My next guest on Hunter’s Heroes is certified life coach and intuitive consultant Evelyn Lim. She writes about a number of topics related to attracting abundance with your mind, and I was particularly interested in a method she mentioned called EFT.

EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, was created by Gary Craig in the mid 1990s. It’s an alternative medicine tool for relieving negative emotions. You can download the EFT manual for free (you may want to obtain a temporary email address from Mailinator).

The few scientific studies that have been done on EFT were largely inconclusive, and many people say that EFT is explained by something like the placebo effect. However, there are also many people who say it worked wonders for them.

Personally, I think that the placebo issue isn’t that important. If EFT can cure a Vietnam vet of post traumatic stress disorder after decades of therapy failed, then it’s something you want to look into, placebo effect or not. (Of course, EFT does not replace medical advice from a doctor. Duh.)

I’ve read the EFT manual recently, but I haven’t had a chance to really try it. Since Evelyn has used EFT many times, I was very interested in interviewing her to get the inside story.

Hunter: Let’s start with the basics. For somebody who has never heard of EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), how would you describe it? What kinds of problems is it meant to treat, and what benefits does it offer?

Evelyn: EFT is a technique that involves tapping on specific meridian points in your body, to clear negative emotions. It is like applying acupuncture without the needles, but just using your fingers to tap. You can apply EFT on almost any issue that you find yourself having problems in. Because it can produce quick results, it helps you save huge therapy fees. I call it a lifeskill that everyone should learn!!

Hunter: Is this something the average person can learn to do, or does it require a lot of study or training?

Evelyn: Yes, any person can do. If kids can do them, it goes to show that it does not require a lot of study or training!!

Hunter: How do you do it? I know that explaining the full procedure would take an awful lot of words, but just give us an overview of what somebody does when using EFT on themselves.

Evelyn: I understand that there are many variations to using EFT. I recommend following the basic EFT manual first, to make things less complicated. The only thing I’d add is to use choice statements. For instance, you can also say that “even though I feel bad about ___(the issue)____, I choose to feel ___(happy, well, positive, etc)_______.”

[Hunter's comment: She's referring to "the setup," which is the first of four steps given in the manual. It consists of repeating affirmations that get you to focus on the problem you want to address, while acknowledging self acceptance. You're also rubbing or tapping on a meridian point while doing this.

Step 2 is "the sequence," where you tap on all the meridian points in order while repeating a phrase. Step 3 is "the 9 gamut procedure," which involves tapping a particular spot while going through a series of actions. Step 4 is the sequence again, the same as step 2.]

Hunter: Is this safe? Can you accidentally hurt yourself if you do something wrong, like tapping the wrong place, or tapping too many times?

Evelyn: Oh yes, EFT is absolutely safe. You cannot get it wrong nor hurt yourself with it. EFT works with the power of intent as well. Healing statements in EFT introduces equanimity (I deeply and completely accept myself anyway). This means that we embrace our negative emotions, acknowledging that they are there but that it is okay to have them. We give ourselves the permission to have them in our experience. The aversions dissolve on their own, when we do so, miraculously.

Hunter: In addition to yourself, I know your husband uses EFT, so do some of your friends, and even your daughters, ages 6 and 7, are fans of what they call “the tap tap.”

How do you, your family, and your friends use EFT? Do they use it only for big things like major phobias? Or do they use it anytime they encounter small problems, like job stress and chocolate cravings?

Evelyn: I won’t go into classifying whether an issue is big or small. An issue can be big or small depending on how it affects an individual.

Most physical symptoms that we typically observe are caused by negative emotions. We have certainly applied EFT across a wide variety of physical situations like migraines, working on autistic kids, inability to control bladder, knee pains, stress-triggered skin disorders, etc. Phobias that we have used EFT on include fear of snakes, heights, exams, death, etc.

My kids know how to tap. However, there are also many times when we surrogate tap for them. This means that we mentally imagine ourselves as them, tune in and tap for their negative emotions. Does it work? Yes it does. Therein lies the beauty of doing EFT. We can basically tap for anyone in the world. We have also surrogate tapped from Singapore to as far out as friends and their kids in the States. In the process, we have observed some miraculous results.

You know what? Hunter, I’m going to record all these case studies down. I’m not that much of a bookkeeper and have not bothered to write down notes about those we’ve helped so far.

[Hunter's comment: I came across a study that found that tapping on points on a doll worked the same as tapping on your body. It's similar to how a basketball player can actually get better by practicing shots in their mind, because the appropriate neurons still fire. But the EFT manual doesn't mention surrogate tapping. That's pretty wacky!]

Hunter: My understanding is that EFT is really meant for emotional problems, but it sometimes works on physical problems too. Is that what you’ve found? Has it surprised you by working in cases where you wouldn’t expect it to? And have you had any situations where you tried it, but it didn’t work?

