| Alternative/fringe therapies |
|---|
 |
| Claims |
| Tapping on meridian points on the body, derived from acupuncture, can release energy blockages that cause negative emotions. |
| Related fields |
| Acupuncture, Acupressure |
| Year proposed |
| 1993 |
| Original proponents |
| Gary Craig |
| Subsequent proponents |
| See also |
| Thought Field Therapy, Tapas Acupressure Technique |
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a form of alternative psychotherapy, that purports to manipulate the body's energy field by tapping on acupuncture points while a specific traumatic memory is focused on, in order to alleviate a psychological problem. Critics have described the theory behind EFT as pseudoscientific and have suggested that any utility stems from its more traditional cognitive components, such as the placebo effect, distraction from negative thoughts, rather than from manipulation of meridians.
Contents |
Theory
The theory of EFT is that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body's energy field. EFT theory derives from similar principles behind those of acupuncture.[1]
Studies
EFT has been the subject of several publications, with positive[2][unreliable source?] and negative[3] findings.
Several studies have been published in journals with an explicitly pro-alternative medicine brief[4][5][6] or have been funded by[7] or carried out by[8] proponents of EFT or "energy psychology" generally.
Criticism
EFT has been labeled pseudoscience in the Skeptical Inquirer, based on what the journal identifies as its lack of falsifiability, reliance on anecdotal evidence and aggressive promotion via the Internet.[9] Gary Craig, the originator of EFT, has argued that tapping anywhere on the body will manipulate "energy meridians". There are many pressure points used by acupuncturists not included in EFT methodology; tapping one such may have accidental effects, it is suggested, yet to be identified. Skeptics have asserted that such an argument renders EFT untestable by scientific method, and therefore a pseudoscience.[9] EFT's successes are also thought to stem from "characteristics it shares with more traditional therapies", rather than manipulation of supposed "energy meridians" via tapping acupuncture points. Traditional Chinese medicine's acupuncture theory predates scientific method. There is no known anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.[10] Testing of the EFT hypothesis through the use of a placebo group produced the same positive changes in recipients as following the EFT's standard methodology.[3] A 2007 article in the Guardian suggested that the act of tapping parts of the body in a complicated sequence acts as a distraction, and therefore can appear to alleviate the root distress.[11]
See also
References
- ^ Craig, G, EFT Manual
- ^ Rowe, JE (2005). "The Effects of EFT on Long-Term Psychological Symptoms". Counseling and Clinical Psychology 2 (3): 104–111. ISSN 1545-4452. http://www.psychologicalpublishing.com/.
- ^ a b Waite WL & Holder MD (2003). "Assessment of the Emotional Freedom Technique: An Alternative Treatment for Fear". The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice 2 (1). http://www.srmhp.org/0201/emotional-freedom-technique.html.
- ^ Swingle P; Pulos; Swingle M (2005). "Psychological Neurophysiological Indicators of EFT Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress". International Society for the study of Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine Journal 15 (1). http://www.issseem.org/storejournals_detail.cfm?articleid=203.
- ^ Brattberg G (2008). "Self-administered EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) in Individuals With Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Trial". Integrative Medicine 7 (4).
- ^ Church D; Geronilla L; Dinter I (2009). "Psychological symptom change in veterans after six sessions of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): an observational study". The International Journal of Healing and Caring 9 (1). http://www.wholistichealingresearch.com/jan_2009_v9_n1.html. Note: A fee is payable for access to this paper.
- ^ Wells S, Polglase K, Andrews H, Carrington P, Baker A (2003). "Evaluation of a meridian-based intervention, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), for reducing specific phobias of small animals". J Clin Psychol 59 (9): 943–66. doi:. PMID 12945061. Note: This study was funded by ACEP.
- ^ Daniel J. Benor, Karen Ledger, Loren Toussaint, Geoffrey Hett and Daniel Zaccaro (2009). "Pilot Study of Emotional Freedom Techniques, Wholistic Hybrid Derived From Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and Emotional Freedom Technique, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treatment of Test Anxiety in University Students". EXPLORE: The Journal of Science and Healing 5 (6): 338-340. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7MF9-4XP1RHH-9&_user=122861&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000010080&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=122861&md5=8c4595637598da2efce5e65c8aab7ba1. Note: This study was carried out by the originator of the technique under investigation. Subjects were not randomly assigned to treatment groups and the sample size was small. In addition, it appears that all subjects underwent all treatments, since the authors use a repeated measures statistical test. The order in which they underwent the different treatments is not clear.
- ^ a b Brandon A. Gaudiano and James D. Herbert (2000). "Can we really tap our problems away?". Skeptical Inquirer 24 (4). http://www.csicop.org/si/2000-07/thought-field-therapy.html.
- ^ Felix Mann: "...acupuncture points are no more real than the black spots that a drunkard sees in front of his eyes." (Mann F. Reinventing Acupuncture: A New Concept of Ancient Medicine. Butterworth Heinemann, London, 1996,14.) Quoted by Matthew Bauer in Chinese Medicine Times, Vol 1 Issue 4 - Aug 2006, "The Final Days of Traditional Beliefs? - Part One"
- ^ Oliver Burkeman (2007-02-10). "Help yourself". The Guardian. http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/wellbeing/story/0,,2009525,00.html. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
External links
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