Meridian Therapy: What It's All About
Meridian Therapy is a self-healing approach based
on the view that the body and mind are inextricably intertwined, and
healing happens in both areas. We must trust that the body/mind we call
our "self" has innate wisdom and will provide whatever each
of us needs in order to restore health. Meridian Therapy is a powerful
technique that encourages any emotional healing that needs to take place.
Healing occurs when we tune in to the problem while gently tapping acupuncture
points on the face, hands, and upper body to balance the energy.
How It Works
The goal of Meridian Therapy is to heal emotional problems. The theory
behind this technique is that old emotional wounds are stored in the
body as blocked energetic patterns. Stimulating energy points removes
the disturbance, allowing our body/mind system to process the troubling
problem. As the energy is brought into balance, worrisome thoughts and
memories about upsetting circumstances change and negative emotions
diminish. This process takes place on a bio-electromagnetic level throughout
our being. [top]
The Mind in the Body
Where are feelings located? Are they in the brain? Most of us think
that feelings originate in the brain, but the renowned neurobiologist
Candace Pert, Ph.D., has discovered that emotions are in the body as
well as in the brain. In her research she proved that there are emotional
receptors in cells throughout the body. The "unconscious"
is not in the brain, she says, but is present everywhere in the whole
system of the body. She calls this the Bodymind. According to her findings
there is constant intercellular communication between the brain, glands,
and immune system. [top]
East Meets West
In Meridian Therapy, modern-day psychology meets the ancient wisdom
of the East to achieve healing. Almost five thousand years ago the Chinese
knew that there was an energy component in the acupuncture meridians
in the body. The twenty-four-volume Nei Ching, said to have
been written by Huang Ti, the "Yellow Emperor," is the oldest
known text about acupuncture and dates from about 2600 B.C. It describes
the energy pathways we now call meridians and details acupuncture points.
The Chinese were not the only ancients to have this understanding of
the bio-electromagnetic system of the body. The vital energy the Chinese
call Chi was already known in India as Prana. In Egypt a papyrus dated
1150 B.C. describes something similar to meridians. Long ago, healers
in Arabia and Brazil knew about the energy properties of the body, as
did the Eskimos. In fact, every indigenous culture on earth has a term
for this Vital Force: Wakan, Ki, Mana, and so forth.
While the meridians carry energy throughout the body, there are seven
energy centres in the body called Chakras. The concept of Chakras was
first developed in ancient India. Chakras act like transformers and
convert subtle energies into chemical, hormonal, and cellular changes
in the body. Candace Pert's research revealed that there are clusters
of emotional receptor cells in the Chakra areas. [top]
Measuring the Vital Force
Instruments have measured the Chi or bio-energy flowing from the hands
of modern chi-gong masters who are able to focus Chi energy and use
it to heal. These people have learned how to harness the energy and
direct it. We all have this same energy and can learn to use it. Every
one of us has extremely low frequency energy radiating from different
parts of our body. Our hands and forehead radiate the strongest energy.
Scientists have measured the intensity of these biophotons or light
emissions. According to Beverly Rubik, Ph.D., a leading biophysicist
and research pioneer, in recent experiments, meditation increased biophoton
emissions from the crown of the head and the hands by factors of 100
to 1,000. Just thinking with intention about the Vital Force also increased
the energy by the same factor. Living creatures both radiate and attract
subtle energy. Dr. Rubik proposes that this subtle energy that we receive
and emit may turn out to be even more fundamental than our biochemistry. [top]
More About Meridian Pathways
"Meridians carry energy the way arteries carry blood," says
Donna Eden, author of Energy Medicine. She describes the energy
meridians as "the body's energy bloodstream." These meridians
are dotted with hundreds of acupuncture points. Energy points are sensitive
to bioelectric impulses in the body.
They are like antennae that transmit heat, electromagnetic energy,
or the Vital Force (Chi). The meridians, deep inside the body, run through
our organs and muscle groups like roadways that go from the top of the
head to the tips of the toes. This energy communication system connects
the organs and sensory and emotional aspects of the body. Thoughts have
power, and negative thoughts can adversely affect the subtle energies
carried by the meridians. Intense emotions can disrupt the energy flow
as well.
Sometimes the meridian highways become backed up with too much energy
and a bottleneck occurs. Our bodies operate twenty-four hours a day,
seven days a week. Inevitably we experience stress. The energy pathways
need to be kept free because disturbances can lead to ill health and
emotional problems. Tapping specific acupuncture points gets the energy
flowing smoothly and dissolves negative states. When free flow is restored,
the negative emotional charge is eliminated and problems seem to melt
away.
The ancient Chinese believed that emotions are concentrated in the
meridians. They taught that pain and negative feelings such as anger,
fear, guilt, confusion, and obsession lead to imbalance in the body's
harmony. Emotional dysfunction indicates that there is a disturbance
in the energy system. When that occurs, acupuncturists insert fine needles
into specific points to balance the flow of energy. Acupressure is another
healing method of pressing energy points on the skin to stimulate meridians
rather than inserting needles. Both techniques move blocked energies
and release many symptoms of illness or emotional problems. [top]
Western Science Steps In
Although the Chinese have used acupuncture successfully for thousands
of years, they could not prove their claims. Western society discounted
this approach to healing until relatively recently. Independent of the
culture of Asia, scientists since the eighteenth century have investigated
the electromagnetic properties of life and discovered that complex energy
fields surround every living thing. The flow of energy in the body has
been traced along the same consistent pathways the Chinese know as energy
meridians. With new technology it is now possible to measure that energy.