Evelyn: Oops…see above answer for the first part!

Of course, there are a number of instances when I found that EFT did not work. Sometimes, it has been a case whereby I need to work with an independent practitioner. It may well be the case that there are certain questions or aspects I have overlooked in covering. Then, of course, EFT is not a miracle cure when you have cases of broken bones or really need surgical intervention. Lastly, there are also others, especially if the discordant energies are caused by emotions related to past lives, when another healing modality is best complemented.

Hunter: How long does it take for it to work? I’ve heard that in many cases it works after just one session, or maybe a few. And then in more complicated cases, it’s necessary to break the problem down into the specific issues behind it, and treat each issue separately.

Evelyn: That’s right. Sometimes, a mere session of less than 10 minutes is all that it takes. In others, it can take more than one session. What usually happens is that I will work on it to a sufficient degree. I then muscle test to ensure that that is all I need to clear for that day. If the same issue crops up at a later date, it is a sign that there are remaining negative emotions waiting to be cleared.

I think Gary Craig (the founder to EFT) uses the metaphor of chopping down the trees in a forest. Consider your dense emotions about a particular issue from your past, as if they are trees. Initially, it may sound tedious that you have to chop down tree by tree. Then, there are times when you find that the chopping of one tree can cause a number of trees to fall at the same time.

Hunter: I guess the need to do EFT could arise at any moment. But it seems like it would be awkward to do it in public. Have you ever had strangers approach you and ask why you were hitting yourself?

Evelyn: Oh no, I don’t tap myself in public, except twice. If I need to do EFT while I am outside, I tap mentally. This means that I visualize myself tapping away. It works just as well for me. There was once I cleared myself of a sinus infection while I was in a workshop class. I could not physically tap while the teacher was lecturing; at the same time, I was unable to concentrate on what he was saying. So I used my mind to imagine that I was tapping away at the meridian points.

The second time last year, I was at a corner tapping away while waiting for my daughter’s gym to end. I had forgotten to bring a book to read. As usual, I did not like to be idling my time. So I picked an issue to work on. Her gym teacher came round and told me that he knew what I was doing. He revealed that he was an EFT practitioner!

Hunter: EFT sounds similar to acupuncture, though obviously much less invasive. Are the two related?

Evelyn: Yes, it is essentially unblocking the energy flow in the meridian system. After all, the discovery statement in EFT is “The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy systems.”

Hunter: The EFT manual mentions psychological reversal, a sort of energy blockage that results from self defeating, negative thinking (possibly subconscious). It’s as if our batteries are in backwards, so our electrical polarity is reversed. It’s present about 40% of the time, and if you have it, EFT won’t work. That’s why the EFT procedure starts off with a step to correct psychological reversal, just in case it’s currently affecting you.

This sounds like the law of attraction, doesn’t it? The LOA says that negative thoughts prevent what we want from manifesting, so we have to correct our thoughts before anything can happen.

Do you think the LOA and EFT go hand in hand? Does using one make you better at the other?

Evelyn: EFT and LOA is not the same thing. LOA is about sending out an intent to attract the same energy vibration of our desired outcomes. It is not about a reversal of our polarity. Do also note that EFT is but one form of energy healing. There is more than one way of clearing negative emotions energetically.

Why we need to heal energetically before we can practice LOA effectively is because most of us do have massive blocks and restrictions in our subconscious mind. If these are present, we are unable to send out clear, positive and powerful intents.

Hunter: The EFT manual touches on some advanced details, such as aspects, psychological reversal, the collarbone breathing exercise, energy toxins, and shortcuts. But it says that while the manual provides the basics, the DVDs are necessary if you want to expand your skills beyond beginner status.

Have you watched these DVDs, and do you recommend them? Or how could people get more information?

Evelyn: Yes, I have watched the DVDs some years back. I recommend downloading the manual first and then decide later if more understanding is required. In the meantime, sign up for the free EFT newsletter. There are many case studies to illustrate the range of situations that EFT can be applied to and also what statements to be used.

I typically like to enhance my learning via a few channels. Repetition is key for me. Also, when something is as important as learning a lifeskill like EFT, I would want to know how I can use it more effectively. It’s nothing like using visuals and audio to augment my learning eventually.

Hunter: OK Evelyn, thanks for shedding some light on this mysterious method called EFT. I think it’s the kind of thing you really have to try for yourself to see what it’s about, but you’ve given everyone a good starting point.

Evelyn Lim is a writer, life coach and intuitive consultant. She shares her tips about raising energy vibrations on her site at Attraction Mind Map. Specially, she writes about living consciously, law of attraction, meditation, spirituality and power of intention; amongst others.

She also offers soul readings at Akashic Secrets for people who would like to clear their energetic blocks and obstacles to having a more empowered life.