The Neurological Foundations of Energy Psychology
Brain Scan Changes During 4 Weeks of Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
12 Sessions Combining Manual Acupoint Stimulation and Image Activation
1. Normal (Ideal) Profile | 2. GAD Before Treatment |
3. After 4 Tapping Sessions | 4. After 8 Tapping Sessions | 5. After 12 Sessions |
They were graciously provided by Joaquín Andrade, M.D.
Blue | normal ratio of wave frequencies (according to databases) |
Turq. | slightly dysfunctional ratio |
Pink | moderately dysfunctional ratio |
Red | highly dysfunctional ratio of wave frequencies |
DISCUSSION
As the wave frequencies shifted toward normal levels (from red to blue) in the central and front areas of the brain, the symptoms of anxiety decreased in both their intensity and their frequency. Similar sequences of images and symptom reduction were also typical of other patients with generalized anxiety disorder who received energy-based treatments.
Patients who were successfully treated with what has been the standard therapy for generalized anxiety disorder (Cognitive Behavior Therapy, combined with medication as needed), showed a similar progression in their brain scans during the pilot study in South America discussed below. But it took more sessions to achieve the improvements. And more importantly, on one-year follow-up, the brain wave ratios following the Cognitive Behavior Therapy protocol were more likely to have returned to their pre-treatment levels than they were for the patients who received the energy treatments.
An interesting tangent from this study was in the comparison between patients whose primary treatment was anti-anxiety medication and patients whose primary treatment involved stimulating energy points while holding anxiety-provoking images. Both groups enjoyed a reduction of symptoms. But the brain scans for the medication group did not show noticeable changes in the wave patterns, even though the symptoms of anxiety were reduced while the drug was being taken. This suggests that the medication was suppressing the symptoms without addressing the underlying wave frequency imbalances.