Recent research is helping to shed light on the nature of trauma and the resulting physiological reactions of the mind and body. It is believed that trauma causes the body to flood with a variety of hormones when it is under stress. Scientists believe that this physical reaction interferes with the brain's processing of information about the event. Researchers have speculated that a person's ability to deal with a traumatic situation is blocked when the body is overloaded with stress hormones, causing the event to remain in an anxiety producing form when stored and retrieved as a memory. In other words, one continues to recall the full force of the event, along with the strength and severity of the emotions experienced at the time of the trauma. This prevents the brain from adequately processing and categorizing the memory as in the past and of no current danger to the individual. Subsequently, the traumatic event, as well as its associated emotions, are replayed or re-experienced in the present. This happens in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, or anxiety, whenever the individual is reminded of the trauma.

In the clinical setting a therapist uses EMI™ to interrupt the patterns that were established as a result of a traumatic event. The client is asked to think about the event and/or to project a representation (memory) of the event out on a surface away from where they are sitting. While the client is projecting the memory, the therapist asks the client to follow the movement of a finger or pen in the foreground with their eyes. Because eye movements are associated with the processing of specific types of information by the brain, it is believed that this technique helps the brain to reprocess the event without its traumatic aspects. The changes achieved are often dramatic.

Many individuals have been helped with this simple technique, yet it is not widely used by therapists. For more information, contact Dr. Mike.