Clinical Aspects of Energy Psychology: A Journal of Exploration

ACEP, The Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology defines Energy psychology (EP) as “a collection of mind-body approaches for understanding and improving human functioning.” EP focuses on the connection between an individual’s feelings, memories, experiences, and behaviors, as well as scientifically accepted bioenergetic systems including the biofield, chakra energy centers and the meridians. These energetic systems interact with both the individual, but also between people, and are influenced by a number of factors including thought, feelings, and environment (referenced from https://www.energypsych.org/page/AboutEPv2).

What drew me to the study of energy in relationship to the human body was the intuitive knowing that we are not just physical beings, and our health and well-being are dependent on so many other complex factors. It was 18 years ago, and my mother phoned me in a panic. “Tom was supposed to be home hours ago, and I haven’t heard from him”. Tom was my step father, and a pilot. His flight was due in early afternoon that day and it was now supper time. A terrible sinking feeling came over me on the phone with mom, and I felt sick. The room was spinning and all I can remember is getting in the car and rushing over to my Mom’s house. When I got in the door, mom was frantic and when our eyes met, we both somehow knew Tom wasn’t coming home. The official news didn’t come until just after midnight, that his plane went down over the mountains near Merit, BC, but we could both feel it and knew it to be true. It was a terrible tragedy, four best friends and all four of them pilots, lost their lives that day. My mother put on a brave exterior, but once again, the knowing that she was not doing well at all crept over me every day and I felt it as a pressure in my chest. On the one-year anniversary of Tom’s death, my mom suffered a heart attack. I had been worried for months that something was coming, and again I felt it in my own body. I rushed to the hospital to find doctors in the emergency room asking her dozens of questions. Questions about her medical history, family history, diet, medications, etc., but none of them asked her what was happening in her life, or if there were anything psychologically that could be contributing to her condition. It was like a bomb went off in my head. It wasn’t anything in her body that caused this heart attack. It was a trauma, imprinted to the day of losing the love of her life and on this one-year anniversary, she was reliving it: heart-break. How can anyone minimize the effects of that energy on one’s physical well-being?

I have spent 18 years studying natural health sciences, energy modalities, consciousness-based medicine approaches, the use of meditation in healing, quantum mechanics, bioenergetic equipment and even how ancient astronauts or extra-terrestrial presences may be playing a role in our evolution and current paradigm. As a student of Eden Energy Medicine, I was introduced to the work of David Feinstein, PhD earlier this year, and so when I saw Clinical Aspects of Energy Psychology offered this term at CIHS, I leapt at the opportunity to enroll in the class, knowing this knowledge would take me to the next level in my journey.

I am both fascinated and intrigued by the notion that we can quickly and effectively attend to disturbances in our body and biofield through the use of EP techniques. During class one, Dr. Dexter presented and demonstrated a simple process for changing a limiting belief using a modality called Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP. We students were asked to identify a limiting belief that may be holding us back. Then we were instructed to recognize a positive intention behind that belief. Third, we were asked to notice where the belief was felt in the body. After sitting with these ideas for a moment, the next step was to move one’s eyes in an infinity pattern for 1-2 minutes while thinking about the limiting belief. I chose to work with the limiting belief that my feelings don’t matter. I felt this strongly in my throat, with a choking feeling. The intention I believe that is behind this is a strong feeling of being able to keep myself safe from other’s rejection. If I believe my feelings don’t matter, it won’t hurt so much when they reject me. I followed my finger in the infinity pattern for two minutes. As it neared the end of the two minutes, I felt the emotional charge dissipate and it was no longer that strong sad feeling. Our final step in the NLP process was to note how we felt after the exercise, and whether the limiting belief seemed to feel untrue, or even silly. I felt that it was somewhat untrue and I can see now that it was a very black and white assessment of the truth. There will always be times or individuals that don’t care about my feelings, but certainly not everyone all of the time. My body felt lighter, less tense than my usual wound up state. In fact, I began to acknowledge within myself that many people care about my feelings and go out of their way to use care with me, given my sensitive nature.

Neurolinguistic Programming was developed in 1979 by Richard Bandler and John Grinder, and is “a method of modeling which entails patterning the internal and external behaviors of people who have been unable to achieve consistent results in various activities, including psychotherapy.” It is a process which “creates a shift in one’s perception of a memory from associated to disassociated creating a revised stimulus response.” (Fred P. Gallo, Energy Psychology, p.21)

I am excited to be learning about NLP as well as all of the different techniques and modalities developed to help individuals better deal with psychological based issues. It has created a strong desire for me to add a couple of them to my current practice. A few years ago, I began researching PSY-K and the Emotion Code recognizing there was great value in having additional techniques directed to addressing the emotional component within health and wellness, which would facilitate greater healing of the body and sprit. As the course continues, I will be evaluating the different modalities in EP to identify which may work best to support my work. One modality I currently use and am interested in developing further is applied kinesiology.

