ENERGY CHECKING
is a way of assessing the flow
within the body’s system of energy pathways. It is a fundamental tool
used by many but not all practitioners of energy psychology. We
emphasize it in this program because we believe it facilitates a
relatively precise match between a
client’s unique energetic dynamics and the energy interventions that are
formulated. Energy checking will be used throughout the remainder of the
program.
The energy
checks you will learn in this module check whether
the flow is optimal or disturbed in each of the body’s major
meridians. The meridians,
the body’s energy transportation system, need to flow properly
in order to sustain physical and emotional health. Disturbances
in the meridian flow
must be corrected
to overcome the psychological as well as medical problems
that result from such disturbances. While such corrections
are a common though often unrecognized effect of any successful
therapy, energy-based psychotherapy attempts to directly
focus on and restore an optimal flow within the meridian
system.
Disturbances in a meridian are generally
thought to involve either a lack of energy or
too much
energy. Each is detrimental to health and well-being. Medical
clairvoyants who are able to "see" the meridian flow also describe other
potential forms of disturbed meridian energy, such as when the energy
courses off the meridian lines, is sluggish, jumpy, blocked,
bottlenecked, or moves in twists and other affected patterns.
The meridian system consists of 14 major
meridians (energy pathways). Each runs deep into the body, bringing
vital energy to at least one major organ or system. Each meridian also
runs along a specific route on the surface of the skin, where its flow
can be influenced by physical manipulation.
Yes, the use of the meridians in energy
psychology traces to the practice of acupuncture. The acupuncture points
(acupoints) are tiny areas of decreased electrical resistance (and
therefore considered openings into the energy system—the correct
translation from the Mandarin is actually not "point" but "hollow") that
are situated on the surface of the skin along the meridian pathways.
Stimulation of the acupoints through pressure, tapping, or more invasive
means, such as needles or electrical current, affects the flow of energy
within the meridian system.
Central to
traditional Chinese medicine, currently the most widely
practiced medical approach in the world, the meridians and
the acupuncture points are described in texts dating back
at least 4,500 years. Ancient Chinese diagrams illustrating
the meridians on the body have been shown to
correspond
to modern scans of electrical patterns on the skin.
While
Western medicine tended to discount Eastern approaches,
the situation began to shift after diplomatic relations
improved between China and the United States. In 1980, one
of the first groups of Western scientists invited to China
included the renowned American psychologist Neal Miller.
The group visited a mental hospital where a Chinese psychiatrist,
trained in Western as well as Eastern medicine, described
which acupuncture points to stimulate in treating a mental
disorder. Dr. Miller, a pioneer in applying the scientific
method to complex issues of personality and psychopathology,
suggested, "You have an excellent opportunity for research
here. You could stimulate the correct sites with one group
and random sites with another and determine if there is
a difference." The psychiatrist smiled and said, "We
did that 5,000 years ago." According to
Raymond
Fowler, another psychologist in the group,
"No one laughed harder than Neal Miller." The
receptivity of Western medicine to acupuncture has been
thawing ever since.
The energies transported by the meridians
form a bridge between psychological
states and their somatic counterparts. The firing of neurons, the
feeling, the smile or frown, are all believed to be linked through the
virtually instantaneous movement of the meridian energies. Assessing the
energies that are involved with a psychological problem (e.g., with
energy checking) and treating them (e.g., by stimulating appropriate
acupoints) addresses the subtle infrastructure believed to maintain
dysfunctional habits of emotion, thought, and behavior.
One of the maxims of energy-based approaches
to healing is:
MATTER FOLLOWS ENERGY
Laboratory
studies corroborate this relationship. Both "medical
intuitives" and instruments that measure the body’s
energies are able to detect changes in the energy field
that precede physical
changes. Energy healers, such as acupuncturists, focus on
shifts in meridian activity to predict
and prevent illness (in some provinces in
ancient China, you paid the doctor when you were healthy,
not when you were sick). Measured
changes in the meridian
system have been shown to match physical changes that occurred
hours, days, sometimes even weeks later. When you change
the energy flow, shifts in the body’s physical structure,
including patterns of neuron firing, follow.
Using
techniques such as energy checking, the disturbed energies
involved in a psychological problem can be more readily
assessed than biochemical disturbances, and they can be
treated using less invasive approaches. This is a primary
reason so many psychotherapists are proposing that energy
be added as another level of clinical focus, beyond psychological,
behavioral, and pharmaceutical interventions.