Most of us think of matter as one thing and energy as something else,
but Albert Einstein demonstrated that matter and energy are interchangeable
aspects of the same reality. Therefore, everything can be seen as a
form of energy. We can think of ourselves as consisting not only of
solid packets of energy (our bodies) but also of intangible packets
of energy (our thoughts). Meridian Therapy helps rebalance our physical
and mental energies, thereby optimising our bio-electromagnetic state. [top]
Fields of Life
Harold Saxton Burr, Ph.D., who taught anatomy and neuroanatomy at Yale
University, measured electrical currents in and around life forms. He
studied all kinds of living things from simple moulds, worms, and trees
to complex life systems such as human beings. He affirmed that we have
"fields of life" or "L-fields," which are electromagnetic
fields. These fields help stabilize the pattern each form takes so that
all trees, animals, people, and so forth maintain the same shape and
properties. [top]
Proof That Energy Points Exist
Another pioneer in this work, Reinhold Voll, M.D., discovered that
acupuncture points show a dramatic decrease in electrical resistance
on the skin compared to non-acupuncture points. He and his associates
also found that each point seemed to have a standard measurement for
healthy individuals, but the measurements change when health deteriorates.
Drs. Robert O. Becker and Maria Reichmanis developed an electrode device
that can be rolled along the meridians to measure electrical skin resistance
and give a continuous reading. Their work confirmed that meridians have
electrical qualities like transmission lines, and concluded that the
acupuncture system was measurable.
In 1992 a study was conducted in France to prove that meridians exist.
Over three hundred people took part. A radioactive tracer was injected
at acupuncture points, and a special camera was able to image the path.
A similar tracer was also injected at a control point that was not an
acupuncture point. The tracer injected in the acupuncture points followed
the same pathways described as meridians in traditional Chinese medicine.
However, the tracer injected in the random points diffused. Each experiment
was repeated several times. [top]
Describing Subtle Energies
Stanford professor William A. Tiller, Ph.D., studies the "super-sensible"
domains of Nature -- aspects of light, sound, space, and time that are
beyond what we can sense. "Subtle energies are all those beyond
the familiar ones associated with the four fundamental forces accepted
by the conventional physics model," he says.
Dr. Tiller thinks of the whole body as an antenna with the potential
to transmit and receive Chi energy. He surmises that when we touch an
acupuncture point, we stimulate ion flow that reacts at the subtle energy
level to unclog meridian channels. Applying this knowledge to the field
of psychology brings about a dramatic shift in how emotional healing
can take place. Extremely tiny energy signals can affect us and stimulate
healing responses by coaxing the system back into normalcy.
Ancient Indian and Chinese healers understood the subtle energies before
findings in the field of quantum physics helped us understand the nature
of energy and matter. We now know that information carried by subtle
energies can travel faster than the speed of light and that focusing
thought energy can have an effect on matter.
Dr. Beverly Rubik hypothesizes that all living systems are permeated
by an energy information flow. It is not the energy that heals, but
rather the "intelligent" information transmitted bioenergetically.
The energy signal carries the bioinformation necessary for healing.
It is intangible, but cells can read the information that is delivered
this way and respond. Recent experiments indicate that when love or
unconditional acceptance are present the healings that result are even
more impressive. [top]
The Evolution of Meridian Therapy
Fred Gallo, Ph.D., in his book Energy Psychology, writes that
thoughts exist in fields and negative emotions are rooted in energy
configurations. "If thought and psychological problems exist in
energy field form, then psychological problems can be resolved much
more easily than one might assume. Based on the new paradigms, it would
then be merely a matter of altering the energy field."
Meridian Therapy evolved from connecting these ideas about the energy
systems of the body with a type of muscle testing frequently practiced
by chiropractors. In muscle testing the individual is usually asked
to hold out an arm and resist when the practitioner pushes firmly on
the forearm. The arm will remain firm and strong when there is a positive
thought or the answer is yes. When there is a negative thought or the
answer is no, the arm will wobble. In the 1960s Dr. George Goodheart,
a chiropractor discovered a new way to diagnose his patients by testing
the relative strength or weakness of muscles. This method is called
Applied Kinesiology.
As he practiced this technique, Goodheart realized that there is a
relationship between the muscles and other organs and glands in the
body. When a particular muscle tested weak, a corresponding part of
the body, such as the spleen, liver, or stomach, was found, through
medical tests, to be dysfunctional. When Goodheart learned of the relationship
between the muscles and meridian pathways, he began to use acupuncture
in his practice. In addition to treating structural problems of the
body, Applied Kinesiology treats mental conditions as well. [top]
Behavioural Kinesiology
Psychiatrist John Diamond, M.D., believes that the body doesn't lie.