During lecture two, we discussed and explored applied kinesiology (AK) and it’s uses in relation to EP. Applied kinesiology was developed by chiropractor George Goodheart in the mid 1960’s. AK is “a wholistic health system that utilizes manual muscle testing as functional neurology, and is concerned primarily with the neuromuscular function as it relates to the structural, chemical and mental physiologic regulatory mechanisms.” (Fred P. Gallo, Energy Psychology, p.225) According to Dr. Goodheart, “applied kinesiology is based on the fact that body language never lies.” (Fred P. Gallo, Energy Psychology, p.51)

Applied kinesiology has roots found in Traditional Chinese Medicine including working with the meridians, neurolymphatic reflexes, neurovascular reflexes and acupressure points. It also utilizes components of Touch for Health, the triad of health and five factors of the intervertebral foramen (spinal column) from chiropractic medicine, and the origin-insertion technique which involves working with beginning and end points of a specific muscle.

AK works at a subconscious level to access truthful information about a person’s deepest beliefs, allowing the practitioner to choose the best possible treatment or treatments for repatterning and releasing that belief in the mind, body and biofield of that individual. It is thus significantly important to perform muscle tests and questioning based on specific methodologies. In lecture two, we discussed methods for testing others as well as self-testing. When testing others, according to Dr. Judith Swack, PhD in her 2014 article Muscle Testing Instructions for Facilitators and Clients or How to Avoid the Common Mistakes of Muscle Testing, the practitioner should prepare the client prior to muscle testing “by explaining to the client that healing from the body level up works with the conscious mind, unconscious mind, body and soul simultaneously.” The next step would be to “teach the client that he can access his unconscious mind using the NLP technique of going inside and talking to the part that needs healing.” At this point the practitioner can introduce the idea of using muscle testing to access this part of themselves that needs healing.

Dr. Swack utilizes two different types of muscle testing in her practice, citing one is easy and one more difficult. “The easy way to muscle test is to float your arms out in front of you and let your unconscious mind and body answer automatically.” The job of the conscious mind is to “send the question into the body, watch the answer your body gives, and then think about it.” To muscle test correctly, “the facilitator presses gently on the client’s arms just above the wrists using either the flat palms of the hands or the finger tips, applying pressure until muscle resistance is felt.” We then ask yes and no questions and muscle test to ensure we are receiving a valid response. “On a yes, we expect the client’s arms to hold strong, and on a no, we expect the client’s arms to float down all the way to the side of their body without resistance.”

A second, and more complex method of muscle testing “is for people who can’t let go conscious control of their body. In this case we give the conscious mind something to do consciously in addition to sending the question down. “The facilitator faces the client squarely, places one hand on the client’s shoulder to stabilize, and then presses firmly on the client’s arm just above the wrist using the flat palm of the hand, pressing until resistance is felt.” You ask to show me a yes and muscle test; then show me a no, and muscle test. The yes should test strong, and no should test weak. This technique in Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) is referred to as qualifying the muscle. I have been taught to take an additional few steps in order to find a testable muscle. First, as an indicator muscle for testing, we would use pectoralis major sternal (stomach meridian) which uses the arm extended out at shoulder level, palm facing down, at 45 degrees to the body. The practitioner places two fingers just above the wrist of the client, and places their other hand on the opposite shoulder of the client to stabilize. The client is then instructed to “hold” and the practitioner presses with 2 to 5 pounds of pressure. If the muscle is strong, the practitioner gently pinches the pectoralis major sternal muscle and retests. This second test should be weak. If it is not weak, it indicates irregular energies and until corrected, that muscle should be disqualified for use in testing. There are muscles associated with each of the 14 meridians, but stomach meridian (pectoralis major sternal muscle) and spleen meridian (latissimus dorsi muscle) are the preferred two for general muscle testing.

To muscle test one’s self, we discussed in class a few different methods including the sway method, finger self-test, and the finger loop test. I have experimented with all three of these methods the past few days, and for myself I find crossing my index finger over the middle finger, with the pad of the index finger over the first joint closes to the end of the middle finger, works best. Another two methods I am familiar with and have used successfully is the jug test and energy localizing the small intestine meridian (quadriceps muscle). To use the jug test, you fill a pitcher or milk jug with just enough water to make it a moderate effort to lift. You then ask to “show me a yes”, looking for a strong test and “show me a no” looking for a weak test. To perform the small intestine meridian test, you sit in a chair, and lift your leg about 12 inches off the floor with the knee slightly bent. You then place your hand (same side of the body as the leg) on your thigh and muscle test by pressing down on the thigh. Again, you are using the yes and no questions to qualify that muscle. I have used this test in restaurants to help me select the best meal for my body, and it worked very well.

As important as performing a muscle test correctly physically, it is equally important to ensure the correct dialogue used in questioning. We discussed using intention statements aloud which asks for the tests to utilize the highest good for the individual by saying “from my deepest wisdom…” at the beginning of each question. Other qualifying questions would include “did you or any part of you, or any entities choose to deceive on that previous answer” or “was there any deception of any kind on the previous answer”, then following up immediately with “would you tell if there were deception?” Asking this line of questioning as a follow up will validate the answer given on the preliminary question as accurate.

I have been experimenting this week with muscle testing myself, and my family with good results. I will elaborate on questioning and results in the next journal entry with further details once I have had a chance to use the technique more fully.