Meridian energies that reflexively become
disturbed in response to a recurring internal or external event play a
role in maintaining psychological problems. The acupoints are a key to
altering such conditioned responses in the meridian system. The
procedures in energy psychology:
methodically identify
external or internal stimuli (e.g., events, memories, or images)
that trigger energy responses which impair feelings, thought,
or behavior;
reprogram these responses by stimulating
appropriate energy points while the problematic situation is
psychologically activated, so that the stimulus becomes
paired with a new,
undisturbed response in the energy system.
As with
systematic desensitization, the problematic response is extinguished
by bonding the stimulus to a neutral or undisturbed physiological
response.
Unlike systematic desensitization, which is most
effective with anxiety and phobias, the precision afforded by being able
to target the specific response in any of the 14 meridians (each
meridian is associated with a characteristic set of emotional and
behavioral themes) allows the techniques of energy psychology to be
applied to a wide range of psychological problems.
Many healers, ancient and modern, register
the body’s energies through their senses, seeing them as colors of
varying intensity, texture, and movement, palpably feeling them,
sometimes even hearing, smelling, or tasting them.
Various approaches have been developed for assisting
practitioners who do not have this gift (a form of synesthesia—the
phenomenon where, for instance, a person hears color or tastes sound) to
nonetheless work with subtle energies. In traditional Chinese medicine,
practitioners study many years to learn how to read the subtle pulses
that reveal, in great detail, the condition of the body’s energy system.
Each meridian has its own pulsation. Reading the pulses accurately is an
art that requires the development of an exquisite sensitivity.
Energy psychology is indebted to the field of
applied kinesiology for having developed a method by which
practitioners can readily learn how to assess the flow of meridian
energy. The procedure is called "muscle testing" or "energy checking."
Energy checking is based on the way the
energies of specific meridians affect specific muscles.
An energy check is a procedure for evaluating the
flow within a meridian by gauging the relative firmness when pressure is
applied to a muscle that is affected by that meridian.
At first glance, some therapists have
assumed that energy checking picks up on unconscious processes rather
than energy flow in the meridians. Energy checking has been
likened,
for instance, to the ideomotor response in hypnosis, in which the
muscle’s reaction provides information that the conscious mind cannot
access.
But energy checking appears to also detect the
effects of stress and other factors on specific energy systems,
independent of the person’s unconscious thoughts and attitudes.
Distinctions between unconscious processes and the
flow of the meridian energies are, ultimately, artificial. Just as the
activities of the various organs are linked to unconscious processes (an
increased heart rate might reflect underlying anger and it might also predispose a
person toward anger), the meridian energies and unconscious processes
are also integrally related.
A number of empirical
investigations into the validity and reliability of
energy checking support the efficacy of the procedure. For
instance, a well-controlled study
comparing energy checking with measurements on computerized
instruments has shown the difference in muscle firmness
as the client made congruent or non-congruent statements
to be significant at a .001 level of confidence (Monti,
et. al, 1999).
The research evidence supporting energy checking,
however, while growing, is still scientifically inconclusive. Another
source of support for the efficacy of energy checking is found in the
reports of a number of practitioners who are purportedly able to "see"
or "feel" subtle energies. One of the two primary consultants to this
program, Donna Eden, has this ability to clairvoyantly read the body’s
energies. She reports having "seen" exact correspondences between the
meridian energies and the results of energy checks thousands of times
while observing her students.
The claims of other healers and clairvoyants who
offer medical and psychological diagnoses based on their reading of the
body’s energies have been validated in clinical and laboratory settings.
In a
study
of one of the most famous
modern "medical intuitives," Caroline Myss, for instance, Myss’s
diagnosis of 50 patients, with whom she had no physical contact (she was
simply told their name and date of birth), matched a physician’s
diagnosis of the patient in 93 percent of the cases. In research
conducted over a 20-year period at UCLA by
Valerie Hunt,
the reports of
people sensitive to subtle energies corroborated one another, and also
corresponded to readings from standard instruments for measuring
galvanic skin response, brain waves, blood pressure, heartbeat, and
muscle contraction.
This module reviews the basic principles of
energy checking, and it provides enough fundamentals that you will be
able to begin to practice and experiment with the technique.
Because treatment choices are often based in part on
the results of energy checking and the procedure requires a delicate
sensitivity, hands-on training and/or supervised practice in this method
is advised before applying energy checking in a professional setting.
Both are readily available. Further instruction in energy checking
can be found in Eden’s Energy Medicine (Chapter 2) and Gallo’s
Energy Diagnostic and Treatment Methods (Chapter 3). The classic
technical text isMuscles: Testing and Function
by Florence Kendall and Elizabeth McCreary.
