The Genie in Your Genes--An extraordinary book that many EFT'ers will welcome

By Pat Carrington PhD, EFT Master

Review of "The Genie in your Genes: Epigenetic Medicine and the New Biology of intention" by Dawson Church, Ph.D. (Energy Psychology Press, Elite Books, Santa Rosa, CA)

I started reading this book late one evening last week, and finished it two days later with the sense that it had profoundly changed something within me -- that “something” was my perspective on EFT and it's potential importance for our society. 

It may well change something in you too when you read it,   I hope you do.  What its author, Dawson Church, has done for us here is to bring energy psychology and EFT into the context of those branches of modern science that are laying the groundwork for a remarkable advance in the way we view health, medicine and social change.

I was intrigued as I watched Church develop his central thesis which revolves around the startling malleability of our genes; they literally change from moment to moment according to our thoughts and feelings.  He suggests a direct connection between the act of tapping on meridian points on the body (combined with the use of carefully chosen words) and immediate changes in the body on a deep cellular level.

This book also introduces us to the exciting field of epigenetics, a new branch of science.  We are accustomed to think that our DNA determines much of our behavior as well as physical characteristics, but the groundbreaking research that Church cites shows that many genes are being turned on and off -- every day -- by our beliefs, feelings, and attitudes (and, very possibly by EFT too used correctly).  Every thought you think ripples throughout your body, affecting your immune system, brain, and hormone system –– and quite possibly every "tap" you tap does this too.  As Norman Shealy, M.D., the Founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association, puts it "Our genes dance with our awareness.".

In this book, Dr. Church gives us the most convincing explanation I have seen yet for the remarkable effects of EFT.  He brings together the latest advances in gene theory, the electrical systems of the body, cell membrane conductivity, string theory of quantum physics, and other leading edge concepts, and ties them all together in such a way that they explain previously inexplicable results such as those obtained from practicing energy psychology techniques –– and, of course, practicing EFT.

I thoroughly agree with Gary Craig’s jacket comment on the book that reads, "Once in a while, an expansive book traces the connections between seemingly disconnected fields of science to produce a brilliant new synthesis.  This work, linking genetics, electromagnetism, medicine and social change, is a monumental feat of scholarship and imagination, and provides a fascinating glimpse of the exciting possibilities that lie ahead."

What is also refreshing about this book is that it provides something for everyone.  If you are not particularly interested in scientific theory, you may nevertheless be fascinated by reading numerous stories and anecdotes from both modern and ancient sources that you would not have otherwise encountered.  For example, in talking about energy medicine's ancient roots, Church shows us how the principles of acupuncture may predate the time of the Yellow Emperor in China by thousands of years.  Here is the evidence:

"The summer of 1991 was one of the warmest in recent European history.  During a hike in the Alps, two German tourists, Helmut and Erika Simon, came across what they first thought was the body of a hiker who had succumbed to the glacial ice, as had been the fate of several hikers in the previous few years.  The Austrian authorities pulled the body loose from the ice, and only when it had been taken to Innsbruck for examination was it realized that this was no ordinary corpse.  It turned out to be the mummified remains of an ancient man marvelously preserved in the ice.  Radiocarbon dating showed the body to be from the period around 3300 B.C.

“The study of the body, which researches christened Otzi, has yielded many fascinating clues about the customs, dress, diet, and beliefs of the period.  With him were found his copper axe, his bow and arrows, and dagger.  The remains of his hide coat, grass cloak, leggings, shoes, and loincloth were with the body.  Human blood from four different people was discovered on his weapons.  A deep cut on his right hand led archaeologists to conclude that he might have been in a mortal fight for survival, fleeing high into the Alps before expiring.  Later examination revealed that an arrowhead had penetrated a major artery, and would have led to death in minutes.

“Otzi was 46 years old at the time of his death, and among his physical afflictions were intestinal parasites and arthritis.  He also had some 57 tattoos on his skin.  Some were dark blue dots.  Others were + signs, or short parallel lines.  Infrared photography also revealed long tattooed lines.  But the location of some of the tattoos is fascinating.  They correspond with the meridian lines used in acupuncture to treat stomach complaints and arthritis, the very complaints from which Otzi is known to have suffered.  The tattoos were either exactly on, or within a quarter inch of, traditional acupuncture points and meridians.

“It is thus evident that the locations of the meridians predates the yellow Emperor's classic texts by thousands of years, and was known in prehistoric Europe, China, and probably India..."  I present this as but one example of the many colorful anecdotes that fill this book.

Another account that I found both surprising and intriguing is the book’s report of a large scale study performed by the Jewish Theological Seminary in December of 2004.  It surveyed 1,087 physicians.  Among these doctors were practitioners of many faiths: Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists.

What is startling is that according to the results of the survey, two thirds of regular medical doctors now believe that prayer is important in medicine.  Also, one of the striking findings of this poll is that between 50% and 80% of physicians -- even those of weak religious faith -- believe that miracles can happen today and report having seen miraculous recoveries. 

It is unusual information of this sort that allows us to feel even more confident about EFT’s ability to bring about what Church refers to as “discontinuous changes”.  These are changes that are sudden and precipitous, as compared to slower changes over time.  His discussion of almost instantaneous change and how it is brought about, is in itself worth the price of the book.  He makes what he calls "routine miracles" seem easily explainable. 

An Important Opportunity

Because of the relevance of this book to EFT, as well as its excellence, I see the purchase of it as a gift that each of us can make to the future of EFT.  Along these lines, we now have an unusual opportunity to further the book’s success when it is officially published on May 22 of this month.  On that day, Barnes & Noble have agreed to display it on one of the front tables in their stores and they will be watching closely the sales of the book at and around that date.  A large surge of sales when it first comes out could really bring this book to the attention of the public and of the best seller lists –– and good sales of it at this point could bring EFT an honorable place that is long overdue.

You can pre-order the book by going to the Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com websites, or wait until the 22nd (or thereafter) to join the surge of eager buyers and supporters at that time.  Actually any time you purchase it in the near future will count toward its success.  I would urge you to consider owning this extremely well written book and simultaneously extending support to our remarkable EFT.

Patricia Carrington, PhD