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Official EFT Tutorial

PART III - Advanced: Additional Tapping Tools & Refinements

Cognitive Shifts - Belief Changes Within EFT

New Insights, Behaviors & Beliefs Are Routine With EFT

EFT Tapping Cognitive Shift Image
Cognitive Shift

A major sign of improvement within traditional therapy is the cognitive shift. When a client has a new insight, exhibits new behavior, or demonstrates a new belief about their issue, then something significant has shifted in their perception and this is seen as evidence that emotional healing or growth has occurred.

In traditional therapy, these cognitive shifts often come after months or years of verbalizing and processing, but with EFT they can show up in every session.  In fact, with EFT they occur behind the scenes almost every time you give relief to a Specific Event.  That is why the event is no longer bothersome.  The client now has a different perception about it as previous aspects such as fear, guilt or anger shift in peaceful directions.  

These behind the scenes cognitive shifts become routine within EFT sessions and often remain undiscussed.  However, using the Tell the Story Technique, you will soon discover that once a significant amount of intensity has been released, your client may say something that completely contradicts her original perception of the event.

For example, someone who was absolutely irate with their boss at the beginning of a session might suddenly say “well, I can understand why he did that.”  Or someone who was humiliated in front of their friends at a party might say “you know, that must have been pretty funny.” These are signs that the energy system has been realigned and your client has found some degree of peace with that event. 

The video below gives you an in-depth discussion of this vital topic with a live audience.  This is followed by an actual session with Pamela and concludes with a narrative by me emphasizing the cognitive shift that occurred.  Note that she starts by saying that God doesn't think she is worthy but later (after tapping) says that that belief "doesn't make any sense."

 

COGNITIVE SHIFTS - WATCH VIDEO

 

These moments will often happen as your client recounts the story for the second or third time while you are looking for those last signs of intensity. At that point, the most appropriate thing to do is ask for a 0-10 intensity rating for that aspect, or for that crescendo, or for the whole event.  It will often be zero and you can proceed with testing methods for confirmation. 

You will also encounter other signs that your work has been successful, the most common being yawns, sighs, or genuine laughter.  These can happen at any time in the session and are usually signs that the energy has shifted in some way.  My favorite of these is the sigh and this brief video with give you three examples from live sessions.

 

EXAMPLES OF SIGHING - WATCH VIDEO

 

If you are in the middle of a tapping round or EFT session and your client either yawns or lets out a big sigh, complete the round and ask for a 0-10 level. You might also ask your client if they felt any significant differences in how they feel about the event. These responses do not always indicate a cognitive shift, but you can certainly confirm that with testing. 

You may also hear your client say that they feel extremely relaxed, almost as though they want to go to sleep.  That is common too, especially after a long session or continued work. We get so used to carrying around these disruptions that once we start releasing them, it can take the body some time to catch up. 

Cognitive shifts are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and provide exciting evidence that we are indeed getting results. The best part is that you don’t need any more than the EFT basics to produce them. Look for them in your sessions, and as always, test to confirm. 

REVIEW:

In this article you learned about Cognitive Shifts as a sign that EFT is delivering results.

  • A Cognitive Shift is known by traditional therapists as a new insight or a change in behaviors or beliefs. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
  • We see these shifts most often when all the Aspects have been cleared from a Specific Event. The client will simply blurt out a healthy new perspective that completely contradicts their original perspective.
  • Sometimes these shifts will happen without any evidence from the client. Asking more questions or using good Testing Methods will often bring the cognitive shifts out into the open.
  • Sighing, yawning, or genuine laughter are also signs that disruptions are being released and perspectives may be shifting. Ask questions or apply Testing Methods to confirm.

 

© Gary and Tina Craig
All Rights Reserved

 

Please note: This Tutorial, while useful, was replaced in 2014 by my newest advancement, Optimal EFT. More efficient. More powerful. Full explanation given in my free, easy-to-read e-book, The Unseen Therapist