EFT

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Not to get into a debate but science is very relevant in the practical and physical world, but there are many things it can't measure, I don't think the current body of knowledge is able to explain EFT so they just dismiss it. But it works. War Veterans with 20 years of PTSD have the pain removed from an awful memory in 2 minutes, that's amazing. The results cannot be disputed. I think it's actually cruel to dismiss this purely because of a scientic objection.

The science is well understood. The mind does have a lot of power to heal it's own body; basically anything that can convince you you'll be cured has a pretty good chance of actually curing you. But this goes for EVERYTHING, there's nothing special about any of these cures.

I'm fully aware of the limits of science. But mental health issues in general and autism/asperger's specifically are targets of all manner of quackery. Because of this propensity to attract scheisters, I approach anything with sweeping claims with a large dose of skepticism.

The problem is the claim regarding EFT appears to be is that it always works on everything as long as you BELIEVE in it. I just can't go there.

(as an aside, I am not an atheist, nor do I consider belief a delusional state by default)

That's what I have thought for a while - When I'm anxious I tend to rub certain points that I later found out are all associated accupressure points for stress/anxiety...

Stimming does definitely bring relief doesn't it so I can see that now.

:jester:

Cynicism has nothing to do with a logical or a "scientific" approach.

The proponents of EFT don't really make "sweeping claims" nor "claims to cure everything" as some implied in this thread. They simply say try it, on everything because it can't hurt and may well benefit you. It costs nothing and takes very little time. They also specifically say that belief has nothing whatsoever to do with EFT. You don't have to believe for it to work. So most of the objections raised so far in this thread are not really legitimate.

There are many people who have tried it on all sorts of problems and ailments and have reported gaining relief. You don't have to believe them. There is no need for faith, just an open mind.

Also, with regard to a scientific explanation of why EFT works - it is irrelevant in so far as understanding exactly how and why it works has no bearing on whether or not it works. It works whether you understand it or not, or whatever explanation you may accept for it, in much the same way as hitting a light switch is going to turn a light on. You don't have to know all about electricity for it to work. Therefore it would be monumentally silly for someone to refuse to consider a free, simple, painless technique because they had already closed their mind to the possibility that it might work because they don't understand how it could work.

Unfortunately this is exactly how many people think. That's fine. It's up to them. What irritates me is when such people try to act as if their cynical position is somehow logical and "scientific", when that is far from the case.

How is this (from the opening post) NOT sweeping claim:








Somebody offered me LSD once. Try it, they said. It will be fine.



You can't be serious. This is the best argument that you can offer? Try it because it's free? I don't have to know how it works or why? What a load of crap. This world is over flowing with scams and rip offs and I'm supposed to trust some post on an internet forum WITHOUT looking at it skeptically?



Unfortunately, you're a perfect example of people NOT thinking. What irritates me is that because I show skepticism, you get high and mighty instead of offering anything that might assuage that skepticism.

EFT is junk science unless you can demonstrate otherwise. I doubt you can make such a demonstration. I doubt further that you will even try.

Can someone give me a brief explanation of what this is? I don't want to go on a scavenger hunt to figure out what EFT is and how it works.

I'm quite skeptical of this notion as well, but like others have said, there's no harm in trying.

Thanks for the good gesture.

Btw wavefreak58, I'm rather certain at this point that you are the only one whom shares your perspective. Others who've scoffed at EFT have not gone to the great lengths to disprove it as you have. While your efforts are impressive, your intentions are questionable. This was a kind gesture made by someone of whom this "junk science" worked for. It doesn't matter if it's all in their head or not. Who do you think you're trying to save?

I value your opinions here as much as anyone else, but I think you've worn out your welcome in this thread.

And if you're not willing to be an adult about this post, then I invite you to consider me as 'stupid' as the people that EFT has 'helped'. I'm just as skeptical about it as you are, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway. When I'm done, I'll post the results here. I invite you to do the same, unless you're as afraid of being proven wrong as I think you are.

He's not making "claims". He is reporting his own experience. He's not insisting that it would have this effect on everyone. He is saying "this was my experience" and his suggestion is "try it" because it might prove helpful. Surely you understand the difference?




Comparing tapping gently on certain parts of the body around seven times in sequence to LSD is, frankly, absurd.



You don't have to know how it works for it to work, was the point that was made. That is simply a fact. Whether you try it or not I really don't care. You appear to think tapping gently is equivalent to LSD and that a free technique can somehow be a possible "scam" and a "rip off", neither of which reasonable positions, IMO. so I doubt I'd be able to persuade someone who thinks like that of anything. nor is that my intention. Who said you had to "trust" anyone? I didn't. No one else has. In fact I explicitly said otherwise. Do the research yourself. But at present you are making comments in ignorance.



Nonsense. You've shown closed minded cynicism, not healthy skepticism. You began with this comment

"Anything that purports to cure everything often cures nothing."

