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EFT Contradictions

EFT vs Faster EFT

By Carolyn Rigiero

(Add or view comments at the bottom of the page.)

 

Gary Craig of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) fame has recently changed the name of his product from Emotional Freedom Technique to Official Emotional Freedom Technique. It seems that over the years the original paradigm of EFT has evolved, because of modifications by various practitioners, into products that no longer resemble what Gary Craig had in mind. We now refer to those modifications as Meridian Tapping Techniques (MTT). In order to differentiate his original and traditional product from those which have evolved over the years (MTT), he has added the preface Official in front of the EFT designation. Through the years, although Mr. Craig has jealously guarded the purity of his concept of EFT, he forgets that EFT itself is an offshoot of Roger Callahan's Thought Field Therapy (TFT) in effect, diluting  Dr. Callahan's original tapping concept.

One of the many products that has evolved from EFT and is swiftly gaining popularity, is Faster-EFT (F-EFT) founded by Robert Smith. Both F-EFT and O-EFT have some similarities, but the differences far out-weigh the similarities. They are similar in that they both involve tapping on various meridian points, they both are quite effective, both believe that the mind/body are one and mutually influential, and both say that visualizing tapping can work as well as actually tapping on the body.

But there are some important and meaningful differences. For instance, F-EFT doesn't believe in Psychological Reversal, (PR), a premise that holds a significant place in O-EFT. Briefly, one is said to be Psychological Reversed when the energy of the meridian system is running in the opposite direction (polarity reversal). Such a reversal leads to secondary benefits whereby the person experiencing this reversal, though not aware that he has it, will purport to want to change a negative behavior on a conscious level, but his subconscious wants to keep the behavior because he is receiving a benefit to keeping it. As an example, think of a smoker who REALLY, consciously wants to quit smoking. The subconscious, however, realizes that the socializing he gets during cigarette breaks is a much needed release from a grueling job. In such a scenario, O-EFT corrects for this PR by tapping on the karate chop area. When PR is corrected, the way is cleared for O-EFT to do its work, in this case, helping the smoker to stop smoking.

F-EFT, however, says there is no such thing as PR, so there is no need to correct for it. Smith suggests that there are 'no broken people' and that if our polarity were reversed, we would probably fly apart like planets without planetary pull. (The latter is my analogy). We are creators, according to Smith, of our own issues, which have nothing to do with blockages or polarity reversals. He also suggests that we started creating these issues from the time of birth, when the world began to intrude on our feelings causing us to doubt and mistrust who we are and what our place is in the world.

Gary Craig's discovery statement says "The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy systems", a complete antithesis to what F-EFT believes. There are no energy disruptions. We create our problems because of the negative way we perceive our own experiences, which first manifested themselves in doubt.  It is our perceptions imprinted on our minds that cause our issues: No disruptions, no blockages, no PR. Just misperceptions. To carry this further, F-EFT says that a life-time of negative responses to our experiences, cause our negative behavior. In effect, because of our faulty responses to our experiences, we have created our own negative behavior. It is therefore a creation and not a blockage or disruption.

In order to change negative responses, F-EFT leans heavily on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). NLP studies what we think and how what we think influences our behavior. When used correctly, it can change our negative behaviors into positive ones by reframing our experiences. Though NLP is apparent in O-EFT.  it is not as heavily relied upon. F-EFT expertly uses NLP in many ways. For instance, at the beginning of the process we are asked to visualize an uprooted tree (analogous to the uprooting of our issues). At the end of the process, we are asked to identify a place in our minds where we feel only wonderful feelings and to overlay those old negative feelings with the good ones.

O-EFT mentions nothing about trances or hypnosis. However, F-EFT suggests that the process disrupts our existing bad trances by tapping on meridians, thus changing the way we feel.

Although there are more differences, the last important one is that O-EFT uses 12 tapping points (Less if you use the 'short-cut'), whereas F-EFT uses only the five points that are directly related to the stress response (fight or flight). The stress response figures large in F-EFT. It is because of stress that we misperceive our experiences and through this, we respond with negative behaviors.

Some of us who are traditional EFTer's may resent F-EFT's new hypothesis. After all, it does away with the most important premise of O-EFT, the discovery statement (i.e. disruptions and blockages). It also does away with PR. We have relied upon these concepts for years and when working with clients have always explained to them the how and why of O-EFT. It's what we believed. It's what we taught our clients to believe. Now what do we do?

I suggest we make room for change. I also suggest we use what works. Each process has its place. We do not have to tell our clients the contradictions inherent in both these processes. Tapping works. No matter what the reason behind it. We can take sides and make a choice. Or we can use the best that both paradigms have to offer.


 

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Author's Bio:

Carolyn Rigiero, CCHt, received her EFT-ADV certificate in 2007. Since then she has been teaching EFT both beginning and advanced classes, at HCH in Lafayette, CA. She also uses EFT in her practice, often coupling it with a hypnotic journey. To reach Carolyn, please call 925-408-8644 or email her at tap_it_down@yahoo.com

 

2 Comments

 

Janet
Posted August 07, 2014 07:09 AM

Hi,,Ive known Robert for sometime.Havent had chance to meet person..I met him thru Mercola. Id say couple yrs. I have very scary issues..Im told their NOT real only to me& Im the saboteur/doing the hurt to me..Im/guess stuck startle response ,,,as fear,scary crap,being on aurd all my life..Part of me..I keep watching videos of Robert..WISH my issues were all gone..They feel so dam real..Id like to scream..I just keep tapping..I have high blood pressure.I like searching thru web..I also use home remedies..I have swollen ankels,,sory hate doc..I just want to find happiness,,Im now 63..I keep happy journal,just started that,,didn't get it thru my head,really why I needed.I go thru day with being on guard...I know NOTHING will hurt me..I feel stupid..I as child was not allowed to meet any children,,or work,,left home at 19,got married.More abuse..Mom was my abuser,,just seeing blood was too much...7mos old ,bite on metal coat hanger..Ive been thru them,not sure if did it right...

 

Janet
Posted August 07, 2014 07:21 AM

Hi,,,It seems funny/some ways,to find soo many others who have same issue I have,but different situation...I was shoucked to find
Moro reflex///startle respons....I figured something was wrong in my sleeping pattern...I always had to keep wanting stay awake..I had to keep my guard up,so I never go much sleep..I felt mom would hurt me with knife..My brother sexual crap,,,felt out of dad car,never took to doc..then later on,,,I left with my partner..19 got married.I had no idea of life..I have read other stories ...I finally found mercola,,then RobertSmith.. I still get upset ,as these feelings FEEL real. I tap all time,but Im now turning to HAPPY things..He said I can make things up if NO happy things there to remember..My BIG thing I sHOW to bring MONEY in my life..Not sure if I have to change me,myself first to beter person,or THINK differently.??Id say where I am,my thinking is very off/LOW & on diferrent planet...I have no ambition,depression,push myself thru,keep pushin.

 

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While EFT has produced remarkable clinical results, it must still be considered to be in the experimental stage and thus practitioners and the public must take complete responsibility for their use of it.

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