You are now at a choice point in the program. While
you have not yet learned how to perform an energy check, you do know
enough about the procedure that you could proceed to the next module and
return later to develop a facility in energy checking. Depending on your
learning style and goals for this time through the program, particularly
whether you desire an overview or intend to thoroughly learn how to
conduct each of the component treatment procedures, you may:
A general indicator muscle is a muscle used
in an energy check to gauge the overall state of the meridian system,
based on the relative firmness of the muscle under different conditions.
Although each muscle is associated with a specific meridian and can be
used to check the energies of that meridian, a general indicator
muscle is also sensitive to changes in the overall meridian system.
You will learn three energy checks in this module that utilize general
indicator muscles.
AN ENERGY CHECK WITH THE ARM EXTENDED OUT FROM THE BODY
NOTE:
Before doing an energy check with a new person, obtain explicit
permission and determine that there are no problems with the client’s
arm, neck, shoulder, or upper back that would make an application of
pressure to the indicator muscle contraindicated.
Stand facing the
client with either of the client’s arms extended and
parallel to the floor, hand open, palm down.
Place yourself
somewhat off to the client’s side so as not to be in close
contact with the client’s "energy field."
Lightly rest
your open hand just below (shoulder side of) the client’s
wrist.
Press gradually
for approximately 1½ to 2 seconds to determine if there is a
"bounce." Even if the arm gives in slightly to the pressure,
if it immediately bounces back to its original position, the
muscle has stayed firm.
The practitioner may place his or her other hand on the client’s opposite shoulder to steady the
client as pressure is applied. This can also create a stronger energetic
circuit between the client and the practitioner. If this seems intrusive
or in any other way makes the client uncomfortable, it is not essential.
Asking the client if it is okay to place your hand on his or her
shoulder is, however, often enough to prevent discomfort.
AN ENERGY CHECK WITH THE ARM DOWN TO THE SIDE OF THE BODY
From Energy
Medicine Drawing by Brooks Garten
1. Client stands
with an arm firm against the side, elbow straight, and side
of thumb against the side of the leg.
2. Practitioner
places two or more fingers between the leg and the arm, just
above the wrist.
3. Practitioner
pulls away from the body gradually for approximately 1½ to 2
seconds to determine if there is a "bounce." Again, even if
the arm gives in slightly to the pressure, if it immediately
bounces back to its original position, the muscle has stayed
firm.
The practitioner may, when checking the
latisimus dorsi muscle, place his or her other hand on the same shoulder as the arm being
checked to steady the client as pressure is applied and to create a
better energetic circuit. Again, if this feels intrusive or in any way
makes the client uncomfortable, it is not essential, and asking the
client’s permission first is often enough to prevent discomfort.
The O-Ring Test
does not use an arm muscle. The subject makes an "O" with either hand by
touching the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger.
The practitioner places the second and
third fingers of each hand into the O and tries to separate
the client’s thumb and finger. A slight separation with a
subsequent lock indicates that the muscle held firm.
If the thumb and little finger separate
in situations in which the indicator muscle should stay firm
(e.g., while the client says, "My name is [actual name]"),
use the index finger instead of the little finger as the
index finger has more strength.
To "calibrate an indicator muscle" is to determine the optimal amount of
pressure the practitioner should apply to distinguish whether the
indicator muscle has remained firm or lost its firmness. You want to
find the minimum amount of pressure to reliably make the distinction.
This can be done with a statement such as, "I am wearing a green
shirt," where the truth of the statement is obvious to both parties.
Immediately after the statement has been made, perform the energy check.
If it is a true
statement, the indicator muscle will generally stay firm and the
pressure needed to determine the presence of that firmness can
be gauged.
If it is a false
statement, the indicator muscle will generally lose its
firmness, and the pressure needed to determine that the muscle
has lost its firmness can similarly be gauged.
Several true and several false statements may be used to confirm the
calibration.
The primary reason for "false negatives" and
"false positives" during an energy check in which both parties know the
"correct response" is
neurological disorganization, which will be addressed in the
following module. Another common reason, with inexperienced
practitioners, is that pressure is applied before the client is ready.
Don’t jump the gun. Wait until the client has completed the statement
and is clearly ready for you to begin applying pressure.