Who claimed it "cures everything"? No one, this is your own straw man.

You then said:

"mental health issues in general and autism/asperger's specifically are targets of all manner of quackery. Because of this propensity to attract scheisters, I approach anything with sweeping claims with a large dose of skepticism. The problem is the claim regarding EFT appears to be is that it always works on everything as long as you BELIEVE in it. I just can't go there."

No, you are wrong about this, those who developed EFT make it perfectly clear that "faith" or "belief" is not involve or required. But you appear to have already made your judgement without properly investigating it and are throwing around all sort of pejoratives and negative - as well as factually incorrect - statements.

Quote:

EFT is junk science unless you can demonstrate otherwise. I doubt you can make such a demonstration. I doubt further that you will even try.

I think this demonstrates your prejudice. Guilty until proven innocent? The rational and unbiased position would be to say that you are undecided and don't have enough information to make a sound judgement yet, rather than conclude it's "junk science". The "demonstration" I'd suggest people access is personal experience, as the OP did. Try the techniques and see if they make any difference. If they work for you, great, and you can tell yourself whatever story you like as to why it has worked.

I think you were right when you said previously "I guess I'm too old and cynical."

If we can bring this back to reality, we're talking about a quick, simple, painless, safe and free technique involving tapping very gently on certain parts of the body in sequence, while focusing on the problem being addressed, either mental or physical.

Many people report that doing so brings them relief from all sorts of problems, from war veterans suffering crippling anxiety through PTSD to people suffering all sorts of physical ailments. I watched my mother totally eliminate chronic psoriasis from many parts of her body over a period of a month to the amazement of her doctors, using only EFT. So, like the OP I tend to think It's probably worth a try. There is literally nothing to lose. How many of us unthinkingly pay for and take all sorts of prescription drugs on trust, knowing little to nothing of their chemistry, their function in the body, or their possible dangers? Yet when it comes to some safe, gentle, drug free tapping technique we suddenly want to see peer reviewed papers on it before we even consider it?

It would be ridiculous, IMO, for someone to avoid something so simple which could potentially bring them relief just because they have trouble believing it could work or because they insist on knowing exactly if, how or why it works before they try it.

But, "it takes all sorts", I suppose.

I read the skeptic's version of it first, unfortunately. It says it uses the placebo effect to create change.

But what people don't seem to realize is that the placebo effect actually works.

I mean, you hear about it all the time. Ever hear that story where someone got drunk off non-alcoholic beer? What about that guy who had a crazy trip from mushrooms his friends bought at the grocery store? If the brain believes something is happening, it'll jump right in and start doing what it needs to do to heal, 'placebo effect' or not.

Maybe it's just the realization that something so painless and simple can actually help that makes people who are anal about analyzing things unable to accept the simplicity of it all.

If you look at the first post with the link to the EFT manual, that is really all you need to know about what it is and how it works.

To Everyone
I never meant for this to become a heated debate with lots of attacking and justifying mental positions. If you have closed yourself to EFT then I wish you then best of luck with whatever approach you do take in making your life happier. If you have found out about EFT by reading some of this thread then I wish you best of luck with it. All I can say is that it worked for me and I am much happier as a result.

Of course it works. Except when it doesn't. That's the strange thing about the placebo effect. It only works when you DON"T KNOW it's a placebo. Just KNOWING that it is junk science makes EFT not work because it removes the placebo form the equation. The mind is such a powerful thing that all it takes is a little research to render something like EFT impotent.

Recognizing the power of the mind and abandoning placebos is is surely a better approach. Why wrap up your own capacity for self healing in psycho babble? Just use your mind. Isn't that what aspies do best?




How is it that EFT gets a pass on this forum? Autism Speaks is vilified for even seeking a 'cure', this comes along saying it can fix everything that ails you except that actual autism itself and I am suddenly anal and closed minded. Anything else that comes to this forum with even a whiff of quackery about it is pounced upon and trashed, sometimes resulting in banning and deleted threads. But EFT is somehow sacrosanct?

How is being cautious about things that promote 'cures' being anal and closed minded? Especially things found on the internet? Who is the fool? The one that blindly accpets what they are told or the one that spends a little effort doing due diligence? It took me two seconds to Google EFT and the SCAM was in the majority of the top returns. (Cue the conspiracy theory about suppression EFT by the medical establishment by skewing the search engines).

And since when is looking at things objectively equivalent to a closed mind? If all it takes is a single Google search to throw EFT into question, why is it ME that has the closed mind and not those that refuse to look at the evidence?

You can chase rainbows all you want. If it works for you, fine. But don't insult the intelligence of others with holier than thou blather defended with nothing more than 'you are closed minded and anal'.

Excuse me mate but did you actually read my previous post?

Excuse me, but was this a response to your last post?