So, ignoring negative thoughts does not usually allow that negative energy to flow or leave us and, therefore, does not eliminate the affect on us.  There are times when we can “overpower” the negative, but for most people the energy, persistence and strength to do it are just too overwhelming.  Also, if there is a less painless and smoother transition from the negative to positive, wouldn’t that be your choice?  If not, you can do it the hard way.

If you wish to tread the road less traveled and one that can allow you to transition from the negative to the positive with more grace and less angst, then consider this:  Until we “face” the negative aspects (and we can do it with finesse and gentleness) we will not allow that emotional energy to leave along with the energetic effects. When we do, we then allow the natural love, acceptance and forgiveness to begin.  Make room for it and allow it to overcome you…overcome your life!

Take care and keep tappin’!