Practice Session 1:
Gaining An Initial Feel For Energy Checking
NOTE ABOUT PRACTICE SESSIONS
Integrated throughout Energy Psychology Interactive are
"practice sessions" that provide a space in which skills that have
just been described can be practiced by applying them with a
colleague. Depending on convenience, your learning preferences, and
your goals for the program, these practice sessions can be
completed:
as they come
up in the module
after you
have completed the module
not until a
second run through the program
Energy Psychology Interactive also lends
itself well to an ongoing study group. Two or more clinicians may go
through the program independently, a module at a time, and then meet
to discuss the principles presented in that unit and practice the
techniques it presents.
If a partner is not available, there is still
value in going through the practice sessions vividly in your
imagination.
The reason to practice at this point is
simply so you have an initial feel for performing an energy check as you
learn more about the procedure. While in most of the practice sessions
it is recommended that you do the session with a colleague, since
psychological issues can arise that might put you into an unintended
therapist role with a friend or family member, this is not a concern for
the three practice sessions in this module. After you have chosen a
practice partner:
Select one of the three energy checks to begin:
arm parallel to the ground and out to the side
arm straight down side of body
thumb and little
finger or index finger forming a circle
Make sure there is no contraindication for using the arm, such as
an injury or sprain.
Gradually apply pressure for 1½ to 2
seconds to see if there is a "bounce."
If the muscle does not stay firm, have
the person tap with all five fingers the center of his or
her chest several times. This will usually make the muscle
firm. If it does not, lead the person through the
3 Thumps/3 Navel Touch. If after this the person’s
muscle still does not become firm, use one of the other
two energy checks.
Once you have a firm indicator muscle,
have the person say, "I am wearing [something actually
being worn]." Energy check. The muscle should stay firm.
Then have the person say, "I am wearing [something not
being worn]." Energy check. This should give you a
differential between the muscle staying firm and losing
its firmness. If it does not, return to this practice
session after you have corrected for neurological
disorganization in the next module.
Stand facing the client with either of
the client’s arms extended straight out from the side of
the body and parallel to the floor.
Place yourself somewhat off to the
client’s side so as to not be in close contact with the
client’s "energy field."
Lightly rest
your open hand just below (shoulder side of) the client’s
wrist.
Press gradually
for approximately 1½ to 2 seconds to determine if there is a
"bounce." Even if the arm gives in slightly to the pressure,
if it immediately bounces back to its original position, the
muscle has stayed firm.
From Energy
Medicine Drawing by Brooks Garten
Latisimus Dorsi
Client stands with an arm firm against
the side, elbow straight, and side of thumb against the
side of the leg.
Practitioner places two fingers between
the leg and the arm, just above the wrist.
Practitioner pulls away from the body
gradually for approximately 1-1/2 to 2 seconds to
determine if there is a "bounce.
From Energy
Medicine Drawing by Brooks Garten
The O-Ring Test
does not use an arm muscle. The subject makes an "O" with either hand by
touching the tip of the thumb to the tip of the little finger.
The practitioner places the second and
third fingers of each hand into the O and tries to separate
the client’s thumb and finger. A slight separation with a
subsequent lock indicates that the muscle held firm.
If the thumb and little finger separate
in situations in which the indicator muscle should stay firm
(e.g., while the client says, "My name is [actual name]"),
use the index finger instead of the little finger as the
index finger has more strength.
Basic Physical
Considerations Prior to an Energy Check:
That no strains or injuries on the arm being used
might be further injured by the energy check or interfere with the
process.
That client and practitioner be adequately
hydrated. Just as neurological disorganization can distort the
results of an energy check, so can a lack of hydration. Water should
be available so that neither the client nor the practitioner is even
slightly thirsty.
That the client does not hold his or her breath
during the energy check.
That jewelry such as metal necklaces, bracelets,
metal-rimmed eyeglasses, metal belt buckles, and battery operated
devices including quartz watches, pagers, or cell phones do not
interfere with the process. If you suspect that they are, you can
either remove them altogether or confirm the suspicion with energy
checks in their presence and their absence.
That both the practitioner and the client are
well-grounded.
If the practitioner and the client simultaneously
take a deep breath and exhale just prior to the energy check, this tends
to increase their energetic rapport.
Eye contact between client and practitioner can
interfere with the energy check.
The client’s eyes can be directed away from the
practitioner, to the left or right, to avoid distraction, or the
practitioner can step to the side while the client looks straight
ahead. Although some practitioners have clients direct their gaze
downward, if you are checking for emotions, having the eyes cast
down can throw off the test, particularly with people who are highly
kinesthetic.
