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Thought Energy Therapy: Quantum Level Control of Emotions and

Evidence of Effectiveness of Energy Psychotherapy Methodology

 

By:

Peter T. Lambrou, Ph.D. - Scripps Memorial Hospital - La Jolla, California
George J. Pratt, Ph.D. - Scripps Memorial Hospital - La Jolla, California
Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D.
Gregory Nicosia, Ph.D.

 

Published in the 1999 Proceedings of International Forum on New Science,

published by International Association for New Sciences, Fort Collins, Colorado
http://www.newsciences.org/

 

Abstract

Newly evolving in the field of psychology is the recognition of human energy towards the healing of emotional distress. A basic concept of this approach is that thought energy (including electrochemical, electromagnetic and biomagnetic) can interact with the body's energy systems at the neural, molecular, and atomic levels. This new field is being called Energy Psychology and has spawned a number of different methods that have some common elements including use of various acupressure points, the focus of thought on the emotional distress, and the recognition and correction of unconscious blocks to the therapeutic process.

 

Two pilot studies sought to identify evidence of effects from one particular variation of thought energy therapy called Thought Field Therapy (TFT). The first study examined the clinical effects TFT on claustrophobic subjects. Four claustrophobic subjects and four controls were administered psychological, physiological, and behavioral measures before and after exposure to a small room. A 30-minute treatment with TFT to the four experimental subjects demonstrated significant differences between the controls and claustrophobic subjects on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory at baseline. Phobic subjects showed a significant reduction in state anxiety at p<.001 level, after treatment as measured by an F-test. Measures of the peak current of a 3-volt, square wave impulse at 28 acupuncture sites showed a significant difference in the pre-treatment comparisons between phobic and control subjects. Post-treatment measurements showed no difference between the groups. Also, there was significantly greater EMG muscle tension at the trapezius muscle in phobic subjects at p<.05 as measured by t-test. Post treatment showed a reduction in muscle tension for phobic subjects, however, due to the small number of subjects the difference while nearly half, did not reach statistical significance. Behavioral improvements were also observed, however, sampling was insufficient for statistical measures. Heart rate differences were also observed with phobic subjects displaying a lower resting heart rate than controls at p<.05 by t-test. It is speculated that this unexpected difference in heart rate may be due to habituation resulting from repeated episodes of higher than normal heart rate during anxiety episodes. Other differences observed included a difference in EEG measures of alpha and theta activity between control and phobic subjects that suggests anxiety produces disruptions in brainwave activity.

 

A second preliminary study examined the magnetic qualities of emotionally laden thought using magneto-encephalography (MEG). Thought energy therapies are theorized to utilize unique thought-specific energy as part of an access for therapeutic effect. This study sought to examine the magnetic output of the brain for distinguishing frequencies, power spectrums, and localization of the source of the magnetic signals. Three emotionally laden thoughts were examined and a Thought Field Therapy treatment was self-administered for anger. No unique power spectrum waveform was observed to distinguish different emotionally laden thought activity within subjects (N=2), however, a pre- to post- treatment difference was visually apparent in the power spectrum waveforms within subjects, particularly within the 4 to 12 Hz range.

 

These two preliminary studies suggest that there are sufficient treatment effects from Thought Field Therapy to warrant further investigation of this treatment for phobias and other emotional problems. A number of recommendations are made by the investigators for the claustrophobia study including use of a sham treatment to discriminate placebo effect, a more extensive treatment period to allow for greater treatment effect, and more precise measures of state anxiety. For the MEG study, recommendations include use of a physiological measure to identify the initiation and maintenance of evoked emotional response, such as heart rate variability, and better localization of the magnetic dipole activity to reveal the brain location of the magnetic sources.

 

For more details, photos, tables and graphs of these two studies, click on the links below:

 

Claustrophobia and Thought Energy Study