In the 1970s, Diamond created Behavioural Kinesiology by incorporating
Applied Kinesiology and psychotherapy. His method brings together ideas
from psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, music, and the humanities.
Diamond asserts that an imbalance of Chi, or Vital Force, affects a
specific energy meridian and leads to psychological and physical problems.
Using muscle testing, Diamond connected the meridians with emotions.
He noted that each meridian was related to a positive and a negative
emotion. The heart meridian is identified with anger when negative and
with love or forgiveness when positive. The thyroid meridian is associated
with depression when negative and with hope and elation when positive,
and the liver meridian similarly affects happiness or unhappiness. [top]
Thinking Makes It So
Diamond also demonstrated that life energy is influenced when we think
negatively. Stressful circumstances can affect the body. He believes
that many of our problems stem from decisions we made in the past that
have become incorporated as if part of a predetermined script. Through
muscle testing Diamond helps patients determine when the decision was
made and the problem began. By treating the meridian points, the energy
is then unblocked and change can occur.
The therapeutic power of affirmative thought is a key part of Diamond's
approach. He suggests a daily program of positive statements: "I
have love," "I reach out with love," "I have forgiveness
in my heart," ending with, "My life energy is high. I am in
the state of love." As you make each statement, you touch one of
the fourteen meridians that correspond to each affirmation. Practicing
this each day corrects negative emotional states and promotes a feeling
of well-being. Diamond maintains, "Whenever we direct our communication
out into the world, whether it be speech, writing, poetry, music or
the like, there will always be a greater increase in life energy than
if we keep the message to ourselves." [top]
Dr. Roger Callahan's Contribution
Psychologist Roger J. Callahan, Ph.D., was looking for ways to improve
his ability to treat his patients when he was introduced to muscle testing.
He developed Thought Field Therapy after studying Applied Kinesiology.
Thought Field Therapy is the first organized system specifically designed
to treat psychological distress by balancing the body's energy system.
Dr. Callahan believes that the cause of psychological problems is a
perturbation in what he calls the individual's thought field. The disturbance
in the thought field causes disruption in the energy system that affects
other systems in the body. Callahan discovered that stimulating specific
acupuncture points in a particular sequence could eliminate negative
feelings.
Callahan went on to treat a large number of people and studied their
reactions. He created recipes, called algorithms, consisting of acupuncture
points that must be tapped in a distinct order. Each algorithm is designed
to treat a specific emotion, such as panic, anxiety, phobia, addictive
urges, or anger. Each recipe consists of a different number of points.
In TFT the therapist uses muscle testing to determine meridian disturbances
and instructs the client to tap acupuncture points in the prescribed
sequence to treat psychological problems. [top]
Psychological Reversal
Dr. Harold Saxton Burr showed that the electromagnetic polarities in
the body could reverse when serious medical conditions were present.
In his book, Blueprint for Immortality, he included a study
of women with gynecological problems. Of the women with cervical cancer,
96 percent had a negative electrical charge while 95 percent of women
with a non-cancerous condition had a positive charge. This finding suggests
that if the energy polarities are reversed in the body, it is a sign
of difficulty or illness.
One of Dr. Callahan's most important additions was the awareness of
the phenomenon he calls Psychological Reversal. In PR
when polarities are reversed, psychological problems don't seem to improve
no matter how hard the patient works to overcome his problem. Callahan
discovered energy points to tap that undo the reversal and allow the
TFT treatment to succeed.
Another aspect of Thought Field Therapy is the Nine-Gamut Treatment.
After tapping the energy points of an algorithm, the individual is next
instructed to perform nine actions, such as looking down to the right
and left, moving the eyes around in a circle, humming a song, and counting
out loud, while tapping an energy point on the back of the hand. This
exercise is meant to stimulate the left and right hemispheres of the
brain in order to balance energy. [top]
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)
Roger Callahan trained many innovative and talented people who went
on to create variations of Thought Field Therapy. Some of them began
to question the TFT mandate that the order of tapping acupuncture points
is essential for a positive outcome. The need to use a different algorithm
for each emotional state was challenged too. Some practitioners have
found that the process works by touching rather than tapping or even
by imagining that tapping is taking place.
One of the most inventive of Callahan's students is Gary Craig, an
engineer and personal performance coach. He calls his system Emotional
Freedom Techniques or EFT. Craig created a comprehensive formula for
tapping, a "one size fits all" treatment in which all the
energy meridians are stimulated. This is the only procedure necessary
to treat anger, fear, panic, cravings, trauma, guilt, shame, grief,
pain, and other emotional problems. With EFT you activate fewer acupuncture
points than with TFT. But EFT even gets results without using the Nine
Gamut Treatment, which is an integral part of TFT.
Craig also teaches an advanced form of EFT in which people learn to
help themselves more efficiently by using intuition to discover which
acupuncture points to tap. He found that it is not always necessary
to stimulate all the points in the comprehensive formula for success.
Through his many workshops, videos, and website, Craig freely shares
the EFT process with professionals and the public. [top]
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