The practitioner’s eyes should not be directly on
the client, as this may be inhibiting.
Smiling or laughing can also interfere with the
outcome of the test.
The practitioner might say "Meet my
pressure" the first few times immediately prior to applying pressure, or
"Push up while I push down" (arm extending out from body), or "Hold in
while I pull out" (arm by side or O-ring test). After energy checking is
established, simply saying "hold" before applying pressure is usually
adequate.
If unsure, the practitioner might ask the
client what he or she experienced. Rather than invalidating the results,
verbal feedback further involves the client while helping to calibrate
the energy check.
ITEMS TO ADDRESS WHEN EXPLAINING ENERGY CHECKING
TO A NEW
CLIENT
The way that psychological problems have an
energy dimension can be further discussed at this point.
Energy checking is a way of assessing how
psychological problems impact people on an energetic level. It gives
a way for both the therapist and the client to track changes as the
treatment proceeds.
The client will be asked to think about certain
issues or events while touching specific points as the energies are
checked. This helps to determine which energetic treatments are
needed to address the psychological problem.
Very little physical touch is actually required in the practice of
energy-based psychotherapy, and practitioners vary widely in the amount
of physical contact they use. The client can be instructed to stimulate
most of the treatment points. Some contact, however, is necessary to
perform an energy check.
Always obtain explicit verbal consent before touching a client and
remain sensitive to and discuss any issues the client may have about
physical touch. Simply asking permission is usually all that is
necessary.
Addressing the issue of touch in your
informed consent form may be advisable for therapists who use an
energy-based approach. Practitioners also need to look into any
restrictions regarding physical contact that are imposed by their
licensing board or insurance carrier.
You are accessing the innate intelligence of the
body.
Energy checking is a partnership, not a contest.
You are seeking information. Let your curiosity
lead you. Stay clear of opinions about what the outcome should be or
will be. Desire only to stay centered and obtain accurate
information.
Basic Physical Considerations Prior to an Energy Check:
That no strains or injuries on the arm being used
might be further injured by the energy check or interfere with the
process.
That client and practitioner be adequately
hydrated. Just as neurological disorganization can distort the
results of an energy check, so can a lack of hydration. Water should
be available so that neither the client nor the practitioner is even
slightly thirsty.
That the client does not hold his or her breath
during the energy check.
That jewelry such as metal necklaces, bracelets,
metal-rimmed eyeglasses, metal belt buckles, and battery operated
devices including quartz watches, pagers, or cell phones do not
interfere with the process. If you suspect that they are, you can
either remove them altogether or confirm the suspicion with energy
checks in their presence and their absence.
That both the practitioner and the client are
well-grounded.
Eye contact between client and practitioner can
interfere with the energy check.
The client’s eyes can be directed away from the
practitioner, to the left or right, to avoid distraction, or the
practitioner can step to the side while the client looks straight
ahead. Although some practitioners have clients direct their gaze
downward, if you are checking for emotions, having the eyes cast
down can throw off the test, particularly with people who are highly
kinesthetic.
The practitioner’s eyes should not be directly on
the client, as this may be inhibiting.
Smiling or laughing can also interfere with the
quality of the test.
"Meet my pressure" the first
few times immediately prior to applying pressure or "Push up while I
push down," or for the test with the arm by the side (Latisimus dorsi),
"Hold in while I pull out."
After energy checking is
established, simply saying "hold" before applying pressure is usually
adequate.
The client might be instructed to say:
"Ready" or "okay" to signal
that he or she is ready for the practitioner to check the muscle.
If unsure about the results,
the practitioner might ask the client what he or she experienced.
You are accessing the innate intelligence of the
body.
Energy checking is a partnership, not a contest.
You are seeking information. Let your curiosity
lead you. Stay clear of opinions about what the outcome should be or
will be. Desire only to stay centered and obtain accurate
information.
Although what you say will depend upon the
client and the client’s familiarity with an energy based approach to
psychological problems, the following items should, in one way or
another, be addressed:
The way that psychological problems have an
energy dimension can be further discussed at this point.
Energy checking is a way of assessing how
psychological problems impact people on an energetic level, and it
gives a way for both the therapist and the client to track changes
as the treatment proceeds.
The client will be asked to think about certain
issues or events while touching specific points as the energies are
checked. This helps to determine which energetic treatments are
needed to address the psychological problem.
POSSIBLE STEPS WHEN AN INDICATOR MUSCLE
IS CONSISTENTLY STRONG
If the client is trying too hard, explain that
together you are simply assessing whether the energy is flowing
through the muscle, not testing muscle strength, and it is not
necessary or desirable to engage other muscles or to put one’s full
strength into resisting.
