Emotional Freedom Technique
The Emotional Freedom Technique is a pseudopsychiatric therapy that purports to heal the mind and claims to cure a wide variety of psychological and physical problems using the hypothesis theory behind acupuncture. The therapist attempts to manipulate the body's energy field by tapping on acupuncture points to manipulate meridians while a specific traumatic memory is focused on.
It was invented by Gary Craig, a Stanford-educated engineer, who kept a tight control of his invention until he suddenly retired some time ago. It is derived from Thought field therapy, which is derived from acupuncture and a chiropractic practice called applied kinesiology, a practice that lacks scientific support, and is based on muscle testing.[1]
EFT claims to solve help with any manner of emotional challenge. It even claims to solve physical diseases, including of course cancer. Furthermore, you can actually use it on animals! It claims that it will eliminate negative emotions, eliminate overeating, reduce pain and program the person for positive goals.
Surprisingly enough, it doesn't work or when it appears to, it is probably due to the placebo effect. It achieves the same effects as tapping on people at random in a manner that completely ignores the theory.[2] Despite the startling lack of evidence, it's available on the NHS.[3]
See also
- Acupressure
- EmoTrance
External links
- http://emofree.com (will not rid you of teenagers with floppy fringes playing My Chemical Romance records on loop)
References
- Thought Field Therapy TFT Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) (Rick Ross forums) — Monica Pignotti is an ex-Scientologist and active critic who knows her shit. Although Pignotti is both an ex-Scientologist (involved in the 1970s) and ex-TFT practitioner (involved in the 1990s-early 2000s), the two are not related. TFT is not in any way related to or derived from Scientology. TFT was invented by psychologist Roger Callahan after he studied applied kinesiology with a chiropractor.
- 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).
- Help yourself (Oliver Burkeman rips EFT a new one in the Guardian)