The practitioner or the client lightly
pinchesthe skin on the "belly" (center)
of the indicator muscle, parallel with the length of
the arm, several times (this is called the "spindle
cell releasing maneuver").
The pinchsignals to the nervous system that
the muscle is overcontracted,
and a message is sent back to "switch off"
the muscle, releasing the constriction.
for middle deltoid ("arm straight out" check), pinch at the top
of the arm (just beyond shoulder curve)
for latisimus dorsi ("arm at side" check), pinch the back
muscles about four inches above the waist
for the O-ring test (thumb-little finger), pinch the bottom of
palm below the little finger
Releasing Middle Deltoid
Releasing Latisimus Dorsi
Consider checking for neurological disorganization
(see next module).
POSSIBLE STEPS WHEN AN INDICATOR MUSCLE
STAYS WEAK
UNDER CONDITIONS THAT SHOULD STRENGTHEN IT:
Have the client take a few deep breaths.
The practitioner or the client stretches
the skin above and below the "belly" (center)
of the indicator muscle, parallel with the length of
the arm, several times (this is called the "spindle
cell strengthening maneuver") .
The stretch signals
to the nervous system that the muscle is undercontracted,
and a message is sent back to "switch on"
the muscle, so it will hold firm.
for middle deltoid ("arm straight out" check), stretch at the
top of the arm (just beyond shoulder curve)
for latisimus dorsi ("arm at the side" check), stretch back
muscles about four inches above the waist
for the O-ring test (thumb-little finger), stretch the bottom of
the palm below the little finger
Strengthening Middle Deltoid
Strengthening Latisimus Dorsi
Have the client tap directly under the eyes
(stomach-1), four inches under the armpits (spleen-21), under the
collarbones next to the chest bone (kidney-27), and over the thymus.
Hold one hand on the forehead while with the other
hand rubbing any sore spots on the chest.
Consider checking for neurological disorganization
(see next module).
After explaining the energy checking
procedure and determining that there are no physical
contraindications to using the indicator muscle, perform
an energy check "in the clear," using the
middle deltoid
, latismus dorsi ,
or O-ring
energy checks. Strengthen if weak (a simple procedure
is to tap the "Tarzan" spot on the chest,
over the thymus gland; more elaborate is the 3 Thumps/3
Navel Hold) or find a different indicator muscle that
checks strong.
Lightly pinch or have the client pinch
the skin on the "belly"
(center) of the indicator muscle several times (the
spindle cell releasing maneuver) .
Energy check. This shows the client and the practitioner
how the muscle responds when it has lost its strength.
Note: If the muscle stays firm,
check for neurological disorganization (see next module).
Stretch or have the client stretch
the skin above and below the "belly"
(center) of the muscle several times (the spindle cell
strengthening maneuver) .
This directs energy back to the muscle and shows the
client and the practitioner how the muscle responds
when it is maintaining its strength.
Note: If the muscle does not stay firm,
check for neurological disorganization (see next module).
Just prior to an energy check, ask
the client to relax, be open, and allow whatever physical
response occurs when you say, "Show me, what is
a ‘yes.’" Energy check.
Repeat, this time saying, "Show
me, what is a ‘no.’"
Further calibrate the muscle by having
the client make true statements and false statements
where both practitioner and client know which is which
(e.g., "The walls in this room are painted blue").
Ask, "Do I have permission to work with [client’s name] today?"
(Note: Asking a question
of this nature is, like the ideomotor response in hypnosis,
essentially an inquiry into the person’s conscious and
unconscious beliefs and attitudes; energy checks in
the contexts you will be using later are believed to
directly assess the effects of physical and emotional
stress on specific energy systems, independent of the
person’s thoughts or attitudes. Some practitioners feel
that the energy checking procedure should be limited
to the latter kind of assessment, since introducing
a verbal question so strongly engages the beliefs and
expectations of the client as well as of the practitioner.)
The eight steps presented for qualifying an
indicator muscle can act as guidelines while learning to do an energy
check. As you become more experienced, you will begin to take shortcuts,
using some of the procedures only when you sense they are necessary.
Now put it all together. With another person
role-playing the client, go through the preparation phase (physical
considerations, signals, eye position, internal attitudes, words you use
to introduce the client to the energy checking--or
Review)
and qualify an indicator muscle (or
Review).
Jump to the Next Module:
