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Copyright © 2005 by Carol Ann Rowland Zensight™ - Trademark held by Rowland Zenergyworks Incorporated, 2005 All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. Contact: Carol Ann Rowland:
[email protected] or tel. 905-691-0330
An Important Important Note: The The techniques, techniques, processes, processes, ideas and and suggestions suggestions in this this book are not not intended as a substitute for the recommendations of physicians, mental health professionals, professionals, or other other health-care health-care providers. providers. Any application application of of the techniques, techniques, processes, processes, ideas and suggestions suggestions in this book book are meant meant to be done done in conjunction conjunction with advice from a professional, as appropriate.
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Copyright © 2005 by Carol Ann Rowland Zensight™ - Trademark held by Rowland Zenergyworks Incorporated, 2005 All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission of the author. Contact: Carol Ann Rowland:
[email protected] or tel. 905-691-0330
An Important Important Note: The The techniques, techniques, processes, processes, ideas and and suggestions suggestions in this this book are not not intended as a substitute for the recommendations of physicians, mental health professionals, professionals, or other other health-care health-care providers. providers. Any application application of of the techniques, techniques, processes, processes, ideas and suggestions suggestions in this book book are meant meant to be done done in conjunction conjunction with advice from a professional, as appropriate.
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Contents Acknowledgements…v Foreword…vii Preface…x Chapter 1: An Introduction to Zensight…1 The Healing Symbol… 2 Chapter 2: Zensight Basics… 4 Visual Method of Healing… 5 Verbal Method of Healing… 6 “I heal” Statements… 6 Open-Ended Statements… 7 Creating Zensight Statements… 8 Closing Statements… 9 Installing Positives… 10 Installing Positives with Visualization…10 Installing Positives through Verbal Statements…12 Psychological Reversal…12 Getting “Into the Flow” With Zensight… 13 Case Study: Sarah… 13 Letting Intuition Guide the Process… 15 In Summary… 16 Chapter 3: Addressing Energetic Imbalances… 17 Homolateral Energy… 17 The Triple Warmer Meridian…19 Balancing the Chakras… 22 Chakra Healing Statements… 23 Figure 1 – The 7 Main Chakras… 24 The Energy Grids… 25 Chapter 4: Moving Into Your Power…29 Enhancing Your Ability to “Move into Your Power”…29 Chapter 5: Transforming Core Beliefs…33 Examples of Core Beliefs…33 Core Beliefs about Self… 33 Core Beliefs about Others… 34 Core Beliefs about the World… 34 Core Beliefs about “Rules”… 34 Healing and Transforming Core Beliefs… 35
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Chapter 6: Transforming Programming… 38 Healing “Trauma Bond” Programming… 40 Healing Programming through Visualization… 42 Chapter 7: Healing Your Relationships…43 Choosing Relationships to Heal… 43 Relationship Healing Statements… 44 Releasing Connections to Those Who Have Caused Harm… 45 The Question of Forgiveness… 46 Other Kinds of Relationship Healing… 47 Chapter 8: Healing Past Experiences of Trauma…48 Big-T Traumas… 48 Small-t Traumas… 49 Dealing With Trauma… 49 The Traditional Approach… 49 New Modalities… 51 The Zensight Difference… 52 Processing Trauma with Zensight… 53 Trauma Healing Statements… 55 Healing Trauma with Visualization… 56 Case Study: Healing Trauma from Infancy… 58 When Multiple Traumas are Present… 59 Chapter 9: Working with Parts of Self… 62 Identifying When to Work with Parts of Self… 63 How to Work with Parts of Self… 65 Healing the Relationships between Parts of Self… 65 Healing Relationships Bidirectionally… 66 Working with Introject Parts of Self… 67 Other Strategies to Use with Parts of Self… 68 Case Studies: Sarah… 69 Rachel… 70 Chapter 10: Addressing Physical Concerns with Zensight… 76 Case Study: Verity… 76 Addressing the Whole Picture… 78 Healing the Issues Surrounding Physical Concerns… 79 Chapter 11: Addressing “Levels of Consciousness”…82 Use of Zensight to Raise Levels of Consciousness… 83 Applications of Raising Levels of Consciousness… 85
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Chapter 12: Additional Suggestions …86 Using Zensight with Children... 86 Combining Zensight with Other Modalities… 87 Chapter 13: Envisioning a New Future…88 Appendix … 90 Zensight Closing Statements… 90 Zensight Outline… 91 Zensight Relationship Healing… 92 Zensight Trauma Healing… 93 Resources… 94 References… 95 Useful Links… 95 About the Author… 96
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Acknowledgements I would like to acknowledge the many different techniques and modalities that have influenced the creation of the Zensight. With Zensight I have combined together some of the best aspects of a variety of different healing techniques. These include Larry Nim’s Be Set Free Fast (BSFF); Donna Eden’s Energy Medicine; Francine Shapiro’s Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR); ego state therapy; April Steele’s Imaginal Nurturing; Tapas Fleming’s Tapas Accupressure Technique (TAT); and Andrew Leed’s Resource Development and Installation EMDR protocols. Readers familiar with Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) will also notice many similarities with that body of work. While NLP has not been part of my own training and background, it is my understanding that Francine Shapiro (creator of EMDR) has a background in NLP and this is likely where that influence has arrived from. I wish to acknowledge Linda Chapman who is my good friend and mentor, and who provided endless support, feedback and encouragement as during the creation of Zensight. Linda offers psychotherapy, Reiki and Healing Touch in Oklahoma City, and is proficient with Zensight. You can learn more about Linda at www.helpokc.com. I also wish to thank Sophie Merle, for her provision of support, motivation, and inspiration during the creation of Zensight and who constantly encouraged me to move forward with bringing awareness of my work into the public eye. Sophie Merle has been instrumental in furthering knowledge and awareness about a number of energy healing techniques, including Zensight. Sophie is a bestselling author of Feng Shui books, and has published a number of French language books about EFT. As well as her role as an author, Sophie is a bilingual energy coach who speaks both French and English, and who uses Zensight and other highly effective modalities in her practice. You can learn more about Sophie Merle at www.sophiemerle.com or purchase All About Love, her book of 22 Zensight self-healing protocols that target a wide range of relationship concerns, at www.zensightprocess-all-about-love-healing.com. Thank you also to Kat King (www.affirmedia.com), Sue Fraser (www.frasercounselling.com), Richard Ross (www.emotionalfreedom.com), Barbara McKell (www.soulconnection.ca), Diana Tikasz, and Sandy Therry. Each of these individuals are powerful therapists and/or healers whose work I heartily endorse, and whose support and feedback assisted in the writing of this book. Each of them have been incredible supports for me in my own journey both personally and professionally, and have had valuable roles in assisting me with this work. A special thanks to my husband and life partner Kevin, for all of his support, as well as the many therapists, healers and colleagues who have assisted me on my own healing and professional journeys while teaching me, through instruction and example, how wonderful energy work can be. I also would like to thank the many clients and listserve members who have allowed me to be part of their own journeys.
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Thank you to Linda Greenway for her unwavering friendship, support and encouragement through some of the happiest times of my life as well as some of the hardest times. Last but not least, I would like to thank Grant Connolly for having recognized in me the qualities of developer and creator, that I had not yet seen myself, and for encouraging me to take the steps that I needed to, to move into my power. As a result of his encouragement to move forward, Zensight was born. Carol Ann Rowland, MSW, RSW
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Foreword My road to creating Zensight was less than straightforward. A clinical social worker trained through the usual channels – a nice, respectable Master of Social Work degree from the rather traditional University of Toronto – and ten years of employment in the medical world of the McMaster University site of Hamilton Health Sciences – I did not anticipate that my work would ever enter into what most consider to be the “alternative” realm of therapies. Although I grew up in a family that embraced alternative healing practices, I also experienced trauma in relation to energy work when growing up. As a result of this trauma, rather than feeling drawn to “energy work” and practices which resembled energy work, I instead felt a strong aversion to them. However, sometime in the summer of 1999, Diana Tikasz - my supervisor at the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Care Centre of Hamilton Health Sciences - began telling me about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a technique that involves the use of bilateral stimulation of the brain – through the use of eye movements, auditory sounds, or physical tapping – in order to help people to rapidly process traumatic memories and associated difficulties. Although I was not drawn to look for more information about this, I listened to my colleagues discuss this with interest. While I was on maternity leave during the spring of 2000, Diana called me and told me she had arranged for a group of therapists in our community to receive level one EMDR training. Diana asked if I would be interested in attending this training. Although I remained dubious of the merits of EMDR or therapies like it, and was busy enjoying my time at home with my two small children, the idea of being out of the house for a few days and in adult company was quite compelling - I readily agreed. My reservations about EMDR training quickly disappeared o n the first day of the workshop. I listened as the facilitator described how clients respond to EMDR, and I watched videos that showed EMDR sessions in progress, together with before and after interviews with the clients. I was simply amazed by the transformations I witnessed, and was reassured by the plethora of research which supported the effectiveness of EMDR treatment. For the first time in my personal or professional life, it struck me that it was perhaps possible for people who had experienced significant trauma to completely eliminate many of their symptoms and difficulties rather than having to just learn how to cope with them. When I returned to work at the end of my maternity leave and began using EMDR with clients, I continued to be impressed with it. However, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the number of contraindications for EMDR use. When working with clients who are severely dissociative, not solid in recovery from addiction, or unstable in coping, EMDR
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must be used either with extreme caution or in many cases not at all. This meant that many of the most traumatized individuals I worked with were not good candidates for EMDR treatment. Furthermore, some of the people who I was able to use EMDR with and who did indeed benefit from it, experienced intense emotion and a feeling of “reliving” their traumatic experiences at times during the treatment. While they remained feeling very helped by the EMDR, I had mixed feelings at times, and wished that there was a more gentle way to facilitate their healing. The clinician who provided my EMDR training – Sue Fraser of Waterloo, Ontario – also had extensive training in energy work. I pursued EMDR supervision from her in the following years in order to ensure my ongoing effectiveness with EMDR in my clinical practice. During this time I absorbed bits and pieces of information from Sue and again, listened with interest but continued to feel wary about the idea of energy work. Less obstructed by personal baggage regarding energy work, Diana did sign up for an Energy Psychology workshop with Sue, and when she returned to work was singing its praises. With much enthusiasm, Diana told me that she would teach me how to use Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with clients. I watched Diana’s demonstration of how to use EFT – which is a technique created by Gary Craig, and involves tapping on various meridian points of the body – with some trepidation. She asked me to tap along with her, and I readily did so, but laughed continuously during the process and could not say that I noticed a significant shift with it beyond being distracted by how silly I felt. I told Diana that if she thought I was going to use something like that with clients, she was crazy! I did not give EFT another thought until one night when I was experiencing a personal crisis. All night long I had been cycling through overwhelming emotions – so much so that I was completely unable to fall asleep. Finally, at around 3am I remembered a handout sheet that Diana had given me about EFT. I was just desperate enough to finally give EFT at try. Following the instructions in the handout, I did two rounds of EFT tapping and immediately felt as if I had been sedated. I gently and easily fell asleep and slept until morning. Astonished by what I had experienced, for the next two days any time I felt the remotest sense of emotional or physical up set, I tapped on it and discovered a euphorically happy place within myself for the first time in my life. This experience really opened my eyes and expanded my receptiveness to the idea of energy work. Since I have a severe trauma history myself I was very much attracted to the idea of being able to heal as gently and easily as possible. Although I started to use energy work to address my own healing concerns, I remained anxious about the idea of using it with clients. Recognizing that I was denying my clients a powerful healing tool, I eventually pursued treatment to address my past traumas with energy work so that I would be more able to freely offer it to clients. Once this issue was resolved, I began using EFT regularly at work and began to truly enjoy the instant relief and amazement that my clients experienced with it, as they noticed their upset and issues they had struggled with all of their lives, simply melt away.
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Forever on a quest to make things easier, I came to learn Fred Gallo’s Negative Affect Erasing Method (NAEM). NAEM is very similar to EFT but involves tapping on only four meridian points, rather than the much long er sequence of points suggested with EFT. Around this time I also began to really immerse myself in learning about Donna Eden’s “Energy Medicine”, and began incorporating many of the exercises suggested by Donna into my work with trauma survivors. These discoveries eventually lead to my becoming acquainted with Larry Nim’s Be Set Free Fast (BSFF). BSFF involves the use of a cue word instead of tapping, in order to release traumas and upset, and the associated congested energy in the body. While I was delighted by the absence of tapping, which I felt would make it appeal more to people who found the idea of tapping to be “weird”, I felt it could be simplified. In my search for an easier way, I came across Grant Connolly’s Zero Point Process, which he based upon BSFF. My enthusiasm and expertise with energy work, trauma, and psychotherapy lead to Grant asking me to help him to develop Zero Point further. Together we further developed Zero Point Process. Over time, however, I came to recognize that Zero Point could be improved upon. My desire to make the healing process faster, gentler, and simpler for myself and the people I was working with, lead to my experimenting with and combining elements of all of the many healing modalities I had found to be the most gentle and effective. As I did so, I discovered that my clients’ progress began to accelerate by even greater leaps and bounds – and Zensight was born. Carol Ann Rowland, MSW, RSW
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Preface Healing methods come in many different forms. As a psychotherapist, EMDR practitioner, Reiki Master, and international speaker, I have in my travels been exposed to many different techniques which are incredible effective and helpful. Zensight takes the best aspects of the various different energy work techniques I have found most helpful and puts them together with elements of EMDR, ego state therapy (also known as “parts” work), and use of visualization. Through use of visualization, the limits of the conscious mind are bypassed, and reliance upon language to identify which issues to resolve and coming up with the “right” words for them is eliminated. Zensight involves none of the “tapping” that is associated with many energy healing methods, and no awkward “cue word installation” that can be uncomfortable to introduce to those not already familiar with energy work. Zensight is a healing method that is ideal for everyone. The use of EMDR-like imagery and “interweaves” provides Zensight with an even greater speed and generalization of results that is found with EMDR – the most heavily researched modality for healing trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other concerns – without having the associated risk of destabilization and emotional flooding that EMDR can sometimes involve. “Parts work” is recognized by many as being essential for shifting concerns that are the most “stuck”. We are all multidimensional beings with many parts of self, some of whom may feel that it “isn’t safe” to heal or who simply don’t know how to let healing happen. With Zensight you can begin to bring healing to all your parts of self, and thus a feeling of peace to the whole “You” so that you can fully move forward in life while maximizing and accessing all of your own unique aspects and abilities. You can heal and it does not have to be difficult. In fact, you are about to begin.
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Chapter 1
An Introduction to Zensight Zensight is a powerful process that is designed to heal all of the things that don’t feel right in your life, and to help you to create the reality you wish for. You will begin using Zensight right now to gently yet rapidly heal your concerns, and to bring you to the place of greater peace and tranquility that you desire. The basic premise of Zensight is very simple – when we use it, we work with the subconscious mind, in a way that is not unlike hypnosis. However, with Zensight we recognize that one does not need to be hypnotized or to go into an altered state in order to experience immediate and deeply healing effects. Although many people do naturally become deeply relaxed and enter into an altered state while using Zensight, it is not a necessary part of the process. The subconscious mind is incredibly powerful. It works on our behalf all of the time. When we are children and someone hurts us, we may have the immediate thought “I am never going to let anyone get close to me again!” We may then quickly forget this thought, especially once the period of upset has passed. Although we forget, the subconscious mind forever remembers that we made that decision, and will act upon those instructions. Decades later we wonder why we feel like we have “walls” up inside, and why we struggle so much to feel close to the people we love. The reason is that the subconscious mind is simply doing what we have asked it to do. It has been apparent to me when using Zensight that we are not working only with the subconscious mind: something even more powerful is involved when doing this healing work. People using Zensight very frequently describe body sensations and energetic experiences that indicate that Universal energy - the same energy that is connected with Reiki, Healing Touch, and similar approaches - is facilitating the process. As a Reiki practitioner I first assumed that the energetic experiences I had when using this technique were occurring because I had been attuned to Reiki. However, again and again I received reports from clients, friends, family members, and colleagues who were experiencing something similar. The energetic experiences reported have ranged from sensations of tingling or “buzzing” 1 occurring in the hands, feet and chakra areas – and sometimes throughout the body. If a great deal of healing has occurred, people sometimes report feeling as if their entire body is vibrating.
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Chakras will be discussed further in Chapter 3.
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While people who are particularly energy sensitive are most likely to report the “tingling” sensation associated with using Zensight, I have had similar reports from those who had never knowingly been exposed to the use of consciously directed Universal energy before and had no framework to use in understanding it. Even so, they would comment on how the top of their head or their forehead felt warm, tingly, “open” or otherwise unusual. These areas correspond to the crown and third-eye chakras, which often become activated in relation to spiritual and/or intuitive experiences. On one occasion I had the good fortune to teach a clairvoyant colleague how to use this way of healing concerns. This person sees energy, and she described seeing a “holographic light bridge” extending between the two of us as we worked together. During some parts of the session, she saw big vortices of energy going down deep into the earth, and with others she saw similar vortices going up through the Universe. She reported a deep sense of being connected energetically not only to myself during this process, but also to others around the world, and a sense of unified “oneness” joining all of humanity. It would appear that something more powerful than a reliance on the subconscious mind is at work here! The purpose of this book is to present, in very simple terms, a process of transformation and healing that is quite profound.
The Healing Symbol With Zensight we use the power of the subconscious mind as described above, in a very conscious way. We do this through the use of a healing symbol. This symbol may be a word, visual image, or colour. It is not important which form of “symbol” you choose, or what exactly the symbol is, as long as it doesn’t have any strong negative emotional connotations for you. Examples of possible “symbols” that could be chosen include a word such as “safe” or “peace”, a visual image of the ocean, or a visual or verbal representation of a colour – either your favourite colour or something else that feels healing to you, such as white or golden light. I had one client who chose “ocean” as her symbol. When it felt right to her, she simply thought the word ocean. Other times she would picture the ocean. Sometimes she found her imagery became so intense as she worked with Zensight that she would even vividly experience the sound and smells of the ocean during the process. Another woman I worked with is a Reiki practitioner. She chose to use Reiki symbols for her healing symbol while using Zensight and found this to be particularly effective. During our sessions she would simply look at the different Reiki symbols she had drawn, and focus on whichever one she felt most drawn to.
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It is important to recognize that what the symbol is is not of great importance. What the symbol does is simply give us a focus so that we can get our “heads” and our logical minds out of the way, so that healing can happen more easily. Too often we try to think ourselves out of our problems but instead end up going deeper into them. Through the use of the healing symbol, we stop our minds for a moment and just allow the healing to occur by consciously focusing our intent on exactly what we wish to heal. During the process of doing so, we may obtain new insights into the situation we are addressing. If we don’t arrive at new insights that is okay too – achieving greater insight is not necessary in order to bring about healing. There is no need to become concerned about choosing the “right” healing symbol. Any word, image, or colour that you choose will be exactly right for you. There is also no need to tell anyone else what your symbol is. If at any time you wish to change the healing symbol you are using, you are free to do so. If the idea of a “healing symbol” does not resonate for you for whatever reason, you may also choose to simply stop, breathe and notice the energy shifts and feelings of peace that you experience during the process. While most people like having something to focus on, I have had clients who preferred to simply stop and breathe, without focusing on a healing word or symbol, and they obtained equally powerful results. Unlike with some of the other energy work techniques that have influenced the creation of Zensight, there is no need for any complicated “installation instructions” or “healing program” in order for your healing symbol to be effective. All that you - or your subconscious mind - need to know is that whenever you use this word, image or colour, your concerns will gently and easily resolve. Furthermore, you will be able to use your healing symbol to build upon the feelings and experiences that you would like to replace those past difficulties with. In addition to the presence of Universal healing energy, Zensight differs from most other energy work approaches in that instead of working only on a very specific level, we begin by working at the most general level. For example, if treating a fear of dogs, rather than keeping most of our focus on that fear of dogs, we will begin by focusing on healing the overall pattern of fear that is being experienced in life in general. In so doing, this allows all of the many different ways that fear is being experienced, to begin to be addressed and heal at once. It will not always be sufficient to focus only on the general level, so we do include a specific focus as well when needed, but the idea is that we always look at the bigger picture during the healing process. As part of working on the general level and taking a very holistic approach with Zensight, we pay attention to and address any of the underlying difficulties that may be contributing to the symptoms – or contributing to the difficulties encountered when trying to heal them. Most specifically we focus on identifying and correcting any energetic imbalances that may be being experienced.
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Chapter 2
Zensight Basics Zensight involves the use of the healing symbol, together with visual imagery and verbal statements. Both of these aspects – the visual and the verbal – have valuable roles and either may feel more “right” to an individual at a particular time. One of the benefits of using both visualization and verbal statements together, is that each method will activate different areas of the brain. Therefore, in most cases it is best to combine verbal and visual healing together. Which method to begin with may be indicated either by personal preferences, or by the situation one is addressing. Generally speaking, I find that when a situation first presents as feeling very overwhelming, the use of visual imagery first will help in rapidly bringing the level of upset down and increase feelings of clarity immediately. The use of visualization is usually a simpler approach and is often more deeply relaxing. For example, if I am having difficulty falling asleep at night, I find it easier and more effective to simply visualize myself sleeping peacefully while using my healing symbol, rather than expending the additional energy to think of and use verbal clearing statements. I sometimes receive feedback from clients I work with that after sessions in which a great deal of visualization was used, they notice increased sensory experiences – dreams are more vivid, colours appear brighter, and they notice their surroundings in new and more detailed ways. This phenomena is also frequently noticed after EMDR sessions and is believed to be related to increased activity and stimulation in many areas of the brain. If a visual image representing the concerns is too disturbing – as in the case of a traumatic memory – it may be preferable to begin with verbal healing statements. Once the majority of the upset has been cleared, it is then advisable to check in with a visual image – either of the incident, a metaphorical representation of it, or a picture of oneself in relation to it – in order to check to see if any remaining upset is still present, and then use the visual image to clear it accordingly. Some people when new to Zensight express concern that they don’t possess particularly advanced skills of visualization. Happily, it is not necessary to use advanced or complicated imagery in order to experience deeply healing results. Some of those who find themselves to be less visual may be more inclined to have pictures come up that are more literal rather than metaphorical representations of the concerns. Using a literal representation is fine, and will not be any hindrance to the healing process. They also may of course if they wish to, rely more on verbal statements and then add in the visuals when it feels more natural to them to do so.
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Zensight is a highly flexible approach that easily accomodates the abilities and preferences of anyone who uses it.
Visual Method of Healing There is a saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words”. So it is, with Zensight. Rather than having to sit and figure out all of the many different ways of approaching the issue that you wish to resolve, you can stop and quietly check inside and see if a visual image comes to mind in relation to whatever it is that you are struggling with. In some cases, this visual image may be an actual representation of the difficulties. If you are wishing to bring healing to a troubled relationship, you may find that you simply see the image of the person connected with you in the relationship. Alternatively, the image may be a metaphorical representation of the concerns. For example, you may see yourself caught in a trap, or with your hands tied. If the concerns are in relation to someone else, you may see that person standing over you, or being in need of your protection. There are unlimited possibilities regarding the various images that may come to you. It is entirely possible that you will not understand the picture that appears, or may feel unable to recognize how it relates to the concerns you wish to address. From my perspective it is better not to get caught up in trying to “figure out” or understand the pictures that appear. Sometimes you will know immediately what they mean, and other times you may come to realize either during or following the healing session, why the picture appeared in the way that it did. It may also be that you never understand the picture’s significance, and that is fine too. What is important here is that we simply heal the concerns so that we can feel better, rather than get caught up in understanding. Too often we spend longer trying to analyze a situation than it would take to simply heal it and let it go. When a picture comes to you, simply focus on it and take a deep breath and use your healing symbol. Connect with your symbol over and over again and then check in again with the picture and see how it has changed, either in its appearance or in how you feel when you see it. What the process is like is easier to understand when an example is used. Recently I facilitated a Zensight session for Richard - a colleague of mine. During the session, he expressed some apprehension about a phone call that was about to take place, where he was expected to “check in” with a personal coach, to discuss progress he had made on a specific project since they had last spoken. Richard explained that he liked the aspect of accountability that the phone call entailed but that he felt a sense of pressure associated with it that was uncomfortable for him.
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I suggested that Richard check to see if a picture came up for him when he focused on the idea of the upcoming phone call. He reported seeing himself in a prison cell, with bars in front and solid walls surrounding him. When he focused on that image while using his healing word, the walls of the prison cell simply dissolved, and he then found himself in a peaceful and open setting, surrounded by nature and fresh air behind him and on both sides. Richard noted that the bars remained in front of him but that the picture felt good to him now because he knew he was free. We discussed the continued existence of the bars as being indicative of his desire to keep the structure provided by the checking in phone call, without feeling imprisoned or controlled by it.
Verbal Method of Healing Although I will continue to refer to this type of clearing method as being the “verbal” method of clearing, it is important to note that in most cases, the healing statements used will be listened to or thought of, rather than spoken aloud. Some individuals believe that they experience the healing effects of Zensight more deeply if they do say their statements out loud. If you find this to be the case for you, by all means please do so. In my work with clients, in most cases I say the statements and the client simply listens while focussing on her or his healing symbol at the end of each statement. Over the course of the session, it allows us to save time and cover more ground than we would if every statement were spoken twice. This is less of an issue if you are using self-treatment with Zensight. The advantage of thinking clearing statements silently is that you can then use them anytime and anywhere. One way of compromising on this is to simply say aloud the statements that feel likely to be the most powerful for you, or that represent concepts that have been the most difficult for you to “absorb” in the past. Any time you use a verbal healing statement – or during the process of visualization please stop and use your healing symbol, focussing on it repeatedly for 10-15 seconds or until a “shift” is felt. What a “shift” feels like is often a sense of relief or release, a relaxing of the body, or growing sense of peace. “I Heal…” Statements
In most cases, I begin healing statements with “I heal”. For example: I heal all fear of any kind that I am experiencing in any area of my life. I heal all of the issues that have contributed to all of this fear. I heal all of the times that I learned that I need to be afraid.
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I heal all of the reasons I am afraid to face the future. I heal any and all issues that are contributing to all of this situation. I heal all of the decisions made by any parts of me that something bad is going to happen to me.
If the wording “I heal” doesn’t feel right to you, by all means substitute any other wording that does feel right. Some people like the wording“I release” , “I eliminate”, or “I clear”, and those are excellent ways of phrasing healing statements too. I find that using “I heal” often feels more right to people, as it more accurately reflects what it is that they wish for. Previously, when I used the wording “ I clear” I often found that it felt important to add on “according to my highest good” to clarify that we are removing what is no longer beneficial rather than simply clearing everything. However, with “I heal”, the message of producing results according to our highest good, is built right in. An additional benefit of use of the word “I heal” is that I find most peoples’ defense mechanisms and various ways of resisting the healing process are less likely to become activated when the idea is presented of “healing” all of something, rather than implying the “removal” of something. The suggestion that something be “cleared” or “eliminated” can trigger fear for some parts of self who may understandably hold the belief that it’s not safe to remove the coping mechanisms that may have at one point been essential for emotional – or in some cases even physical – survival. Furthermore, I found when using statement that emphasized the “clearing” of huge amounts of old “stuff”, that some people experienced a feeling of emptiness or loss afterwards, and a feeling of discombobulation. When using the word “I heal”, I find that most people are less likely to have that feeling of emptiness, loss of identity or uncertainty arise. The connotations are less of an abrupt taking away so much as a softening and bringing healing and nurturance into the issue, so that feelings of peace can more easily occur. Open-Ended Statements 2
Some healing statements you may wish to leave open-ended . When using open-ended statements, it is not necessary to consciously figure out what all of the different possible endings of the statements might be – the idea is that the subconscious mind will know what all of the different endings are and will heal all of them, even if you are not consciously aware of them. Open-ended statements are the ultimate in taking a general approach to healing issues. These statements often end with “because”, “when”, “but”, or “reminds me of”. For example:
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I gratefully acknowledge Grant Connolly’s contribution of the idea of using open-ended statements.
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I heal all of the fear I experience when… I heal all of the reasons I feel fear because… I heal all of the times I learned I need to be afraid of… I heal all of the ways I would be able to let go of the fear but… I heal all of the ways this situation reminds me of… I heal any and all tendencies I have to respond to fear by… Creating Zensight Statements
There are many ways of finding the content which needs to be cleared. In most cases it makes sense to begin with whatever feels the most vivid or urgent. If you are flooded with a particular emotion, first stop and take a deep breath and let it go, and simply allow the emotion to begin to dissolve, while focusing on your healing word. Once you have done that, and/or used Zensight visualization to address the concerns, the emotion may feel completely resolved. If not, you can use verbal statements to shift it further. Remember to start at the most general level. An example might be: I heal all of the sadness felt by any parts of me when… I heal all of the sadness that any parts of me feel because… I heal all of the ways that being sad reminds me of… I heal all of the sadness that parts of me feel about…
From here you may then begin to focus on the specific concern that is causing overwhelm. Even here you can keep things general at first. I heal all of the sadness felt by any parts of me, about this situation. I heal all of the ways I feel sad that I didn’t get the job I wanted. I heal all of the ways any parts of me doubt my ability to cope. I install new awareness in all of the different parts of me, that I will be okay.
Throughout healing sessions, focus within yourself and/or check in with your client if you are facilitating the healing of someone else. What comes up during the session, in the form of pictures, thoughts, feelings, memories, or body sensations, will provide you with information regarding where you need to go next.
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One of the nice things about Zensight is that if you feel stuck you can simply rely upon the subconscious mind to have its own wisdom and to take you to where you need to go next if you are uncertain. I heal all of the ways I feel stuck. I heal any and all additional issues connected to this that I have not yet addressed. I heal any additional aspects of this that I may not remember or be aware of.
In the absence of obvious clues, it is beneficial when using statements to cover four main realms: the emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual realms. I heal any and all tension about any of this, being held in any area of my body. I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that this is what I deserve. I heal any and all spiritual conflicts or beliefs that are serving to hold these concerns in place. I heal all of the grief felt by any parts of me, about all of the things that didn’t happen in my life, but should have. Closing Statements
At the end of healing sessions, you may wish to use any closing statements that feel right to you, in order to wrap things up and further deepen the results of the healing that has just been experienced. Here are a number of closing statements that I often use in my own healing and in sessions with clients. You can pick and choose which ones feel right to you in accordance with your own personal beliefs, those of your client, or in relation to the particular situation being addressed. I heal all of the tendencies that any parts of me would have to hold onto what is familiar rather than moving forward. 3
I heal any and all decisions, past life issues, and sacred contracts in connection with all of these concerns that do not serve my highest good now. I heal any and all traumas connected with all of these concerns. I heal any and all generational or ancestral issues connected with all of these concerns. 3
Carolyn Myss discusses “sacred contracts” as being agreements we make on a spiritual level, before birth.
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I heal all of the ways that all of these issues have been held in my body and/or energy field, or at the DNA, cellular, or molecular levels. I heal any and all neural pathways connected with all of these issues, that don’t serve my highest good now. I now install new neural pathways in order to support, reinforce and continue all of the healing that has occurred, and all of the healing that is about to occur. I heal any and all energetic imprints of any kind, in relation to all of these concerns. My subconscious mind, higher self and the Universe now create and run any additional statements I would benefit from. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits and thoughts connected to all of these issues. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now. I extend all of this healing to all of the past, all of the present, and all of the future.
Installing Positives In addition to using Zensight to heal the things we want to be free of, we also use it to add in more of the qualities and feelings that we would like to have more of or to experience more deeply. We can do this through both the use of verbal statements and visual imagery. Installing Positives Through Visualization
With visualization, we simply “see” what our desired result will be, and deepen the experience and strength of that visualization – as well as the intention that it will occur – through use of our healing symbol. For example, you may see yourself going forward and doing public speaking while feeling calm and confident, and while fully connected with an awareness of your skills and abilities. You may also see yourself feeling happy and more connected in a loving way with those around you. Whatever image comes to you that feels right, is what you will want to install.
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One of ways that you can visually install a quality you would like to have more of, is by thinking of a time in the past when you felt that you did demonstrate or embody this 4 quality well . For example, if you want to feel a greater sense of personal confidence, think of a moment in the past where you did experience a strong sense of confidence. Even if this is not your usual way of being, you most likely have had at least one experience where you did feel very confident in that particular moment. If you can’t think of a time when you felt particularly connected with the quality you are wishing to install, you may instead think of someon e else that you feel represents that state of being particularly well. It may be someone you know either personally – such as someone from your past or present life – or indirectly, such as a famous person, or a character from a book. Alternatively you can think of an object that represents to you the feeling of being connected with the quality you are trying to install. If you are trying to install a greater sense of personal groundedness, you could imagine a boulder that sits in the middle of a fast moving stream but manages to hold firm, even when rushing water or floating logs or other objects push against it. Whatever image you connect with, begin by simply picturing it. Ensure that the picture feels as positive as possible. If any discomfort is associated with it, choose a new picture, modify it, or use your healing symbol and allow either the image or your feelings about it to transform until it feels completely comfortable. Once the image feels “right” to you, let it become as vivid as it can be, and use your healing symbol to further strengthen the picture and your connection with it. Notice how your body feels as you connect with that image and the associated way of being. If you are picturing yourself or someone else, notice how your (or their) posture is when they are embodying that quality. What kinds of feelings do you think they are having? What emotions are they feeling? What words of advice would they have for you? Check in with all of those questions, and focus on whatever information comes to you. Further enhance and ground this image and felt sense into your psyche and being, through the use of your healing symbol. Once this image is as positive and as vivid for you as it can be, see yourself merging with the image. See the person you are now, connecting with the person that you were in that moment – or, with the aspects demonstrated by the person or object you are seeing.
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Many of the ideas for visually “installing the positives” have been adapted from Andrew Leeds’ “Resource Development & Installation” protocol for EMDR preparatory work. You can learn more about Andrew Leeds’ work at www.andrewleeds.net
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Notice yourself connecting with and, if it feels right, merging within the picture. Installing Positives through Verbal Statements
With verbal “installing” statements we simply say what it is that we want more of. For example: I install new feelings in all of the different parts of me, of being completely at peace. I love myself, and all of the parts of me, deeply and completely. I now experience a sense of calm even when... I let all of the different parts of me know, deeply and completely, that I am safe.
Very simple and easy to do, the installation of “positives” can produce profound healing. It is particularly important to focus on positives any time you are noticing negative “selftalk” – that inner voice that judges you or tells you that you aren’t good enough.
Psychological Reversal Readers who are experienced with energy work – particularly EFT – will likely be familiar with the term “psychological reversal.” Psychological reversal refers to when you consciously want to heal something, but part of you is trying to prevent this from happening. This is an experience that most of us can relate to. An example might be when you have firmly decided you are going to lose weight, and yet you find yourself unable to follow your plan to eat healthier and exercise more! Often when part of you is trying to prevent a change from occurring, it is because that part is getting something out of holding onto the problem. This frequently relates to concerns about safety. An example of this is someone who has a fear of confrontation that interferes with their ability to discuss upsetting issues with others. Part of them may be unwilling to let go of this problem because they believe that if they were no longer afraid and were to say what they thought, then they might be harmed. Alternatively, part of them may be afraid that others would experience harm if they were to express their feelings and opinions. In order to correct for psychological reversal, simply use the following statements, followed by a focus after each one, upon your healing symbol for 10-15 seconds: I heal any and all psychological reversals of any kind experienced by any parts of me, in relation to all of these issues.
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I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not in my best interests to heal these issues completely All of these concerns now heal gently, easily, completely, and permanently.
Many people will quickly correct for psychological reversal before doing any energy work treatment. It isn’t always necessary to correct for it – we aren’t always psychologically reversed. However, it is very fast and easy to correct for, so it often makes sense to do this first as part of your healing routine. If you have forgotten to correct for psychological reversal and find that the concerns you are targeting are not healing as easily or as completely as you would like, in most cases it will not be necessary to start over again. Instead, simply stop when you notice this, and then do the correction for psychological reversal. Following this, you need only tell your subconscious mind: I now repeat all of the healing work I have done before now.
On one occasion, I was doing a trauma healing session with a woman, in relation to a recent sexual assault she had experienced. I had taken her through a large number of healing statements in relation to sexual assault and towards the end of the session, checked in with her only to discover that her level of upset when she focused on the memory had not shifted at all. I was almost completely out of time and had another client waiting. In desperation, I quickly corrected for psychological reversal and used the “I now repeat all of the healing work we just did” statement. To her delight and mine, her upset in relation to the sexual assault immediately felt co mpletely resolved!
Getting “Into the Flow” With Zensight For the purpose of explaining the different ways of using Zensight, I have separated out the verbal healing statements from the use of visualization - and the correction of psychological reversal from the focus upon the concerns. However, in actual practice all of these different ways of using Zensight will usually intertwine. Notice how this occurs with Sarah: Case Study: Sarah
This session began with Sarah listing a number of c oncerns covering a wide area of her life. Twice during her description of what was upsetting her, she made reference to feeling “all in a ball” or “like a ball of confusion”, as well as mentioning feelings of anger and frustration. Since she had spontaneously made mention of a “ball”, and since I wished to rapidly bring a sense of calm and healing to a wide range of issues at once, I started by having her picture the ball. Please note that the tone of the session is quite relaxed and has a slow and gentle pace in spite of the rapid results that occur. Where “…” appears, this indicates a pause.
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You’ve mentioned feeling “all in a ball”. I’m wondering…if you check inside, and tune in, can you see the ball? [Pauses] Yes. I can see it. It’s like a big ball of yarn but not as soft. I feel a big knot in my stomach, and some blocked energy in my throat…there and in the pit of my stomach. What I’d like you to do is really focus on that picture. Just see it…and then focus on your healing symbol and take a deep breath and let it go….Just notice how the picture changes as you do that, and see what happens. It’s changed. It’s unraveled. All that is left is this tiny little knot – kind of like the knot you’d use to thread a needle with, it’s that small. But...I feel like part of me doesn’t want to let go of it. “I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not safe to let go of this completely”…“I heal all of the feelings held by any part of me, of being in a knot”…“I heal all of the fears held by any parts of me that I won’t know who I am anymore if I let go of this completely” Just notice now as you watch…what is happening now? There is this sense of release...sadness [cries]. Okay….“I heal all of this sadness being held by any parts of me”…“I heal all of this sadness as I let go of all of this”…“I heal all of the aloneness that all of the different parts of me have been feeling so deeply.” How is the picture now? Okay. There is frustration now, but it’s in a different direction. I’m trying to figure out, what is it I want to do with my energy?
[Discusses work she has done before now, a nd her uncertainty as to whether she wishes to return to that type of work or not. She feels somewhat that she would like to go in a different direction and yet she struggles with feeling she “should” go back to the work she was doing before.] “I heal and eliminate all of these ‘shoulds’, from any area of my life”…“I heal all of the ways that any parts of me are resonating on the level of ‘should’”…. “I heal all of the reasons that I just don’t know which route to take next”…“I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not okay to put myself first”…“I install new feelings of comfort in all of the different parts of me, about following my own path”…“All of the different parts of me now make a conscious choice to follow our own light.”
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Wow. That feels so much better – so much lighter!
At this point, I checked in with Sarah about the “ball”. She reported that it was completely gone now – she could not picture it any longer – and she now felt deeply and completely relaxed and free of those concerns. It’s important to realize that this deep release of emotion and relaxation of her entire body occurred within the space of just a few minutes. This then allowed us to move on to focus on her remaining concerns from a place of greater calmness and clarity.
Letting Intuition Guide the Process Something I have come to recognize is that intuition is more easily accessed when using Zensight. Frequently as I work with someone, pictures, emotions, and statements pop up that are at times surprising. I have come to recognize that we simply follow what comes up, the concerns that are being worked upon shift extremely quickly. Recently I had a first session with Claire, who has a complex trauma history. The issue she wished to focus upon during the session involved unhealthy eating patterns. Immediately as we worked together, I got the impression of a feeling of being “trapped”. When I asked about this, Claire explained that she had been triggered a great deal by watching footage of the recent Hurricane Katrina devastation in New Orleans, and related very much to those who were affected, and thus had a sense of reliving all of the times she had felt trapped as a child. Images of “being an island” then popped into my head, and I asked her if that meant anything to her. Claire laughed and said that when she first started therapy over 20 years ago, the very first therapist told her in the very first session that she was “like an island”, isolated and cut off from others. The description remained feeling very apt to her and so we worked on changing the picture so that she was no longer an isolated island but rather an island within a cluster of other islands, so that she could have an intermediary comfort zone before considering whether or not she wished to join the mainland. Experiences like this session with Claire, have taught me to respect any intuitive impressions that surface in myself, my clients, or other practitioners who work with Zensight Process.
In Summary • •
Choose a healing word or symbol to focus upon as you target your concerns. Begin by checking for a visual image that comes to you as you think about your concerns
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Watch this picture. Take a deep breath and let it go, and use your healing word or symbol. Notice how the picture changes as you do this. If no change is noted (or no picture is seen), or in order to further accelerate progress, add in use of verbal healing statements. You may wish to use “closing statements” at the end of sessions, in order to tie everything together. You can also focus upon body sensations and/or emotions, while using your healing word or symbol. Notice how the body sensations and emotions soften, dissolve, disappear, or transform during this work. Spend time focusing upon, strengthening, and “installing” positive emotions, beliefs, and patterns that you would like to experience more of in your life. Correct for psychological reversal at the start of and/or during healing sessions, as needed.
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Chapter 3
Addressing Energetic Imbalances The concepts described in this chapter are ones that are taught by Donna Eden. Donna 5 Eden’s book “Energy Medicine” is an invaluable resource for people who wish to learn how to use physical and energetic exercises to heal themselves and others. In this section we discuss ways of using Zensight instead of some of the physical exercises described by Donna Eden to target the same concerns. However, it is often valuable to know how to do the physical exercises as well. Some people who are very kinesthetic learners may find that the physical exercises work better for them in correcting energetic imbalances than using Zensight. I also find that sometimes during moments of acute crisis or upset, it is easier to do the physical exercises than to focus or settle thoughts that are feeling chaotic. Sometimes it may also be ideal to do both the physical exercises and Zensight approach simultaneously.
Homolateral Energy When your body is functioning well energetically, your energy crosses over from one side of your body to the other. If instead of crossing over, energy is moving straight up and down each side of the body, it is referred to as being homolateral. Signs and symptoms of being homolateral include clumsiness, having a harder time healing from physical and emotional difficulties, tripping over words, feeling “scrambled,” and having even little things “hit” you harder and cause more upset than usual. Another symptom of homolateral energy is that energy work and most other interventions, are less likely to be effective. When your energy is homolateral, it is harder to heal from both physical and emotional concerns. Anyone’s energy can suddenly go homolateral at times. Often this happens in response to stress, shock, or physical illness. For some people, however, homolateral energy becomes a way of life. In my experience this is frequently the case with those who have experienced repeated trauma or other chronic concerns, especially when this has occurred early in life. I have for most of my life had chronically homolateral energy. When I first learned about this I started using the “homolateral cross crawl” exercise that Donna Eden teaches. While the physical exercise is quite simple and only takes a few minutes to perform, I found that I lacked the discipline to perform this exercise a few times each day, every day, in order to gradually coax my body’s energy system into a healthier way of being. I 5
Donna Eden & David Feinstein. Energy Medicine. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1998.
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similarly found that most of my clients, while finding the homolateral cross crawl did indeed help them to feel, think, and react better, did not use the exercise frequently enough in order to experience lasting benefit. An additional concern is that the physical exercise would look rather strange to others if done in public! Often it is beneficial to correct for homolateral energy in the moment. I find that if I get upset about something and have enough insight to recognize that my energy has gone homolateral, if I correct for homolateral energy I will immediately feel much better – even if I have not yet directly addressed the present concern that is bothering me. The statements that follow are ones that I have found to be extremely useful in correcting for a pattern of chronically homolateral energy. Again, please remember to focus on your healing symbol for 10-15 seconds – or until a shift is felt – after each statement. I heal any and all patterns I have, of having chronically homolateral energy because… I heal all of my patterns of having homolateral energy when… I heal all of the reasons my energy first began running homolaterally. I heal all of the ways that this pattern of chronically homolateral energy has been held in my body or energy field, or at the DNA, cellular, or molecular levels. I heal any and all remaining energetic imprints of this pattern of homolateral energy. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits and thoughts connected to all of these issues. My energy now crosses over in a continuous way, even during times of stress. If ever my energy does go homolateral, I now notice this and easily correct it. Whenever I use my healing symbol, it now automatically corrects for homolateral energy, whether or not I consciously intend to. All of this healing is completely effective for all of the past, all of the present and all of the future.
Now picture yourself feeling balanced and stable, and able to stay grounded, present and calm, even during times of upset. Focus on this picture and experience all of the pleasant and relaxed feelings it produces, and use your healing symbol to ground this image so that you can more easily recall it later.
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You also may – either prior to, after, or instead of using the verbal healing statements choose to visualize your body as if seen from a distance, and “see” the energy crossing over. You can picture it as a path of light or vibrating molecules or whatever feels right to you. The image may come as being a number of figure “8’s” or as a big “X” on the front and back of your body. Just go with whatever image comes that feels right and if no image comes, simply connect with the sensation of feeling grounded and calm, and deepen that sense through the use of your healing symbol or word. Many people will benefit from repeating the homolateral energy healing regularly. However, I find that it is not necessary to repeat the entire healing each time, once it has been run through once. In subsequent efforts to clear, it is usually enough to simply tell yourself “I now repeat all of the ‘homolateral energy healing’ that I did before,” or to focus on the visual picture or recalled “felt sense” of having calm and balanced energy, and then use your healing symbol to reconnect with and deepen that experience.
The Triple Warmer Meridian Another pattern that I have found to be almost universal among people who have experienced significant trauma or other periods of intense stress – particularly when this has occurred over a prolonged period of time, or repeatedly in childhood – is of having a habitually over-energized triple warmer meridian. The meridian system is one of the body’s energy systems. Much of Eastern medicine involves working with the meridian system. In acupuncture, needles are placed in different meridian points. Similarly, EFT and Thought Field Therapy (TFT) involve tapping on different meridian points to release congested energy and thus heal fears, traumas, phobias and other concerns. The triple warmer meridian governs the fight/flight/freeze response. When this response is activated very intensely or chronically, the body can become locked into a fight/flight/freeze state and the triple warmer meridian may become chronically overenergized as a result. This can be a concern not only because of the problematic symptoms (hypervigilance, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty focusing and so on) that then may become a way of life, but also because when the triple warmer meridian is overenergized, it draws energy out of the spleen meridian, which supports the immune system. As a result, the immune system becomes weakened. If the body stays in this state long enough, the immune system can start attacking itself, and autoimmune disorders such as fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis 6 and chronic fatigue may result. Part of healing trauma involves teaching the body that the emergency is now over. Donna Eden teaches a method of physically “sedating” the triple warmer meridian by holding triple warmer meridian points in sequence. I have observed that those 6
Donna Eden & David Feinstein. Energy Medicine. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1998.
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individuals who learn how to sedate their triple warmers and practice this regularly experience an immediate and dramatic reduction in symptoms such as hypervigilance, anxiety and insomnia – even when the past experiences which have lead to their triple warmers becoming overenergized, haven’t yet been directly addressed. Sedating the triple warmer meridian using physical exercises, however, can take several minutes, and in order to reprogram the body, it needs to be done two to three times a day, every day, on an ongoing basis to bring about lasting results. This can be time consuming, and people often find they have difficulty making it a priority. Furthermore, even those individuals who successfully reprogram their triple warmer meridians do notice that the triple warmer will still get set off at times. Given that it is a mechanism that our body possesses in order to ensure our survival, it is neither possible nor desirable to eliminate this response completely. The ability to sedate our triple warmer meridians using Zensight is a major boon in that it becomes much faster and easier to do – and it can be done anytime and anywhere. In addition, the feedback I have gotten is that after doing the triple warmer healing with Zensight, the triple warmer gets set off much less often, and requires increasingly larger triggers before it becomes activated. Furthermore, it tends to become much easier to settle this triple warmer response when it does occur. Here is an example of how you can use Zensight to heal the pattern of having a chronically over-energized triple warmer meridian. In this example, I have included some statements regarding the spleen meridian, since it too is affected when the triple warmer meridian is overenergized. I highly recommend first correcting for psychological reversal (see page 10) prior to working with the triple warmer meridian. Often those of us who have been through repeated trauma or other times of intense emotional stress will have parts of self that naturally believe it isn’t safe to ever let their guard down. This, in fact, is the very reason the triple warmer becomes over-energized. Remember to focus on your healing symbol for 10-15 seconds with each statement, or until you experience a shift: I now heal any and all triple warmer meridian concerns, for all of the different parts of me. I heal all of the tendencies that my triple warmer has to not respond according to my highest good when... I heal all of the reasons my triple warmer first became overenergized. I heal any and all past traumas or upsets that are being held by my triple warmer meridian.
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I heal all of the ways and reasons that my triple warmer meridian has had any pattern of responding with excessive force. I heal all of the reasons that it takes my body, emotions, and energy systems a long time to settle after I’ve been startled or upset. I heal all of the ways all of these issues have been being held in my body or energy field, or at the DNA, cellular, or molecular levels. I heal any and all remaining energetic imprints connected with having an overenergized triple warmer. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits and thoughts connected with all of these issues. I install new patterns of feeling calm and relaxed. All of the different parts of me are now able to distinguish when I need to be “on alert” and when I do not. My triple warmer meridian is now sedated. My spleen meridian is now strengthened. My triple warmer meridian and spleen meridian are in perfect and natural balance. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now. All of this healing is completely effective for all of the past, all of the present and all of the future. Whenever I focus on my healing symbol, my subconscious mind will immediately sedate my triple warmer meridian according to my highest good, whether I tell it to or not.
Following this, notice and experience the feelings of being deeply and calmly relaxed that arise. See yourself being able to maintain this sensation. Focus on how it feels in your body now that you are in this state, and ground the feeling by using your healing symbol. Notice as you picture yourself being able to maintain this feeling, that any of the concerns you have had before - such as feelings of anxiety, insomnia, and hypervigilance – are not present in this moment. As you take yourself through this visualization, at different points reconnect with your healing symbol and allow the experience to deepen, so that all of the different parts of you can now fully realize that they are safe in the present day.
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This will go a long way towards decreasing the heightened reactivity of the fight/flight/freeze response. I sometimes find that some of those who are most in need of triple warmer sedation are the most reluctant to have it sedated. Often they, or parts of them, believe that it’s not safe to relax and they must stay constantly hypervigilant. If they are in a current day lifethreatening situation – such as in a situation of ongoing domestic violence - some of this belief may be based upon reality. If this is the case, sedating the triple warmer will bring relief in the moment but it will immediately become activated again afterwards, simply because it needs to be in order to ensure survival. What I often find, however, is that many people who are objectively safe in the present day, still have parts of self who strongly believe that the time of emergency has not yet passed. Strategies for working with these parts of self are discussed in Chapter 9. Any time that you feel a need to again relax and sedate your triple warmer meridian, simply re-connect with a visual picture and remembered felt sense of how it feels when you are deeply and fully relaxed. You can also tell yourself “ I now repeat all of the ‘triple warmer healing’ that I did before.” If you feel that you need to, you can of course repeat the entire triple warmer meridian healing but usually this will not be necessary.
Balancing the Chakras The chakras represent another energy system of the body. Chakras are energy centers similar to vortices that go through the body and the aura. 7
Our chakras have many important functions that serve to balance our bodies both physically and energetically, while assisting us in self-expression and communication with others. When chakras are congested, it prevents us from functioning at our best physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Clearing congested energy from chakras and bringing them into balance with each other therefore helps us to feel better and increases our ability to heal and maintain a state of emotional and physical equilibrium. Strengthening the chakras has the added benefit of strengthening the overall energy system – the different energy systems of the body (chakras, meridians and grids among others) are all interconnected, so enhancing the functioning of any one energetic system will thus benefit the rest.
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A full discussion of the chakra system is beyond the scope of this book. Interested readers are referred to “New Chakra Healing: The Revolutionary 32-Centre Energy System” by Cyndi Dale.
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Each of the different chakras vibrates on a different frequency and has a different colour 8 or function. If you have never seen a diagram of the chakras, please see Figure 1 . As you use each healing statement presented below, take a moment to also picture each chakra in turn, and use your healing symbol. When I have the time to do so, I do the chakra healing slowly, and take a moment to visualize healing energy entering into each chakra. I see each chakra expanding, brightening, and beginning to spin freely. The pictures I see with each chakra healing that I do, are not always the same – and may be different from your own. Simply notice what comes up for you and focus on any visual images or physical or energetic sensations that arise as you work on your chakras. If an image does not appear to you on its own, simply see the chakra involved and notice it expanding, the colour getting brighter or more intense, and notice it beginning to spin more freely. You may as you focus on your chakras, also have thoughts or images of past events or current struggles. Simply notice what comes up while focusing on your healing symbol and allow any concerns to simply dissolve. Sometimes as we heal our chakras, traumas and past concerns will surface, in order to provide us with an opportunity to heal them. If you are pressed for time, you can also run through the chakra healing more quickly. I have witnessed powerful effects with it even when just the healing statements are used. If you do have time however, to take a more relaxed approach, it can be quite an enjoyable experience. I have often gone through the chakra healing during acupuncture treatments or during massage or reiki, and have found that the results of both the Zensight treatment and the body treatment I was having, to be particularly profound at those times. Chakra Healing Statements I heal any and all congestion or imbalance that exists in any of my chakras because… I heal all of the ways my chakras’ functioning weakens when… I heal all of the ways my chakras would be functioning optimally but…
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This figure can be found at www.healinghappens.com. At this website you can find additional information about chakras and other forms of energy healing.
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Figure 1 – The 7 Main Chakras, Colors & Key Concepts
1. Root – red - security, physical realm, groundedness, primal sexuality 2. Sacral – orange - joy, creativity, higher sexuality 3. Solar Plexus – yellow - will, power, self-esteem, gut-level intuition 4. Heart – green - love, compassion, healing, sense of community 5. Throat – blue - communication, expression, fulfillment 6. Third Eye – indigo - intuition, communication with the Divine 7. Crown – violet - spirituality, direct connection with the Divine
I heal all of the ways that the energy flow through my chakras is impeded by… I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my root chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my sacral chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my solar plexus chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my heart chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my throat chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my third eye chakra. I heal any and all congestion or imbalance in my crown chakra. I heal any and all physical, emotional, mental or spiritual concerns that have impacted upon my chakras in any way. I heal any and all emotions, traumas and concerns that have been held in any of my chakras. I now bring all of my chakras into a perfect state of alignment.
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All of my chakras are now balanced exactly as they were designed to be. Each of my chakras is now restored to a natural, vibrant, and optimal state of functioning. I now powerfully enhance and strengthen all of the functions of each chakra, and all of the emotional, bodily, and energetic systems associated with them.
The Energy Grids Some people find when doing energy work that it is effective at the time, yet the results they obtain doesn’t seem to “hold” very well. They notice that they have to revisit the same issues and incidents, over and over again. Sometimes what is happening is that different aspects of those issues or incidents are coming up. This is very normal – often as we experience healing on one layer of an issue, the other layers that were hidden underneath now surface so that they too can be healed. If, however, the very same parts that previously had felt resolved have again become problematic, it may be that broken or damaged energy grids are involved. The body’s energy grids were first identified and explained by Donna Eden, in “Energy Medicine”. Donna explains that the body contains an energy grid system that supports the overall energy system of the body. During times of shock or trauma, some of the eight individual grids may break. Having breaks in your energy grids can lead to energy work not holding well. Therefore, it is highly beneficial to repair the body’s grids. This is usually done using a physical process facilitated by an energy grid practitioner who has been specially trained by Donna Eden. Although I very frequently have worked with clients whom I had every reason to believe had broken energy grids – leading to a process of repeatedly having to re-visit the same concerns again and again – I found that many of the people I worked with were unable to access a grid practitioner. Since the physical process of repairing energy grids is quite involved and carries some risk for the practitioner, Donna Eden is rightfully cautious in how and to whom she teaches the process of physically repairing energy grids. In many areas of the world it may not be possible to access someone who has been trained by Donna Eden. Furthermore, the act of physically repairing energy grids can involve a considerable investment of both time and money, and can be both physically and emotionally intense for the client and practitioner. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to access the assistance of someone who was trained by Donna Eden, and did have my three broken energy grids repaired by her. I found this process to be both powerful and remarkable. I was astonished by the information that surfaced for the practitioner as she “read” my energy as it ran from my energy grid and through her. She was able to tell me detailed and specific incidents that had caused the energy grid we were treating that day, to become broken. It was simply amazing listening to someone describe to me some of
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the traumas I had experienced – some of which I had never told anyone, and certainly had not discussed with her. At the same time that I found the energy grid work I had done to be extremely powerful and effective, I also found it to be rather strenuous. After the first grid was repaired, I experienced a rather severe emotional “fallout” reaction that left me feeling profoundly depressed and emotionally chaotic for approximately 10 days afterwards. While this does not happen to everyone who has their grids repaired in this manner – and while my reaction following the repair of the two remaining grids involved less emotional upset afterwards – I have heard from others who have experienced similar reactions. I also have talked to people who had wanted to have their grids repaired but were too frightened to after they had talked to others who had done so! One woman I spoke with had had her first energy grid repaired but found the process so difficult that she did not return to have the others fixed. An energy grid session facilitated by someone trained to physically hook into the energetic system of the client – as taught by Donna Eden – usually lasts between two and two and a half hours. One of my own grid sessions lasted well over four hours. You can also, in most cases, only repair one energy grid at a time during a session. Some of these concerns in relation to the process of repairing energy grids lead to my experimentation with using verbal statements to heal the grids. When I first began using energy grid healing statements with clients, I was unable to say for certain that the energy grids were successfully repaired, as I did not have the training to fully test for this. What I did find is that the people I performed the grid clearing with almost always reported feeling as though many core issues had shifted as a result of the work, and that they found their energy work was now more effective and the results were now lasting. In the summer of 2005, I was lucky enough to co-facilitate an energy work retreat with 9 Sue Fraser , the energy work practitioner who did my EMDR training and most of my energy work training, and who had repaired my own energy grids using the process taught by Donna Eden. During the course of this four day retreat Sue taught participants about Energy Medicine, and how to use Donna Eden’s physical exercises to achieve overall wellness. I then taught them how they could use healing statements to resolve their personal concerns as well as energetic imbalances. This retreat provided a wonderful opportunity for us to explore whether or not the grid repairing method I had developed was as effective as I believed it to be. Prior to my taking participants through the grid healing statements, Sue tested each person to see how many and which grids they had that were in need of repair. I then took the group through the energy grid healing. Following this, Sue again tested the participants and found that every single person present tested as now having all of their energy grids fully repaired.
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Information about Sue Fraser and her work can be found at www.frasercounselling.com
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One caution that is important to mention in relation to the Zensight method of repairing energy grids is that for some people the results of the Zensight grid work may not be as permanent as those they might experience if using Donna Eden’s method of energy grid repair. I have at times found that some people need to repeat this grid clearing occasionally. However, it is reassuring that it does not take long to do so, and that Zensight grid healing is an extremely gentle and relaxing experience. I also find that it is usually not necessarily to repeat all of these statements. As with the other energetic imbalances, in most case it will be enough to simply say “ I now repeat all of the energy grid clearing I 10 did before” and then focus on the healing symbol. Muscle testing, as well as the observance of noticeably improved functioning and stability in the clients I have done this with, has indicated to me that in most cases this is all that is necessary to repeat this and most healings, once they have been performed previously in their entirety. Before repairing energy grids, please use the chakra-strengthening statements listed earlier in this chapter. The grid system requires a strong chakra system in order to function optimally. It isn’t always in your best interest to repair energy grids unless the 11 chakra system is strong enough to fully support the grids . I heal all of the reasons that my energy grids broke because… I heal all of the reasons my energy grids broke when… I heal all of the ways that my energy grids’ functioning is hindered by… I heal all of the ways that my energy grids would be functioning optimally but… I heal any and all misalignment of my energy grids. I heal all of the origins of all of my energy grid concerns. My energy grids now repair gently and easily. My entire energy field is now realigned to its natural state. My energy grids now fully connect with the grid lines of the earth. My energy grids are now repaired completely. My energy grids are now fully aligned exactly as they are meant to be. 10
Muscle testing is a method taught by kinesiologists. For more information about muscle testing, please see “Your Body Can Talk” by Carol Lehr. 11 For further information on the energy grid system, see “Energy Medicine” by Donna Eden, or visit her website at www.innersource.net.
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My energy now flows in all the ways it was designed to. I heal any and all misalignment of any other energy pathways of any kind. I heal all of the origins of any energy flow hindrance in any area of my body or energy field. I heal any and all energetic imbalance between my right side and left side. I heal any and all energetic imbalance between my top half and bottom half. I heal any and all energetic imbalance between my front and back. I heal any and all energetic imbalance between my inside and outside. I heal any and all energetic imbalance between all of these eight aspects. My energy now flows without hindrance, congestion, or blockage. My energy grids are now fully resistant to shock. I heal all of the ways that all of these issues have been being held in my body or energy field, or at the DNA, cellular, or molecular levels. I heal any and all energetic concerns of any kind that have left any energetic imprint upon any area of my body or energy field. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits and thoughts, connected to all of these issues. My subconscious mind, higher self, and the Universe, now run any and all additional healing statements that I would benefit from. I now extend all of this healing to all of the past, all of the present, and all of the future. I now retroactively repeat any and all healing work I have ever done before now. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now.
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Chapter 4
Moving Into Your Power I first came up with the idea of addressing concerns about personal empowerment when a colleague of mine was unsuccessfully trying to quit smoking. Given the events that were going on in the individual’s life at the time, and the extent of work he had done trying to shift the problem, I suspected that the issue that was holding this addiction in place was fears about coming into his own power. As a result, I suggested he work on this and came up with some healing statements he could use to address this common concern. As a result of this work, my colleague found that this layer of his concerns then shifted more easily. A number of members of an email discussion group I co-moderated at the time went on to use and expand upon these suggestions as well - as I did myself - and all of those who provided feedback in relation to it, stated that they found it to be particularly powerful in shifting related issues. I recommend a focus upon this area of healing for those who are struggling with difficulties with assertiveness and setting boundaries, or who are going through major personal or professional changes that have the potential to put them in the “spotlight” to some extent. I also find that it is particularly useful for energy work practitioners who struggle with old feelings of fear or anxiety about doing the kind of work that they feel called to do.
Enhancing Your Ability to “Move Into Your Power” Begin by thinking of a time in the past when you have felt particularly empowered. This may be a time when you felt fully grounded in your own viewpoint and opinions, and were able to respectfully communicate this either through your words or actions, or simply by holding onto your own inner truth. If you can’t think of a time when you felt particularly connected with your own sense of personal power, see if you can think of someone who you feel represents that state of being. It may be someone you know either personally or someone you know of, such as an actor or other famous person. Alternatively you can think of symbol that represents to you the feeling of being connected with personal power. Keep in mind that acts of emotional, physical or spiritual aggression or violence are not the kind of “power” we are aiming for here. Choose an image that represents a peaceful and yet firm sense of being powerful.
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Often people find it easier to come up with examples of times they felt con nected with their own power, when they were acting on someone else’s behalf – if they saw someone else being hurt or victimized in some way, and they stood up for them. Whatever image either comes to you or you choose to create, simply picture it. Let this picture become as vivid as it can, and focus on your healing symbol in connection with the picture. Notice how your body feels as you connect with that image and all of the feelings associated with it. If you are picturing yourself or someone else, notice how your (or their) posture is when they are connected with their personal power. What kinds of feelings do you think they are having? What emotions are they feeling? What words of advice would they have for you? Check in with all of those questions, and focus on whatever information comes to you. Further enhance and ground this image and felt sense into your psyche and being, through the use of your healing symbol. Once this image feels as vivid for you as it possibly can, see yourself merging with it. See the person you are now, connecting with the self that you were in that moment – or, with the aspects that the person or object you are seeing embodies. If it feels right to you, merge with the self, person, or object you are picturing. Either after you have done this, or during the process of doing this, you may also choose to use the verbal healing statements that follow: I heal the original decisions made by any parts of me that it’s not safe to be powerful because… I heal the original decisions made by any parts of me that it’s not safe to be powerful when… I heal any and all tendencies I have to give my power to others because… I heal any and all tendencies I have to give my power to others by… I heal any and all tendencies I have to give my power to others when… I heal all of the tendencies that any parts of me would have to let others hold the keys to my happiness, power, creativity, and joy. I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that I need to hide myself because… I heal all of the reasons that I choose to hide or deny my potential or power when…
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I heal any and all fear or anxiety experienced by any parts of me, when I think about fully embracing a sense of empowerment. I heal all of the ways that I stop myself from fully embracing and moving into my power by… I heal all of the ways that I hide my abilities by… I heal all of the tendencies of any parts of me to diminish myself in order to make others feel good when… I heal any and all fears that any parts of me have, about coming into power for any reason. I heal all of the ways that I block myself from coming into my power by… I heal all of the reasons that I pretend I don’t have power, or choose not to use the power that I recognize. I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me about power, that don’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me believe that how others feel is my responsibility. I heal all of the tendencies that any parts of me have, to take on a distorted or inaccurate sense of responsibility for how others feel. I heal all of the reasons I see myself as “less than” others. I heal all of the ways I both do and don’t want to be powerful. I heal all of the resistance that any parts of me feel about fully knowing and becoming who I am. I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me that I won’t know who I am if I fully embrace my power. I heal all of the fears held by any parts of me about getting lost in my ego - and all of the tendencies that any parts of me would actually have to become lost in my ego – if I were to fully connect with my own sense of personal power. I heal all of the ways I sabotage myself by… I now choose to fully connect with an accurate sense of my own personal power.
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I now am fully fully aware of, of, embrace, and and love who who I am. All of the different different parts parts of me now now fully embrace embrace all of my my power, strength strength and wisdom. I use my power power in a way way that is completely completely respectful respectful and loving of others. others. When an opportunity comes, I take it and do it. I feel safe and and comfortable comfortable fully being me. All of the different different parts parts of me now fully recognize recognize that it is safe to use use my voice, and to recognize all of the situations in which it is safe to stand up for myself and what I believe.
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Chapter 5
Transforming Core Beliefs In my own life, and during my work with clients, it has often struck me that people tend to play out certain themes in their lives over and over again. I believe that this occurs partly because early in life, in response to things we are told or experience, we make a decision about ourselves, others or the world. Our later behaviors and experiences then play out, reflect and confirm these earlier decisions or core beliefs. In order to change our core beliefs therefore, we simply focus on healing and transforming them. It doesn’t matter if you can remember when or why you first developed these beliefs – your subconscious mind will heal them for you if you simply ask it to. You can then be more open to having new experiences and creating new life patterns that are reflective of the essence of who you really are rather than the erroneous conclusions you came to early in life.
Examples of Core Beliefs Following are examples of just a few of the unlimited number of possible core beliefs. In order to figure out what your core beliefs are, when you experience any kind of upset, stop and work first first on healing the emotions you are feeling. As you do so, pay attention attention to any “beliefs” that may be “hiding” behind those emotions. Often these hidden core beliefs tend to run in themes over time and will permeate many areas of your life. For ease of use, I have divided these examples of core beliefs into sections according to beliefs about self, beliefs about others and beliefs about the world.
Core Beliefs about Self
I am not good enough. I am incompetent. I am alone. I am unwanted. I am inherently flawed. I am defective. I am powerless. I am wrong. I am inferior. I am nothing. I am worthless. I am invisible. I am insignificant.
I am unacceptable. I don’t belong. I am unwelcome. I don’t fit in. I am a nobody. I am nothing. I am boring. I don’t matter. I am ugly. I am dirty. It’s all my fault. I am crazy. I have no control.
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I am out of control. I am a failure. I will fail. I am undeserving. There is something wrong with me. I am weak. I have to be “strong”. I am ineffective. I am a victim. I have no choice. I can’t stand up for myself. I am a loser. I am not worthy. I don’t matter. I am not interesting.
I am wrong. I am stupid. I can’t understand. I am not understood. I am a mistake. I am bad. I am not safe. I am helpless. I am vulnerable. I am afraid. I am uncertain. I am not capable. I can’t say “no.” I can’t say what I need.
Core Beliefs about Others
Many of the preceding beliefs may also exist in in relation to others. For example, one may have the core belief that others are inferior. In addition, the following may be relevant: It’s not safe to let people close. Men/women are bad. Men/women are inferior. Racial minorities are inferior. Children are inferior. The elderly are inferior. People with disabilities are inferior. People who are gay or lesbian are inferior. Any minority group is inherently inferior. Any member of any spiritual faith is inherently inferior. Anyone who is different from me is inherently inferior. Core Beliefs about the World
The world is bad. The world is not safe. The world is against me. The world is evil.
I am alone in the world. I can’t trust God/the universe to protect me.
Core Beliefs about “Rules”
It’s not safe to be myself. It’s not okay to show feelings. It’s not okay to express feelings.
It’s not okay to feel feelings. It’s not safe to be happy. All good things must come to an end.
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We get what we deserve. There isn’t enough to go around. You have to work hard to get ahead. Work can’t be fun. True love is only found in fairy tales. Good things don’t happen to me. It’s not safe to say ‘no’.
It’s not safe to say what I need. It’s not okay to ask for help. It’s not safe to ask for help. It’s not safe to feel good. It’s not safe to stand up for myself. Life isn’t fair. Nice people finish last.
As you can see, the applications for core beliefs – and the potential of tremendous benefits to yourself and the world if unhealthy beliefs are healed and transformed – are seemingly endless.
Healing and Transforming Core Beliefs By now you will have identified some of your own core beliefs. So how do you go about healing them now that you are aware of what they are? There are a few different methods that you can use in beginning to gently and easily transform painful and inaccurate core beliefs. First of all, you may wish to “tune into” a core belief and how it plays out on your life. Notice what visual pictures or body sensations come up for you as you do so. Focus on these while using your healing word or symbol and notice how they change. Address any thoughts, feelings, emotions or memories that come up as you do so, through use of your healing word or symbol, use of the trauma healing protocol found in Chapter 8, or the method of raising your level of consciousness while focusing on the core belief(s), as described in Chapter 11. At the simplest and most basic level you can begin healing core beliefs through the use of verbal statements. If you look at the list of various core beliefs, you will notice that many of them – while subtly different – are connected along the same theme. My recommendation is that you begin by picking one or a few that you find represent most closely the core beliefs that you are struggling with. When you use your healing statements, word them in a way that asks to clear “anything similar to” or “connected along the same theme” as the ones you have chosen. For example: I now heal any and all core beliefs held by any parts of me on any level, connected along the theme of ‘I am not good enough’. I now heal any and all core beliefs held by any parts of me on any level, connected along the theme of ‘the world isn’t safe’. I now heal any and all core beliefs similar in any way to ‘it’s not okay to feel’. I now install the new core belief: ‘I am a valuable, worthwhile person’.
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After clearing a group of core beliefs, either through use of visualization, trauma-focused healing, verbal statements or – best of all – some combination of these methods, you may then wish to use whatever closing statements feel right to you. For example: I heal any and all traumas connected to all of these core beliefs. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits, and thoughts connected with all of these issues. I heal any and all neural pathways connected with all of these concerns, that don’t serve my highest good now. I now install new neural pathways in order to support, reinforce and continue all of the healing that has occurred, and all of the healing that’s about to occur. I heal any and all additional core beliefs that I would benefit from transforming at this time. I now install new ways of all of the different parts of me fully embracing those core beliefs that would now most enhance my growth, peace, and happiness now and in the future.
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Chapter 6 Transforming Programming Often it feels as if internalized messages go much more dee ply than simply being core beliefs or “patterns”. It can feel almost as if free will is gone entirely. When switch A is triggered, response B kicks in. Often this process feels entirely outside of one’s control and can be experienced as a knee-jerk kind of reaction. I have come to think of this type of experience as being a kind of “programming”. Where does this programming come from? Programs can be put in place by a variety of sources. In extreme cases, programs are put in place during ritual abuse by cults or cult-like groups. If you are a survivor of ritual abuse – or work with people who are – you will be familiar with this type of programming. When this kind of programming exists, special care must be taken. In such circumstances it is best to work with a trained therapist who is familiar with trauma and ritual abuse, and knowledgeable about programming. In such circumstances, parts of self may be programmed to self-harm, commit suicide, or “report in” to the cult or other groups of abusers, if the programming is challenged – or to simply put the programming back into place if it is removed. However, it is reassuring to know that such programming can be addressed – gently and safely – using energy work, when proper care is taken. Most people are programmed through less extreme – yet still profoundly effective – measures. We can be programmed by societies, by institutions, and by families. Women in western societies have been programmed by the media and by society as a whole, to feel bad about their bodies. People within institutions have often been programmed to feel helpless and ineffective when it comes to making needed changes. Perhaps the most powerful programming of all howeve r, occurs within families. Most small children are surrounded by their families a great deal – in some cases, 24 hours a day. The family is the first reference point for a child in learning about her or himself, the world, and about life. Every family has its own places of discord – even if the family is usually quite loving. In such cases, the lessons learned from the family may be strong and yet less profoundly embedded than families in which there is an atmosphere of rigidity, anger, or even terror. Following are some suggested statements that can be used to heal any “programming” that is causing suffering or concern. Be aware of any visual images that arise as you use them, either alone or in conjunction with a healing session during which other issues are being addressed.
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I heal any and all programming held by any parts of me, that doesn’t serve my highest good now. I heal any and all programming carried by any parts of me that leads to me feeling [ex. helpless, sad, depressed, angry, hopeless, etc… - whatever feels most dominant or most of concern] when… I heal any and all programming carried by any parts of me about money that doesn’t serve my highest good now. I heal any and all programming carried by any parts of me about relationships that doesn’t serve my highest good now. I heal any and all programming in relation to my family of origin that doesn’t serve my highest good now. I heal any and all programming from society that doesn’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to expect that anyone who is good to me will eventually change and become abusive. I heal all of the ways that parts of me have been programmed to expect to be abandoned. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to forget. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to doubt myself. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to self-harm. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to hate myself. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to avoid closeness. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to put myself last. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to maintain the status quo.
Healing programming can also be done as a closing statement at the end of a healing session. For example:
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I now heal any and all programs connected with all of these concerns, that don’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to put the old programming back in place if it is removed.
As you look at these statements, you will see there are an unlimited number of types of programming that can exist. It also is important to add in what you would like the new programming to be. Some examples are: I now gently, deeply, and completely program all of the different parts of me, with any and all new habits, behaviors, emotions, and beliefs that would serve my highest good now. All of the different parts of me are now programmed to be nurturing and loving towards me – and each other. I install new programs that lead to me responding to stress by taking gentle care of myself and all of the different parts of me.
Healing “Trauma Bond” Programming Part of the difficulty with trauma is the degree of intensity with which it is felt. Experiences of terror – especially when repeated - can become deeply embedded in the psyche, body, and energy field. The individual then may become “bonded” with their trauma. At times this presents as being a “trauma bond” with someone associated with the trauma – often a perpetrator of abuse. In extreme cases, this identification with – and even feelings of sympathy for and wanting to take care of – those who have abused and/or harmed, is referred to as “Stockholm Syndrome”. This term and recognition of such a phenomena originated in connection with a bank robbery which occurred in Stockholm, Sweden, after which those who had been held captive actively resisted rescue and refused to testify against their captors. A famous case of Stockholm syndrome from the United States is that of Patty Hearst who, after being kidnapped, tortured, and held prisoner by the Symbionese Liberation Army, joined with them and for a period of time helped them to rob banks. She was later pardoned by the government for her role in this, out of recognition that from a psychological perspective she was not fully in control of her actions. Stockholm syndrome – or aspects of it - can also be created by day-to-day experiences of domestic violence and child abuse.
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Trauma bonds can also occur in the form of closely identifying oneself in relation to one’s trauma. When this occurs, one can experience fear and uncertainty about “letting go of” the effects of the trauma. Although most people will readily say that they want to be free of their traumatic symptoms, I have frequently witnessed – and at times have experienced myself – a reaction of feeling “not ready” to heal a trauma because parts of me feel unsure about how life would proceed – and even who I would be – if I were to allow this healing to occur. Following is a list of healing statements that may assist in counteracting this type of experience – work with parts of self, as discussed in the Chapter 9, will also be of great benefit, as will healing relationships between yourself and those who have harmed you. Please note that the use of the word “violence” includes all forms of violence – physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Emotional violence and/or neglect is equally traumatic – and sometimes even more so – than physical or sexual violence. I heal any and all trauma bonds that exist between myself and any perpetrators of violence of any kind. I heal any and all trauma bonds existing between myself and [name of specific perpetrator]. I heal all of the tendencies, patterns or programming, that any parts of me have that are similar in any way to Stockholm syndrome, in any area of my life. I heal any and all Stockholm syndrome – or anything similar to it – experienced by any parts of me, in relation to the world. I heal any and all Stockholm syndrome – or anything similar to it - experienced by any parts of me, in relation to authority figures. I heal any and all Stockholm syndrome – or anything similar to it – experienced by any parts of me in relation to men/women. I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me that the bad things I have experience are more important than any of the neutral and positive experiences of my life. I heal any and all sense of identity taken on by any parts of me, as being someone who is abused, harmed by others, or a “victim” in any sense. I install new recognition in all of the different parts of me, of the reality of my present day.
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All of the different parts of me feel a growing sense of empowerment, to make choices that are safe and healthy for me now.
Healing Programming Through Visualization The use of visualization offers a unique and sometimes rapid way of “reprogramming” oneself. Something I have found helpful is to have someone picture “files” inside their mind – with each file representing a “program” of some kind. I then suggest that people focus on the picture of these files, while using their healing symbol, and picture these files being cleaned out. When I have done this myself, I will suddenly “see” a filing cabinet full of file folders. I sometimes will see what each file represents, and then use my healing symbol until the file is cleaned out. When it feels “done” for that moment, I then will insert new files containing the new programming that I would like to experience instead. For example, I may insert programming for myself that whenever I feel u pset or unwell, I am now “programmed” to do self-care and to feel nurturing towards myself – rather than returning to the old programs of trying to act as if nothing is wrong, or of feeling depressed or down. It is not necessary in picturing the files, that you know what each one represents. It is enough to picture them and set the intent that any programs connected with a particular issue (for example, feeling “alone”) will be replaced with ones that are more conducive to feelings of peace and happiness. You can then just focus on the visual image of the files being cleaned out. Your subconscious mind will already know what aspects and concerns need to be modified, even if you are not consciously aware of them yourself. A similar analogy and image that one could use is to picture the inside of your mind as being similar to the hard drive of a computer. You can then picture the files being “cleared” – whether through deleting them, upgrading to new programs, or through running a “virus removal” or “spyware removal” program.
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Chapter 7
Healing Relationships Relationship distress - whether in connection with past or current relationships, with romantic partners, family members, friends, acquaintances, or colleagues – is probably one of the largest and most universally experienced stressors we know. In any workshop or teleconference call I have ever facilitated, I have yet to come across someone who, when asked, had any difficulty at all in thinking of a relationship that they would like to bring healing to. If any uncertainty is experienced, it is generally in relation to choosing which painful relationship to choose to focus on. I have even, on a few occasions, had participants ask if it was okay to focus on multiple relationships at one time! Given that we all have painful relationships in our lives, it is essential that we have a way of rapidly bringing healing and relief to them. When we are unable to let go of upsets and conflicts, they continue to cloud the present day. When this happens, we can feel unable to experience the deeper feelings of love that we may have for this person – or alternatively, we may continue to cling to a relationship that no longer has love in it, or to a desperate hope to return to a past time when things were better. It is also the case that holding onto upset about past relationships that are long over can prevent us from fully connecting with and enjoying our present day relationships.
Choosing Relationships to Heal Which relationship in your life is currently causing you the most pain and distress? Healing this relationship may be the most ideal place to start. All too often the relationship that causes us the most upset in our lives is the relationship we have with ourselves. I find that it is extremely beneficial to begin here. Sometimes when taking someone through the relationship healing process, if they feel “stuck” at some point and unable to shift their concerns until their level of upset is at 0 out of 10 – where no upset at all remains – I will stop and have them heal the relationship they have with themselves. Often once that is done, we can then go back and check in with the other relationship we were working on. In many cases that relationship will then feel completely better. If it doesn’t, at that point it tends to not be difficult to finish healing it. When healing the relationship you have with yourself, it is also ideal to work on relationship healing with your different parts of self. This will be discussed further in Chapter 9. Other possible relationships you may wish to heal may be those with your children, your spouse, your parents, and so forth. Even if these relationships are not painful or
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particularly conflict-ridden, a great deal of good can still come from strengthening them further. Relationship healing can also be beneficial when done in connection with people who are no longer in your life. Sometimes past relationships that have ended continue to cause difficulties in the present – whether due to feelings of grief for having lost the relationship or loved one, or due to past anger or other feelings of upset that are still being held onto even though the person is no longer present. Our “relationship” with someone sometimes persists long after our actual contact with them has ended.
Relationship Healing Statements I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not safe to completely heal this relationship with [name of person]. I now heal any and all upset of any kind that any parts of me feel in relation to [name of person]. I heal all of the ways that when I think about [name of person] parts of me feel… I now heal any and all anger, rage, hostility or resentment that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [ name of person]. I now heal any and all judgment, blame, criticism, or unforgiveness that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [name of person] for anything. I now heal any and all fear, worry, sadness, grief or loss that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [name of person]. I now fully release any and all roles I have taken on from [name of person] that don’t serve my highest good now. I now fully release any and all roles I have assigned to [name of person] that don’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that seeing, thinking about or hearing of [name of person] impacts upon my body, emotions, or energy field in any way that does not serve my highest good. I heal any and all energetic cords connecting me to [name of person] that do not serve my highest good. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, habits, behaviors, and thoughts connected to all of these issues.
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I install new ways of feeling completely at peace in connection to [name of person] and my relationship with him/her. I can now see, think about, hear about, and interact with [name of person] and hold onto my sense of self, inner peace, and personal power.
Now stop and picture this person and your relationship with her/him. Notice if any upset is remaining. If some upset is still present, focus on whatever image comes to mind when you think of this person. Keep your attention on this image while also using your healing symbol, and just allow the upset to dissolve. Notice how the picture changes as you do this. If you notice remaining upset, use additional healing statements specifying the particular emotion and/or body sensations that are still present. Alternatively, simply focus on the sensation and use your symbol until it disappears completely. Finally, take time to picture yourself interacting with this person in the present and future. See yourself interacting and responding to her/him exactly as you would like to. See pictures of this, while focusing on your healing symbol, and allow this image and expectation to be installed more deeply. You also may wish to use the visualization method first and then heal anything that is left using whatever statements feel right to you.
Releasing Connections to Those Who Have Caused Harm It is important to note that the results of every relationship healing may not be that you and that person continue – or resume – contact with each other. In some cases, it may not be in your best interests to do so. This is something that only you can decide. While Zensight relationship healing is highly beneficial, it is not a brainwashing technique. This is something I often will discuss with clients who are wanting to bring healing to past relationships where they have been hurt, but parts of them are afraid that it’s not safe to heal those relationships in case they then “forget” what that person has been like in the past. Healing a relationship will not make you forget the things that have occurred between you and this person. It will not result in you experiencing a “Pollyanna” type perspective of the relationship, where you suddenly see this person only in positive terms. However, what it can do is release all of the past feelings of upset that are weighing you down in the present and, in some cases, may be preventing you from being able to experience this person in the now, rather than who they have been in the past. If they do continue to do things that are hurtful towards you, you may then be able to feel less affected by this, whether or not you choose to keep them in your life.
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Healing your emotional baggage connected with a relationship can help you to feel better and more peaceful, and lead to you being less reactive in the relationship. In some cases your lowered reactivity will lead to the other person feeling and behaving differently, and so the relationship may then proceed in a more positive direction. In other cases, healing your emotional baggage connected with a relationship may mean that you suddenly are more able to “see” that person, and realize that they are not a positive influence in your life. This may assist you in fully letting go of them, so that you can move forward in a way that allows you to experience greater health, peace, and freedom in your life and within your psyche. If someone in your life has been abusive or toxic for you – and especially if they continue to be in the present day - sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is to end the relationship or limit your contact with that person. The Question of Forgiveness
Something I am frequently asked by clients who have experienced abuse is whether they need to forgive their abusers. People who are struggling with harm that has been inflicted on them by others often are told by well-meaning friends or family that they need to “forgive and forget.” In responding to the question of forgiveness, it is important to clarify what “forgiveness” means to that person. Too often, what people mean by this is that they should stop talking about or reacting to what happened, and should act as though the events didn’t occur. Sometimes this includes the expectation that they continue to maintain a relationship with their abusers. Forgiveness is a very complicated and emotionally laden issue. Factors that affect matters of forgiveness include such things as the extent of the harm that was inflicted and the attitude of the person who caused the harm. It is far easier to forgive someone who has had one or a few incidents of unintentionally or thoughtlessly causing you harm, who takes full responsibility for their actions, make amends toward you and ceases to cause harm in the present. Many people may be able to more readily move toward forgiveness of such a person, even if the harm that occurred was significant. Understandably, we often have more difficulty with forgiveness when someone intentionally and repeatedly caused harm, has taken no responsibility for their behavior or its effects on others, and continues to cause harm in the present. True forgiveness often comes at the latter stages of healing. It isn’t possible to truly forgive someone for something if you are disconnected from the emotional reality of the incident or if you are unable to function as a result of the effects of the past event(s). Truly forgiving someone also doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t talk about the past. When someone has taken full responsibility for their actions and the impact they had, and when we have been able to forgive them, we should feel free to discuss it when needed so that each person can continue to work through the past event until it feels better.
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Similarly, truly forgiving someone does not mean that you need to continue to have a relationship with him or her. Sometimes we forgive someone but choose to not allow them to be a part of our lives because they continue to cause harm, or because we feel we can no longer trust them. We may eventually feel that we can see them in their humanness, have compassion for them and wish them well in their lives, and yet simply let go of them. Or, alternatively, we may be able to keep them in our lives. This is often a difficult and highly personal decision and is one that nobody has the right to make for anyone else. If forgiveness is a concept that resonates for you in relation to people who have hurt you, then by all means Zensight can be used to facilitate this. You can then include healing statements and visualizations to that effect, when you focus on healing the relationship in question. If however, statements pertaining to forgiveness in the Zensight relationship healing protocol don’t feel right to you when you approach a particular relationship, by all means you can choose to modify them. You may, however, after doing the rest of the healing protocol, go back and check to see if those aspects now feel okay. If they do, you may wish to proceed with them – the goal is to heal the relationship completely so that you can feel as healthy and as free as possible. If forgiving still doesn’t feel right, however, you can simply leave it for now. If you are then able to move forward and not feel pulled back by this relationship then the goal has been met. If further healing work needs to be done, this can take place at a different time. Sometimes we do different pieces of our emotional healing work at different points in our lives.
Other Kinds of Relationship Healing Something that often surprises people when it is suggested is the idea of doing relationship healing with inanimate objects. Examples of this include healing the relationship you have with money, with food, with exercise, with your body, and with sex. You may also wish to do relationship healing on your relationship with God, or other spiritual leaders, if this fits with your belief system. Alternatively, I find it is often beneficial to use the relationship healing process to heal the relationship you may have with anything you are struggling with. This may b e a diagnosis you have been given – whether it is for a physical, emotional, or mental health concern. For example, one may wish to heal the relationship they have with their depression, pain, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Similarly, one may wish to do relationship healing with a specific area of the body. If experiencing back pain, you may wish to heal the relationship you have with your back - as well as with “the past” which some believe the back metaphorically represents.
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Chapter 8
Healing Past Experiences of Trauma All of us have experienced trauma in some form or other at various points of our lives, although not everyone recognizes this. Frequently when people are asked about past traumas they will report that they “have never experienced trauma.” Most people, when they say this, are referring to what are known as “big-T” traumas.
Big-T Traumas Big-T traumas are usually easily recognized by most people as being traumatic. Examples are experiences of physical or sexual abuse, war or kidnapping. However, even when speaking only of big-T traumas, it is clear from the statistics that many of us have experienced them. Although it is widely recognized that sexual violence tends to be vastly under-reported – especially by men – the prevalence is estimated at about one in three for women and one in five for men. If other forms of abuse, as well as other types of obvious big-T traumas – motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, physical assaults and so on – were factored in, these numbers would be much higher. Sometimes a trauma is experienced as a big-T trauma, but the individual doesn’t recognize it as such because it was an event that isn’t often socially recognized as being traumatic. One example of this is invasive medical testing or procedures. Such procedures – regardless of how much they may be needed for health reasons, or the benevolent intent of the people providing them – can lead to profound symptoms of trauma. This is particularly true for young children, especially if they aren’t adequately prepared and/or are given inaccurate information about what to expect. Later in life, symptoms of trauma may be evident even to the individuals themselves, but they may have difficulty in understanding or recognizing the origins of the difficulties. Many people who experience big-T traumas will go on to develop persistent symptoms of trauma. These may include hypervigilance, avoidance of places, situations or material that are associated with the traumatic experiences, nightmares, insomnia, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts about the traumatic events and so forth. If certain criteria are met, the person may be considered to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). People who have experienced severe and repeated trauma, particularly in childhood, may also develop dissociative disorders. All of these difficulties may interfere with present-day relationships and feelings of general safety. It is not at all unusual for people to experience even a severely traumatic incident and go for weeks, months or years before noticing any lasting symptoms as a result. Such symptoms may later suddenly emerge when the person encounters another stressful experience or reaches a different stage of life. That is part of why it is beneficial to
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process and resolve past traumatic experiences, regardless of whether or not they appear to be particularly intruding on present day life at this time.
Small-t Traumas Whether or not we have personally encountered big-T traumas, we have all experienced what are known as small-t traumas. Small-t traumas may appear to be more seemingly “minor” events in childhood, such as getting lost, being called names on the playground, or being ignored or ridiculed rather than comforted when sick or upset. Small-t traumas sound less dramatic than the more obvious big-T traumas. However, left unprocessed, they create areas of vulnerability that persist into the long term and can cause difficulties such as low self-esteem and persistent feelings of aloneness, among other possibilities. In addition, these small-t traumas leave one at risk of being more seriously affected by big-T traumas if they do oc cur. In cases of childhood neglect, the continuous and repeated experiences of small-t traumas can lead to profound symptoms of trauma including feelings of hopelessness, depression and attachment difficulties. In situations where big-T and small-t traumas coexist, the resulting effects can be particularly severe, often encompassing all areas of the individual’s life.
Dealing with Trauma The extent to which each of us is affected by the traumas we have experienced depends on a variety of factors. Some examples include the number of traumas that have been endured, the duration of the traumatic event(s), the perception of intent by someone to do harm, the age of the person at the time the event(s) occurred, or the perception of the event as being life-threatening (whether this was true in reality or not). For example, if you were to survive a terrorist activity, such as a bombing, you would go through many of the same experiences as someone who survived an earthquake – property damage, risk of death or severe injury, loss of loved ones and so on. However, in the vast majority of cases, the person who has been exposed to terrorist activity will be far more likely to experience severe and lasting symptoms of trauma than the individual who lived through an earthquake, because the event occurred at the hands of someone intending harm rather than as part of a random natural disaster. The Traditional Approach to Trauma Resolution
I have been providing counseling and psychotherapy in some form or other with survivors of trauma for the past 12 years. My original training was in the traditional talk therapy model. This generally involves taking someone through their traumatic memories, while attempting to keep them grounded in the present, and offering concrete
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information and emotional support in order to assist them in fully realizing that the traumatic events are over, were not their fault, and that they are now safe in the present day. In my experience, this does lead to people noticing improvement. However, they usually began to feel significantly worse before they felt better, and healing from trauma was at best a very back-and-forth, slow and gradual process. The reasonable goal at that time was to assist people in better understanding and coping with their traumatic symptoms. It has now become increasingly recognized that talk therapy alone is insufficient in assisting people to fully recover from trauma. One reason is that much of trauma doesn’t reside solely in the intellectual or emotional realms. Instead, much of the impact of trauma is stored on the physiological level. The bodily responses that occur in relation to past experiences of trauma are often outside of conscious control, and so techniques that involve understanding and rationalizing oneself out of the response tend not to be particularly effective. The body’s natural responses to danger are fight, flight or freeze. If you have experienced significant trauma, you can become stuck in any one of these responses – or in different ones at different times. Most commonly, people tend to get stuck in the freeze response, because in most situations involving trauma, fight or flight wasn’t an option. A pervasive “freeze response” often exists in the forms of anxiety, fea r and agoraphobia. I strongly encourage readers who are interested in further understanding the ways in which trauma affects the body physiologically and energetically to read Peter Levine’s book, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma . In some cases, some of the trauma-focused talk therapy that has been done has unintentionally caused people to be re-traumatized, because they have been encouraged to discuss and relive their traumas without first having sufficient resources in place. In order to prevent re-traumatization, it is important that traumas be released and processed in a way that prevents the individual from experiencing intense upset. This understandably poses quite a challenge when dealing with traumatic memories that by nature are generally associated with extremely intense emotional and physiological reactions. An additional difficulty in traditional means of processing trauma through talk therapy involves the risk to the professional. Those working in the trauma field often are vicariously traumatized by the information they hear repeatedly in their day-to-day work. Counselors and therapists who do trauma-focused work may begin to experience some of the same symptoms that their clients report, and find that their worldview and sense of personal safety become increasingly affected by the incidents that are shared with them.
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New Modalities
Happily, many professionals no longer accept that living with the effects of trauma has to be a life sentence. Many treatment modalities are now available that assist clients in healing from their pasts more rapidly and thoroughly than ever before. My personal and professional journey of realization that the outcome of trauma treatment can be much more hopeful than simply “learning to cope” began when I was first trained in a technique called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR facilitates a more rapid resolution of trauma, and permeates to much deeper levels than talk therapy alone can ever hope to reach. Countless professionals who work with trauma survivors have, with EMDR, acquired an incredibly powerful therapeutic tool that enables them to assist people in healing from their past, and in more easily attaining the improved quality of life that they desire and deserve. However, EMDR isn’t an ideal approach for everyone. Particular care needs to be taken 12 when working with clients who aren’t feeling stable in their coping, are dissociative , are recently recovered from substance abuse problems and so on. There is also an element of risk present that individuals may experience emotional flooding with EMDR. Not every person will experience this, but it isn’t always possible to predict in advance which people will. It is therefore necessary to only begin EMDR treatment with those people who have enough internal strength and external supports to cope with intense upset if it does occur. Furthermore, EMDR treatment requires the availability of a skilled EMDRtrained therapist, which not everyone is able to access. In my own clinical practice, I frequently work with people with complex histories of childhood abuse and neglect, and often corresponding experiences of severe dissociation, self-harming or suicidal behaviors, and/or substance abuse issues. It is my belief that, given the harshness of the experiences that brought many of these individuals to seek treatment, it is important that they experience healing in a safe and non-threatening manner. My search for modalities that would work rapidly, effectively and, most of all, gently and thus would be beneficial for any client I might encounter, led me to explore energy work. I was first introduced to Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), created by Gary Craig. This is yet another wonderfully effective method that assists people in rapidly processing their traumas, fears, phobias and other concerns. It is also a technique that most experience as being relatively gentle. The healing that I personally experienced when using EFT, as well as the healing that I witnessed my clients experiencing, led me to embrace and further explore the field of energy psychology. Eventually I obtained training in a variety of additional and equally wonderful energy psychology modalities, including Fred Gallo’s Negative Affect Erasing Method™
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Dissociation is a temporary or prolonged disruption in normal consciousness in which one’s sense of identity, memory and/or perception of the environment may be altered or separated.
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(NAEM™), Tapas Fleming’s Tapas Acupressure TechniqueTM (TATTM), and Larry Nim’s Be Set Free Fast™ (BSFF™). These modalities, and the responses my clients and I have experienced with the healing effects they create, have assisted me in learning more about how the successful resolution of traumas and other difficulties can be attained. Each of these methods has contributed something remarkable to the field of energy work and to the field of psychotherapy in general. However, I noticed that some clients still experienced intense feelings of overwhelm, even when using these modalities. Highly dissociative clients in particular tended to 13 sometimes experience severe bodily abreactions when using even the gentlest of energy work techniques to directly target their traumas, or even the symptoms created by the trauma. Furthermore, many of these modalities require identifying all of the various emotions, thoughts and behaviors surrounding the issue being targeted. Depending on the complexity of the issue being processed, and how well these aspects are hidden, this may be a fairly involved and time-consuming process. The need to “tune in” and connect with the incident in order to discover these hidden aspects, so that the treatment will be effective, also increases the risk that some feelings of overwhelm will be experienced during the processing. The Zensight Difference
With Zensight, rather than needing to target specific circumstances in which symptoms are experienced, or having to fully reconnect with traumatic memories, you can heal the traumatic effects quite gently and thoroughly, at the general level – sometimes without even using words. This has wonderful benefits, because results then generalize to many areas of life, without the need to first identify what those areas are. The use of nonverbal methods of healing trauma helps results to generalize even further, and can be particularly beneficial in healing trauma that occurred during preverbal phases of childhood. What’s more, the ability to work on issues at a very general level has tremendous benefits for those who find that they easily become either intensely flooded and overwhelmed with emotion or, conversely, become completely blank and/or disconnected when they focus on their concerns. It is often possible to avoid feeling anything worse than mild upset while using Zensight, and yet still experience profound and lasting healing. The need to work on a physiological as well as emotional, mental and spiritual levels; the importance of avoiding feelings of overwhelm in both trauma survivors and the professionals who work with them; and the very complexity surrounding how traumatic
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An abreaction is a very severe form of flashback, during which individuals relive traumas – emotionally, visually and often physically – as if they are occurring in the present moment.
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material is stored, recalled and experienced, are all factors which make Zensight an ideal technique for healing trauma. By pairing verbal healing statements together with use of visualization, Zensight also ensures that trauma processing reaches many different areas of the brain. Visual methods of healing trauma can also be of particular benefit in working to eliminate and/or 14 drastically reduce the tendency to relive traumatic memories in the form of flashbacks .
Processing Trauma with Zensight One caveat before you begin to learn how to use Zensight to directly heal traumatic memories: Zensight promotes self-healing, and is experienced very gently in most cases. However, when severe, complex and/or childhood trauma is present – or if you aren’t feeling stable in day-to-day coping – I recommend that you consult a professional instead of working alone. Local rape crisis centers or other agencies that specialize in trauma are often able either to provide counseling (in some cases this may be at a low cost or free) or to refer to local practitioners with expertise in trauma. Zensight is also very amenable to telephone sessions, which I provide to people from all over the world. It is particularly important to recognize that if you are barely coping, this is not the time to intentionally begin processing traumatic memories, especially in isolation. While Zensight minimizes the amount of emotional flooding, it is still possible that some may be experienced. Furthermore, isolation is often a big part of the original trauma, and so it is extremely helpful and healing to have a supportive person to witness and facilitate the healing process. If you experience intense symptoms of trauma it is best, to begin with a focus on processing symptoms apart from the traumas themselves. For example, it would be ideal to first focus on healing all of the different ways that anxiety, terror, fear, feelings of being unsafe, the need to have control – or whatever else is relevant – in different areas of life, before going directly to a focus on traumatic memories. A good place to begin healing is to work on the relationship you have with yourself - or different parts of yourself – as well as with significant others in your current life. Too often the effects of trauma result in a negative self-image and/or feeling unable to connect with even those people who are supports, in current day life. If addictions or other self-harming behaviors are present, these also need to be addressed, ideally before beginning to process traumas directly. Developing, building upon and deepening feelings such as peace, calmness, safety, confidence and self-love is another great way to begin.
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A “flashback” is a sudden re-experiencing of a traumatic event. While flashbacks can be emotional, auditory or olfactory, most often people experience visual flashbacks where they see visual images of the event as if it was occurring in the present moment.
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Frequently people will have the attitude that they don’t want to do this preliminary work first – they want to go directly to the trauma and process it so that they can finally feel free of it! They often feel as if they have waited so long to let go of the trauma, and are concerned that this preliminary groundwork just delays addressing the “real” issue. However, when trauma is not specifically focused on until there is calmness and stability in day to day coping, I find that the entire process of healing often goes faster and far more smoothly. It is often the case that, after using Zensight to address various symptoms felt in current day life, that the traumatic memories will already be at least partially healed. Even when the focus is upon “symptoms,” Zensight goes far beyond the surface level, and heals at the root level. As a result, many of the problematic feelings and beliefs that people carry in relation to their past traumas are often vastly improved or even eliminated, even before the traumatic memories are directly targeted themselves. It may seem counterintuitive that times of feeling safe and coping well in the present are the best times to process trauma. Instead, many feel at those times, that they don’t want to “rock the boat” and upset the equilibrium they are currently experiencing. However, traumas left unprocessed leave an area of vulnerability. With Zensight, in most cases fear of feeling worse again if traumas are directly targeted can be less of a concern. You can usually approach the traumatic incidents at this point and process them without experiencing undue upset. However, as with other techniques for healing trauma, it sometimes happens that as one area is healed, others that were hiding underneath it float to the surface, and need to be addressed. Sometimes it isn’t until a day or a few days after a session that you will experience upset. If this occurs, it is important to keep going with the process. You can use Zensight to work on healing the upsetting feelings that have come up, either by focusing on them or by working on strengthening feelings that will counter them – such as feelings of safety, calmness and peacefully. You may also need to take a moment to address other past events that may have risen to the surface as the other ones healed. One of the benefits of first clearing the upsetting emotions and symptoms that surround the original trauma before you target the trauma directly is that you will experience less upset as you work on the trauma. You will also feel more confident in your ability to rapidly and gently heal whatever upset does arise. When healing trauma, unless the individual’s own wisdom about what is right for them indicates otherwise, I generally recommend beginning with verbal healing statements rather than visualizations. This is simply because sometimes it can be quite difficult and emotionally upsetting to “tune into” a visual picture that represents a traumatic incident. Once the trauma healing statements have been used in relation to the incident, in most cases the emotional distress associated with it will be either mostly or completely gon e.
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At this point it becomes much easier and gentler to use visualization in connection with the traumatic incident. Doing so ensures that the memory has been completely processed, activates additional areas of the brain in the healing process, and also adds the benefit of reducing the likelihood that the individual will continue to experience any visual flashbacks of the incident, if this has been an issue before.
Trauma Healing Statements In order to understand the wording of some of the healing statements used with trauma, it is helpful to think in terms of “beliefs” that are often formed in relation to traumatic experiences. These beliefs – for example, that one isn’t safe, that one has no control, that there is no escape, or that one is “bad”– then lead to the physiological responses that the body had at the time and has continued to relive well after the traumatic event was over. These beliefs also lead to the formation of patterns and habits that became prevalent in the psyche and have gone on to influence thoughts, behaviors and feelings into the long term. With Zensight it isn’t necessary to be able to identify or understand all of the beliefs that were formed in relation to trauma – the subconscious mind knows what they are and will heal them accordingly, when asked to do so. When targeting trauma, you may wish to first check in by thinking of the traumatic incident and get a Subjective Units of Distress (SUDs) rating on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 represents no upset at all and 10 is the highest level of upset possible. This process of obtaining a SUDs rating provides a way of measuring how much relief has occurred. If, however, the idea or act of “tuning into” the traumatic memory causes intense distress, simply skip this step. It will be easier and less upsetting to “tune into” the traumatic memory after using the healing statements, and a SUDs rating can be obtained at that time. When you are ready, use the following healing statements: I heal all of the beliefs formed by any parts of me when [name of the incident] occurred. I heal all of the beliefs formed by any parts of me about myself, others, the world, or what I can expect from life, in relation to this incident. I heal all of the beliefs taken on by any parts of me, in relation to this incident, that… I heal all of the ways that all of these issues have been being held in my body and energy field, or at the DNA, cellular or molecular levels. I heal all of the ways that all of the different parts of me experienced this incident. I heal any and all aspects of this incident that I may not remember.
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I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits, and thoughts conn ected to all of these issues. I heal any and all neural pathways connected with all of these concerns, that don’t serve my highest good now.
It happened, it’s over, and I’m safe now. It is safe for me to completely let go of all of my upset surrounding this incident. I install new ways of now feeling at peace with this incident, and at peace with myself in relation to it. All of this healing is completely effective for all of the past, all of the present, and all of the future. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now. I now install new neural pathways in order to support, reinforce and continue all of the healing that has occurred, and all of the healing that is about to occur. Check In: Reflect upon the traumatic incident. What is the SUDs level now? It is important to keep going with the processing until the SUDs drops to 0 and your body feels calm and relaxed. If you now feel comfortable doing so, you can proceed by using visualization in order to further deepen the healing effects.
If using visualization in connection with the traumatic memory does not feel okay to you, you can continue to heal the remaining upset by tuning into the residual emotions and/or body sensations and focusing on your healing word or symbol. Another idea is to heal “all of the beliefs connected with all of the beliefs I formed when [name the incident] occurred.” Even though you may have no idea what these beliefs are, that is unimportant – your subconscious mind will know and will heal them for you if asked to do so. Verbal statements directed towards targeting whatever thoughts, feelings and emotions are still left in connection to the incident, can also be used. If another trauma is now surfacing that needs to be addressed, you can stop and use Zensight to target that memory first before continuing in healing this one – or you can set the intent that both will heal simultaneously. As with other uses of Zensight Process, the goal is to continue until you feel completely peaceful and your body feels relaxed and free of any uncomfortable sensations.
Healing Trauma with Visualization If you prefer to, you can choose to approach a traumatic memory with visualization from the start. It may be an idea to picture either a metaphoric picture instead of the actual
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trauma, or to picture for example the child that you were in that moment rather than the actual events. However, if the picture of a traumatic event spontaneously comes to you and is front and centre in your mind, there is no reason you shouldn’t start with that, providing you feel comfortable in doing so. If the picture feels overwhelming, remind yourself that you have control over what you choose to see, and work on changing the picture in some way. You can change the picture you are seeing by imagining that it is appearing on a movie screen. You can achieve greater emotional distance from it by choosing to change the picture so that it is black and white, see it from a greater distance away, or if you are seeing the event as it played out, imagine that you are hitting a “fast forward” button so that it runs through 15 more quickly . If you are seeing something that happened to you as a child, bring your adult self into the picture and see her or him providing comfort to your child self. If you don’t feel able to comfort the child self, bring someone else into the picture who feels right to you and who is able to do that. This may be someone from your life who was nurturing towards you in the past or is so now in the present. It also may be angels, your dog, or whoever else feels right to you. Another way of changing the picture is by modifying the outcome. Instead of seeing the actual events, you can see someone else coming in and assisting you – you may also choose to see yourself becoming stronger and having the power to take control and stop yourself from being harmed, even if in reality you did not have that ability back then. You can picture yourself saying whatever you wish you could have said at the time, or would like to say now. Remember to keep connecting at different times with whatever healing symbol, word or image feels right to you. While making these changes in how the pictures appear to you will obviously not change the facts regarding what occurred at the time, it can provide a great deal of healing, in the same way that many athletes have found that having previously visualized themselves performing well in a game, results in improved actual performance during it. All of these techniques can also be extremely helpful in dealing with flashbacks that arise. A flashback is a sudden dramatic reliving of an event. Flashbacks can occur through any of the senses. Someone may suddenly see a picture in their mind of a traumatic incident, or they may re-experience smells that were present at the time, hear sounds that were connected with the incident, or relive the emotions that they felt during it. A feeling of personal power can be reclaimed by altering any “pictures” or other elements of a flashback as they are experienced, and focusing on the healing symbol. With very intense flashbacks, it may be difficult to address them in the moment. However, even if all you are able to do at the time is focus on your healing symbol, it
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These types of suggestions are called “interweaves” and are generally associated with EMDR and related approaches.
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may help a great deal, and you can choose to do additional work on the flashback later when feeling safe again. I have had feedback from a number of clients who started using the ir healing symbol whenever they experienced a flashback and soon found that their flashbacks happened less and less often, took increasingly larger triggers to occur, and in some cases stopped completely, even before we directly approached and processed the traumatic memories. The beauty of healing trauma is that “space” is then made inside for new possibilities. It is therefore important to remember to install the positive new ways of being that you would like to bring in to replace the old ways. Case Study: Healing Trauma from Infancy
Recently I used Zensight to bring healing to some core traumas that occurred early in my own life. A considerable amount of trauma occurred during my infancy, as I was born 10 weeks prematurely, and into less than welcoming circumstances. Compounding matters, when I was sent home from the hospital my entire family had pneumonia. I then contracted pneumonia and because my lungs were not yet fully developed, I nearly died. This time of early infancy involved repeated hospitalization, institutionalized care, and a rejecting atmosphere when I finally came home permanently. My mother’s first baby had died after being born under similar circumstances and I believe that this along with having overheard a doctor saying that I was not going to live, my being colicky as an infant, and her feeling unsupported in her role as a mother – together with whatever trauma had occurred in her own life – caused her to be distant, rejecting and with a tendency to direct rage towards me for my entire childhood. When relatively innocuous circumstances in my current day life triggered a feeling of intense abandonment and aloneness, I used Zensight to help me to figure out what was going on. Immediately as I checked for visual images, I saw myself as a young baby and realized that it was issues from infancy that were the source of my current distress. I stopped and tuned in more and saw the image of a broken heart, split completely apart. I focused on this image while using my healing symbol and watched the pieces of the heart come together and the jagged line between the pieces to heal and dissolve completely. The heart expanded, grew bigger, and started to beat. It then filled with an incredibly beautiful and peaceful, white and golden light. Once this image of the heart was feeling completely peaceful, I then returned to the image of myself as an infant. I saw myself – this part of me – crying and feeling alone and unloved. I saw myself as an adult picking up this infant and holding her lovingly and rocking her while stroking her, cuddling her, and giving her soothing messages and unconditional love.
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The emotional distress became a shadow of what it had been. I then alternated my focus repeatedly back and forth between being myself comforting this infant, and being the 16 infant receiving this comfort . As this infant self began to be filled with feelings of being loved, I then used healing statements aimed at healing all of the disconnect that existed between this infant self and I. The infant began to be filled with light, as did the adult self in the picture. I saw us both being filled with healing energy, and used affirming statements grounding in our new, deeper connection with each other and emphasizing reclamation of this part of me, and love for her – for myself. Following this I felt an increased sense of peace. While some emotion regarding the situation was still present, I experienced it in the sense of recognizing the importance of treating myself with loving compassion and a sense of nurturance. Instead of feeling in a depressed funk, I was now able to go about my day and to do the things I had planned, focusing on what I was doing in a healthy way, while maintaining a partial focus also on this infant self taking care of her, and hence myself.
When Multiple Traumas are Present If you have experienced many traumas, healing them – and healing issues in general – may proceed more gradually than for those who have had a less difficult path. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because it will allow you to gradually adjust to a new way of being. If you have been dealing with many issues and suddenly they all drop off at once, this can provoke anxiety. People with significant trauma histories often have difficulties adjusting to change, because at times of trauma, the unknown led to frightening and unsafe experiences. The changes with Zensight are healing changes that will help you to feel better and achieve the things you wish to, and yet parts of you may still experience fear or uncertainty about this process of change. For this reason, gradual but steady changes help provide you with the time to adjust to the new ways of being. If fears do arise about change, remember to use Zensight to target these fears as you become aware of them. Even in cases where complex trauma has occurred, healing with Zensight should still proceed much more quickly – and gently – than is typical using more traditional models of healing. It isn’t that you can’t be helped by Zensight but it can increase the likelihood that more sessions – whether done as self-healing, with a professional, or with some combination of the two – and additional support, may be required.
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Nurturing the infant part of self and alternating focus between giving the nurturance and being the infant receiving it, is a concept borrowed from April Steele’s “Imaginal Nurturing” EMDR. For more information about April Steele and Imaginal Nurturing, please see www.april-steele.ca
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It is also sometimes the case with complex trauma that as some traumas are resolved, others begin to become more intrusive in your thoughts than they were previously, and periods of feeling unsettled could occur. If this happens, you can use Zensight to process the many feelings that are arising, and seek additional support if you need it. While there is no overnight “cure” for someone with a complex trauma history, Zensight will allow you to work as rapidly and gently as possible, and you can choose to work on issues as frequently or infrequently as you wish. You have the control, and can set the pace of your work yourself. There are ways, however, that you can try to accelerate healing when multiple traumas are present. Following the usual Zensight premise that it is best to start at the general level, one idea is to group traumas according to a category or perpetrator, and focus on healing a number of them at once. One example of grouping traumas together would be, “I heal all of the beliefs taken on by any parts of me any of the times I was emotionally abused by my father,” or “I heal all of the beliefs made by any parts of me any of the times I was physically abused by my father.” After using all of the trauma healing statements, you can check inside and see how things are feeling, and when the time is right you can choose individual traumas to process as needed. You will know if they need to be processed, according to how you feel when you think about various incidents or when you encounter moments in which you would usually experience trauma symptoms. Notice what happens now when triggers are encountered – celebrate the relief you experience, and make note of the areas that are left to work on. There is no need to feel discouraged or bad about yourself if you discover more areas to work on or experience a resurgence of trauma symptoms. It is quite natural, if you have had multiple traumas, to experience an ebb and flow with healing. You will make gains, and at times you will feel that the struggling and pain are “over,” only to later experience moments when you feel as though you are back at square one. This can be painfully disappointing. However, this is the psyche’s way of ensuring that maximum healing occurs. As hard as it can be at times, the resurgence of new or returned memories and symptoms can be a gift that points you in the next direction to take so that you can experience further healing. The nice thing is that you now have a technique that enables you to do this as gently as possible, and you can apply it any time and anywhere. I also find that sometimes once the right piece of the puzzle is found – which in many cases is the need to work with parts of self, as discussed in the next chapter – everything starts to fall into place and healing begins to progress more rapidly. While it will never be as though the traumas didn’t occur, it is entirely possible to shift your perspective until your past traumas are simply one of many aspects of your life experience. They no longer have an emotional “pull” to them and no longer dominate your day-to-day life or identity.
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To use an analogy to computers, this shift is comparable to having the traumas no longer accessed through an icon that appears on your desktop, but rather stored on the hard drive in a “files” section that you only occasionally access.
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Chapter 9
Working with Parts of Self All of us have multiple parts of self. We all find ourselves taking on different roles at different times, and may feel distinctly different while in various roles. For example, the part of us who is a parent may act and feel differently from the part of us who is a spouse, employee, or friend. We also can have a part of us who possesses a great deal of wisdom and who “knows” what we need in order to heal – and yet other parts of us may believe it’s not safe or not in our best interests to do or allow those things. When people have been through trauma, sometimes parts of self become more separate and more distinct. While each of us varies in the extent to which we acknowledge or are aware of our parts of self, in cases where severe or repeated trauma has occurred – especially early in childhood – this lack of awareness or acknowledgement can sometimes progress to the point where the individual not only is unaware of different 17 parts of self, but also may “lose time” when those parts are “out” . At that end of the continuum, the experience of parts of self becomes known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Since my professional background has been one of specialization in trauma – and because much of my work has been in a setting that tended to be accessed by people with severe levels of trauma – I have had the opportunity and privilege to work with many individuals who identify as having fully dissociated parts of self, or DID. I also have had the opportunity to work with people who do not have Dissociative Identity Disorder and yet are fully aware of experiencing parts of self. In addition, I have worked with numerous individuals who were not initially familiar with the idea of parts of self, and who are not especially dissociative. With all of these various presentations of different clients, I have found “parts work” to be extremely beneficial, and to often be experienced quite vividly by them, regardless of where on the dissociative continuum they experience themselves as being. For people who feel “stuck” in some area or areas of their life – or who notice that they have improvement for a while and then repeatedly start to backslide – working with parts 17
For more information about the continuum of experiences with parts of self, and about dissociation, I highly recommend Maxine Schnell & Marlene Steinberg’s book “The Stranger In the Mirror”.
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of self is essential and can be the difference that helps them to finally be able to move forward in a gentler and faster way. In most cases, even with those people who have never identified the experience of having parts, when we begin working with parts of self, they do tend to become more aware of how these parts have played out in their life and notice that the healing results they experience tend to go deeper and “hold” better, when this parts work is incorporated into their healing process.
Identifying When to Work with Parts of Self How can you tell when “parts work” is needed? Some of the various ways that the need for parts work reveals itself are: 1) An experience of being “stuck”.
When a concern has been targeted and addressed time and again – and in many cases this will be through conventional methods as well as with energy work – and improvement is not noted, often there may be parts of self who are strongly believing that it is not a good idea to heal the concerns. This is, of course, psychological reversal and can be addressed as such, but often more intensive work is needed, with work being focused directly with the involved part(s) of self. This may also present as the experience of having issues improve at the time, yet symptoms keep returning. The first approach in trying to resolve this difficulty is to heal broken energy grids and/or patterns of homolateral energy. However, if that work has been done and healing work is still not “holding” well, a need for work with parts of self is indicated. 2) A sudden change in body sensations or emotions.
One of the most obvious indications to me of the need to work with a part or parts of self is a very sudden change in body sensations or emotions. Some people will experience this only occasionally – others may experience it a few or even several times within one session. Examples of this type of response are a sudden pain in the back of the head, tightness in the chest, a sudden change in temperature, or a sudden upsurge in emotion. A sudden severe headache, even in the form of a migraine, may also be experienced. Another way that this can present is that a sudden state of overwhelming sleepiness occurs. This is different from the sense of relaxation that naturally occurs when using Zensight. In those cases, people feel increasingly but pleasantly relaxed during Zensight sessions. If parts of self are using sleepiness to try to prevent an issue from being addressed, the sensation is more one of being heavily sedated. It may become difficult to
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keep eyes open. Often if someone is doing healing work on their own when this occurs, it may become impossible to continue because the desire to sleep will become so strong. Alternatively, the distraction may be in the form of suddenly feeling very edgy, and not wishing to continue with the work. Again, with self-healing most people will simply stop what they are doing at that point. If a therapist or other healer is guiding the process they can gently provide support and work with and reassure the part of self involved, in order to maintain the focus on healing gently and safely. 3) A part of self is experienced.
It is also not terribly unusual for clients – even those I would not consider to be especially dissociative – to tell me that they sense a part of self. Comments often arise such as “It’s almost like there is this part of me….” 4) History of trauma.
When traumatic memories are being worked on – especially those which occurred in childhood – it is always beneficial to do some work with parts of self. Whether the parts of self became dissociated or not, it is very normal for people who have experienced trauma to have some part or parts of self who remained frozen in time at the age they were when the trauma occurred. 5) A “barrier” is seen.
Often during healing work – especially when using visualization – when a part of self is uncomfortable during the process, the individual will suddenly see or have the felt sense of a “barrier” being present. Notice the case of “Jennifer”: Jennifer is a woman in her early 50s who experienced a sexual assault at the age of 16. Jennifer does not have DID, but she does identify with the experience of having different parts of self, particularly in relation to her trauma. As we work together, Jennifer monitors her experience of the process and lets me know if particular statements don’t “get through.” She describes a “barrier” that goes up in response to some of the statements used. Sometimes I simply ask her to notice the barrier and focus on her healing symbol, and to let all the parts of her know that it’s safe to heal the concerns. Other times I will use statements such as “I heal all of reasons that the 16-year-old feels she needs to put up a barrier.” At this point, the barrier usually changes. Sometimes she sees an image of it dissolving completely, and other times will notice it parting in a way that she says is “just enough” to let the next bit of healing go through.
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Jennifer has shared with me that she can see this barrier opening and closing at different times during our sessions. Sometimes it parts while I am speaking to her, and other times it doesn’t part until she focuses on her healing symbol.
How to Work with Parts of Self One of the most basic ways that you can begin including work with parts of self when using Zensight, is to refer to parts in any verbal statements that you use. While it isn’t always necessary to specify that treatment reaches “all the parts” of you, it certainly never hurts. I do find for some people or with some issues, that if a part of self is involved, if statements such as “I heal all of the decisions I’ve made that I’m not good enough” are used that they may experience some relief but it will not go very deeply. However, if instead they say “I heal all of the decisions made by any part of me that I’m not good enough” or – often better yet – “I heal all of the decisions made by this 10 year old part of me, that I’m not good enough” the healing then permeates much more deeply. Another way of working with parts of self is to take a moment to check inside and see if you get a sense of a part or parts involved. If so, you can begin by focusing on whatever picture comes to mind, and use your healing symbol while focusing on it, and see if the picture changes. If there is a sense of suffering, aloneness, or neglect, you can intentionally change that picture and/or use healing statements that are geared towards relieving this or other feelings of upset.
Healing the Relationships between Parts of Self It is important during work with parts of self to always emphasize that all of the different parts of self are needed, and are valuable parts of the whole. As different parts tend to hold different emotions, beliefs, and perspectives, considerable internal discord can result. Central to parts work is the need to bring healing to the relationship that exists between parts of self. This will assist greatly in encouraging better internal cooperation and overall feelings of calmness and stability. However, equally and often even more important, is the use of visualization to bring these disconnected parts together and to help them to feel loved, accepted, and more fully connected with each other. You can do this by seeing your adult self looking after your younger or hurt parts of self. You can also, through the use of visualization and healing statements together, help the different parts of self to reclaim each other and then feel less separate from each other.
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Notice again, my work with Jennifer and her 16 year old part of self, discussed in the previous chapter: During our sessions, we work on healing the relationship that she has with the 16 year old part of herself, and she visualizes the two of them sitting increasingly closer together. At the close of one of our sessions together, we used the statement “I heal any tendency that any part of me would have that would allow these concerns to return.” Jennifer laughed and, with a look of amazement, noted that the barrier had come back up again, but that she and the 16-year-old part of self were now together on the same side of the barrier, which was now protecting them from the possible return of any of the concerns they had resolved. Shortly after this session, Jennifer began being able to visualize this part of herself merging with her and becoming “One” with her. Healing Relationships Bidirectionally
I find in clearing the relationship between parts of self, it’s best to make any statements bidirectional. Doing so helps both (or all) of the parts involved to receive healing, and simply saves time rather than saying “I heal all of the anger I feel towards this part of me” followed by “I heal all of anger that this part feels towards me.” Instead, my recommendation is that statements be phrased along the lines of: I heal all of the feelings of anger, frustration, and resentment that exist between this part of me and I. I heal all of the feelings of sadness, fear, grief and loss that exist between all of this part of me and I. I heal all of the disconnection that exists between this part of me and I. I install a new and growing awareness in all of the parts of me that we are all on the same team. I heal any and all conflicts of any kind that exist between any of the different parts of me. I install new patterns of all of the different parts of me working together in a loving and supportive way. All of the different parts of me now experience a unified sense of oneness. All of the parts of me now fully recognize that we all feel better when we are cooperative and supportive of one another.
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Working with Introject Parts of Self All of us have parts of self that at times we may experience as being hurtful towards us. Sometimes these parts of self are called “introjects”. The term introject comes from psychoanalysis and refers to the internalization of the values, beliefs and mannerisms of a parental figure. When the parent has been abusive or critical, part of us may even more strongly identify with that parent, and try to become just like him or her, as a way of trying to stay safe. If a child develops a part of self who is like the critical or abusive p arent, this part can, from inside, try to keep the child “in line”. This part will give her or him the same hurtful messages as a way to trying to provide an internal sense of control. If this “control” – and often self-punishment in the form of verbal or even physical abuse through self-harming behaviors – is inside the child the n it may keep her or him from getting into as much trouble with the parent, because the child may learn to try to avoid situations that trigger the self-berating response, whether or not the parent is actually present. Alternatively, if the child does do something that she or he perceives to be 18 “wrong”, there will not be as long a period of “waiting” for punishment to occur . It is important to remember that introject parts are not “bad”. Instead, they are equally wounded and frightened parts of self. In many cases, when you get to know these parts they are revealed as being quite tender and sensitive underneath their prickly exterior. Sometimes it is helpful – and accurate – to think about introjects as being little kids who are wearing scary masks in order to try to frighten people away from them. Often a strong belief is held by these parts that closeness or connection with others is unsafe. Introjects should be dealt with in the same way that any other parts of self are. Healing the relationship with these parts of self is especially crucial. It is also a good idea to thank these parts for working so hard to try to ensure safety. In most cases these parts have been the subject of a great deal of dislike and even hatred inside. Introject parts of self tend to also see themselves as being “bad” and are perfectly aware that they are not liked and admired as other parts of self may be. Introjects have taken on the hardest job inside, and in return tend to have a lot of difficult feelings directed towards them. Stopping and thanking them, learning to see them with compassion and approaching them with a sincere desire to help, will go a long way towards accelerating healing not only for these parts but for the individual as a whole.
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In families where repeated violence or conflict occurs, a cycle becomes established in which abuse or conflict occurs, followed by a period of calm. Eventually tension builds again. Over time the child learns that this will eventually erupt into another incident of abuse, and an unbearable tension of “waiting” or dread is experienced. If punishment comes from within, the “waiting” is over sooner, and relief can be experienced more quickly.
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Frequently it will be necessary to give the introject parts a “new job”. In figuring out what job these parts could take on in order to give them a new focus, the best place to start is to ask inside. Take a moment to ask what this part would like to do instead, and focus on the healing symbol, and see if you get an answer. If no answer comes or the part is unsure, frequently these parts will readily agree to take on the job of helping to “screen” outsiders to see if they are safe, or may even agree to take on the job of ensuring that healthy self-care is occurring on a regular basis. It is, however, often necessary to do a fair amount of healing with these parts first – usually with a great deal of nurturing visualization – before they may be ready to do so.
Other Strategies to Use with Parts of Self At times, doing “parts work” can be challenging. When doing this work it is important to recognize and validate what the experience of those parts has been. Frequently they are seen as “sabotaging” the healing process, and if their efforts are taken at face value, this misperception is understandable. However it is always, in my experience, the case that parts of self are simply doing the best that they can to try to keep the person as a whole, safe. Frequently the difficulty lies in the part still holding onto “old rules” from the past that no longer fit the present day. For example, if a child has the experience of being punished for laughing – or of having the experience of the good things in her or his life being “taken away” for whatever reason – the adult may very well have a part of self who believes that it “isn’t safe” to be happy. The message was learned again and again that something bad will follow moments of happiness. This belief is often reinforced with each subsequent trauma or loss – moments of relief or a time of calmness and a feeling that finally it safe to let one’s guard down, may have been followed by another loss, trauma, or crisis. Another example may be a part of self who believes that “holding onto” upset keeps them safe from being harmed again. I have frequently observed this to be the case with those who have been sexually assaulted. Those who have experienced a sexual assault often will either consciously or subconsciously believe that if they hold onto the fear and other feelings of upset associated with the assault, that they will be less likely to be assaulted again. They rationalize to themselves that if they hold onto their fear, they will act more self-protectively, and be more likely to notice when they are in danger. In addressing areas where parts of self appear to be “blocking” the healing process, it is important to get inside the logic of that part. At times that can be more easily said than done. I find that with practice and experience in doing this type of work, it gets much easier. I have so frequently done the mental gymnastics needed to get inside of the logic of my own parts and those of my clients, that doing so has almost become second nature. How I begin countering the logic of a “part” is by stopping and talking to the part involved. First I tell the client that I have some information I would like to give to all of
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the parts of them, and all that I need for them to do is simply listen and to use their healing word or symbol. I then talk directly to the part as I would any other individual who was feeling hurt and confused. In the situation of someone who has been sexually assaulted and has a part of them who believes that holding onto the fear keeps her or him safe, I explain that in my experience I find that this is not the case. I talk about how when people live in fear, they startle at almost everything! They jump at little sounds and have difficulty sleeping, and it’s like their “internal alarm system” is so sensitive that it keeps going off even in safe circumstances. At this point, most people will agree that they find this to be true. I then let the part of them know that my plan is NOT to remove their ability to feel fear or to take away their ability to know whether something is safe or not. Instead, I want to help them to heal all of the ways that they feel fear in situations that the fear doesn’t need to be present. Going back to the “alarm system” analogy, I ask them if they have the experience of noticing that that alarm system goes off all the time – and if so, do they find that as a result they often doubt their perceptions and just ignore the fear? Again, I generally get a great deal of agreement and recognition of this. I then let that part know that if we heal this overall experience of fear, it will make it so that the alarm system doesn’t trip off so easily. This means that when it does go off – and the experience of fear or anxiety occurs – they will pay much more attention to it because it’s no longer a constant experience. In so doing, they will then be more able to keep themselves safe rather than less. At this point there is often a big “aha” moment that occurs for the part. I then ask the client to simply stop and focus on her or his healing symbol “and let all of the different parts of you fully absorb that information”. At this point in most cases the part will be happy to allow the healing process to continue. If further objections arise, I will stop and address those as well.
Case Studies Sarah 19
Let me illustrate this with an example from a session I had with Sarah . Sarah was struggling at the time with the amount of care her daughter, who has a chronic illness, required. Earlier in the session Sarah had mentioned feeling two different parts of herself. Please note that the session has a very relaxed pace in spite of the rapid healing that occurs. Where “…” appears, a pause is indicated:
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The client’s name and any identifying information have been changed in order to protect confidentiality.
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I noticed you said before that you can feel these two sides of you – the one that wants to be there for your daughter, and the other that feels locked up and is upset that you have no time for yourself. I’m wondering if you get any picture with that when you focus on the feeling – can you see the two sides? Yes I can see them quite clearly. The two parts are encased in blocks. Each part is pulling so strongly. Each part pulls in the opposite direction with equal strength. I’d like you to focus on that picture, and focus on your healing symbol...”I heal all of the conflict that exists between any of the different parts of me.” Wow...the picture has really changed. They are more unified than before…they are starting to melt and mold into each other. “I install new deep and thorough beliefs in all the different parts of me that it’s okay to feel more than one way at a time”…”I heal all of the times that these parts have felt any sense of judgment towards each other”….okay, just keep seeing the picture and focusing on your symbol…..how is it now? It’s so much better. The separateness is dissolved, they are unified. No wonder I could never see a way out before, they were pulling in opposite directions so hard – it was like driving with one foot all the way down on the accelerator and the other one all the way down on the brake pedal. [laughs] Well that would certainly make it hard to move! [Laughs] “I heal any and all feelings of upset, conflict, or discomfort between any of the different parts of me, towards each other.”…”I heal all of the anger, judgment, or blame between these different parts of me.”…”I install new feelings in all of these parts, of having a deep sense of compassion and understanding for each other”. The picture is gone. wonderful.
There are lots of good feelings there now – it feels
Rachel
This is an excerpt of a session with Rachel, a woman in her late 50’s. Rachel identifies herself as having dissociative identity disorder (DID). Frequently Rachel sees fairy tale or Disney-like imagery during her sessions – we just go with whatever comes up without judging it or necessarily even interpreting it. We began this session with a focus on healing a hypervigilant response that Rachel has, to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Rachel had, in the past, been harassed by a woman
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named “Janet” who would come ring her doorbell and be verbally abusive towards her when she answered. Notice during this excerpt where the sensation of “coldness” suddenly appears – this is a good example of a place where a part of self becomes activated. I’d like you to start by picturing yourself being at home, and the doorbell rings. Just see the picture, and notice what’s there. Then take a deep breath and focus on your healing symbol, and notice how the picture changes. I’m seeing it. The doorbell rings. This isn’t about Janet at all. It started when I was a really small child and I would be waiting for my mother to come and get me. I never knew when she’d be coming. Okay…”I heal all of the ways parts of me are still waiting for someone – my mother or anyone else – to ‘come get me’” It isn’t even just my mother. It’s K (sister) and J (niece). They call me even now sometimes and I’m afraid to answer the phone. I’d like you to check inside and see if parts of you inside have a picture of them. Yes. They are like giants. Hey! It’s Jack and the Beanstalk [laughs] Snow White and the Seven Dwarves are here too. I’m Snow White again. The giant has me under his thumb. I’m getting squashed. “I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that I’m dwarfed by the people who would hurt me”. Now…can you watch the picture and take a deep breath and use your symbol, and just notice how the picture changes. The picture is changing. The dwarves are getting bigger. I think they have to, to get more leverage to push back the giant’s thumb. As I say my cue word, the thumb is starting to degenerate. I’m seeing a monkey and hearing “suppress the monkey”. Okay…just keep focusing on your symbol and see what happens. “I’m hearing ‘monkey see, monkey do’”. I heal all of the times – past or present - that any parts of me have resonated on any level with “monkey see, monkey do” – or have been drawn to anyone who resonates on that level. Yeah. It’s J [niece]…she is doing to me what she watched K [sister] do. K did what she watched our mother do…they are the monkeys, not me.
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Yes! “I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me, that how they treated me had anything to do with who I am, what I’m worth, what I deserve, or what I can expect from life.” Okay…I’m back to Jack and the Beanstalk. I’m seeing Jack’s mom. She didn’t believe him. He’s so sad. “I heal any and all upset that any parts of me are still holding onto about any of the times that anyone – including my mother – didn’t believe me.” I’m remembering this time in kindergarten. I could tie my shoes myself…my teacher didn’t believe me though and said my mother did it for me. She made fun of me – she was angry. “I heal all of the decisions made by any parts of me, all of the times that people didn’t believe me and I couldn’t make them understand – including this time in kindergarten.” Okay. It’s getting lighter – it’s cleared. Okay. I’d like you to go back now to the picture of the doorbell. You are at home and the doorbell rings. Just see yourself noticing it and being just fine with it – not afraid or startled. Take a deep breath and use your symbol. How is that now? It feels good. It feels light. Okay. Now the doorbell rings. Look out and see that it’s Janet there. It’s okay. There’s just this tiny little tremor in my second chakra. “I heal any and all tiny little tremors from any area of my body or energy field, including this second chakra.” My teeth are chattering. I’m freezing cold. Sometimes this happens. Can you check inside? What are the chattering teeth – or the part of you who is making them chatter – trying to tell you? It’s a really cold fear. “I let all of the different parts of me know, deeply and completely, that the bad things that happened way back then are over and I’m safe now. It’s safe to heal these issues.”
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Okay…it’s getting a little better. I’m wondering if there was a specific time or event where I clenched my jaw in fear. “I heal all of the decisions made by any parts of me, all of the times that I had to clench my jaw in fear, that don’t serve my highest good now”…”I let all of the different parts of me know deeply and completely that whatever happened is over and I’m safe now.” I can see inside. There is one part really scared and keeps asking “what happened to me?” Two other parts are going to her and telling her it’s okay. That they will help her to remember and look after her while she remembers. Okay – good. Can you see them comforting her? Can you comfort her too? See that happening – picture it – and take a deep breath and let it go. Focus on your symbol and just let that sink in really deeply, the feelings of comfort and that she is not alone. This is going back to something. A psychic I had a reading with once said I was so troubled because when I came home there was no one there to welcome me. Okay. Can you see it now? I’d like you and all of the parts of you to think about how last night, you were excited to come home. You came home and felt good – you felt welcomed. That’s right – I did. I let all of the different parts of me fully recognize that I am welcome now. I now welcome myself. Okay. That feels good. I’d like you to see a huge welcome sign, welcoming you home. See a party – balloons! Whatever feels right to you. Just feel the welcome all the way deep down and use your symbol. Wow. Okay the part that was scared has morphed into a grey cartoon-like mouse. It’s from a book by someone…Leo. The mouse is grey and still in shadow. The two other parts are in light. Okay. See them there and breathe and focus on the symbol, and notice what happens. They two parts that are watching are ready to embrace each other and join together. Okay. Just let that happen…let them find each other that way, and reclaim themselves.
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Okay. That feels good. The grey mouse though is sitting there not moving. She is scared about what she doesn’t remember. “I deeply and completely install new beliefs in all of the different parts of me that I don’t have to remember this to heal it - it’s okay to remember, but I don’t have to.” The mouse just turned white. There is some shadow behind her still but she is lighting up as I watch. The picture is dissolving…she has changed into a bat. In Animal Medicine a bat is about rebirth. It’s very sacred when the bat flies to you. Okay…see her flying to you. It’s funny. The bat has the Leo mouse’s type of mouth. I’m seeing now my room at home – where I have my art stuff and exercise equipment. I’m in there but I can’t move – there’s no movement at all. The room is sterile. “I heal all of the issues that have caused me to allow this self-care room to be sterile”…”I heal all of the beliefs that any parts of me hold on any level, that I am sterile.” It’s like the room has no soul. “I heal the original beliefs formed by any parts of me that I have no soul.” Oh…my soul and life got taken out of me. Maybe when P (baby brother) died. I can see myself as a child – just empty and grey – no soul. Okay…I’d like you to picture that little girl that you were. See her…watch as the life and soul get breathed back into her. See it as white light or golden light, or whatever feels right to you. Okay. The room has more light in it now. I am in the room and am standing. I can move a little. Uh oh. I have heartburn all of the sudden. It used to happen when I was a little girl [describes traumatic medical exam] “I heal all of the decisions made by any parts of me during that, that I had no soul…that there was no point in having a soul or in having feelings.” It was about expression. I couldn’t express how awful it was – I said nothing. “I heal all of the decisions made by any parts of me that I can’t express myself.” ..especially creatively!
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“…that creative expression especially is not okay…” Wow…the room is full of light. The different parts of me are hugging….it feels good. We are together again. This is incredible…I can feel the different areas of the brain lighting up, connecting! The parts are together and so much happier.
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Chapter 10
Addressing Physical Concerns With Zensight I am frequently asked whether Zensight can be used to assist with physical concerns. My 20 experience indicates that it often can . I have had clients who have had chronic longstanding issues such as colitis, fibromyalgia, migraines, back pain, and other physical complaints notice an immediate reduction or elimination of symptoms following Zensight work. As to whether or not Zensight will heal your physical concerns (or those of your clients), I don’t know. What I do know is that it will not hurt to try, and that many people have noticed a significant and sometimes remarkable impact upo n their physical complaints. The worst thing that could happen is that Zensight might not shift the physical concern. Even in those situations however, most people will report feeling less stressed or upset about the presenting issues. Since the mind-body connection with illness is widely recognized, this can only be a good thing. In my experience it is best to take a holistic approach with physical concerns, addressing emotional and spiritual aspects of the concerns as well as the physical. Sometimes addressing stress surrounding the illness or difficulties will help to reduce or even resolve them completely, as the following case study illustrates:
Case Study Verity
This 30 minute session was with woman named Verity, who is in her early 40’s. She discussed at the start of the session, a few issues that she wanted to resolve: One was her feelings in connection with a new relationship. She had met a man she felt a good connection with – as did he with her – but he was experiencing a “crush” on someone else in his life whom he was not involved with. Verity was aware of some part of her feeling disempowered in relation to this situation. Verity also mentioned some pain she had been experiencing for over a year, in her left hip, that she had had treated occasionally by a chiropractor. The pain had gotten better at times but had been worse lately, enough so that it made her feel unable to be as active as she usually would be. 20
Please note that Zensight is not a replacement for medical care. If you have a physical illness or concerns, please consult with the appropriate medical professionals for diagnosis and treatment. Zensight is ideally used with physical issues as one part of a comprehensive treatment plan.
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At the same time Verity discussed experiencing feelings of insecurity in relation to money. If you focus on these current concerns, is there a picture that comes up for you in relation to them? Hmm…mostly of wanting to make sure that I don’t run out of money. I’m aware that I would be okay even if I didn’t have any money coming in for a year. And yet it feels like a safety issue. There is a feeling of lack there, and concerns about money running out. Okay…if you focus on the sense of a safety issue, is there any picture that comes up for you with that? Yes. I see myself...it’s connected with the ability to move forward. There is this image of myself and this energetic wall of ice or glass – it keeps me from moving forward. What I’d like you to do is just focus on that image, and connect with your healing symbol, and just notice what happens as you do so. Wow…the picture just changes automatically. The wall instantly dissolves and melts. My left leg – the side that has been hurting – just leaps forward. It’s flying – kind of like a ballerina. Okay. Just focus on that and use your healing symbol. Amazing! All of the pain in my hip – it had been radiating to my knee - has disappeared! That message I’ve carried that it’s not okay to be me vanished too. Now the message is that it’s more than okay to be me – it’s a sense of feeling boundless and joyful. I see myself dancing, even though I’m normally not a dancer. I’m getting that it’s important for me to fully be me – it’s the dance of life – it’s also important for others that I do so, as there are others out there who will benefit from it too. If you focus on your left hip now, is there any pain left? No…there is no pain at all. It kind of feels like there is an “awareness” there of pain that had been there before. However, the pain itself has gone. “I heal any and all energetic imprint left in this left hip or in any other area of my body, in relation to any of these issues.”
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Now picture some healing light – of whatever colour feels right to you – going into that area of your body. Is there any sensation left there at all? No – it just feels wonderful. Okay. Now focus on the issue with the man you have been seeing…how is it feeling now? It’s just not upsetting anymore. The upset was directional in nature – about which way to go. Now that I know I can move forward it feels okay. I’m disappointed, but it isn’t about me. I know that I don’t need anything in my life that keeps me in two minds. “I install a new awareness in all of the different parts of me, that I don’t need anything in my life that keeps me in two minds”….”I heal all of the ways that any parts of me are feeling any disappointment – or reliving any past disappointments – in connection with all of this.” Try focusing on the concerns connected with him, and see how it feels now. I can picture him now and there is just no emotional response – it feels completely okay. Okay…when you focus on the concerns about money, is there any upset left there? There are no longer any feelings of being unsupported. More of a sense of “knowingness” that everything is going to be okay – that I have everything that I need.
At the close of the session, Verity disclosed that early on in the session she had another visual image come up, in relation to her left hip. She described having seen a set of blueprints layered over one another and over her hip bone, and explained that it reminded her of paper mache. As she watched, she saw these layers simply flutter up and fly away, over her hip, until they had fully released and were gone. When we checked in weeks later, Verity reported that the hip pain was still completely gone and that her hip felt better than it had in years.
Addressing the Whole Picture It is important to realize that the most success will occur in treating physical concerns, when they are not targeted in isolation. At times the most remarkable improvement has occurred in my clients’ physical complaints when I had been unaware that the complaint or illness even existed, and so never directly addressed them directly. Instead, the focus of the sessions was on resolving multiple past traumas and other significant conflicts. On
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more than one occasion I have been surprised and delighted to receive a phone call following such a session, letting me know that not only had the intended emotional healing occurred, but physical healing had as well. Healing patterns of chronically homolateral energy, triple warmer meridian con cerns, and repairing broken energy grids, are all important when working on physical issues. Healing the relationship one has with one’s bo dy or part of the body – as well as the relationship one has with any particular diagnosis or diag noses – may also be helpful. Finally, I find that when working with physical concerns – particularly those felt or suspected to be psychosomatic or stress related, or when the person has felt “stuck” in their healing for some time - it is particularly important to work with different parts of self. If you find yourself having difficulty using visualization to shift physical conc erns, you can also focus on body sensations – and even picture yourself experiencing the body sensations. Notice what comes up as you do this while connecting with your healing symbol. If you prefer to work with verbal statements, you can approach healing physical concerns in this way too. When I have worked on physical issues with verbal statements, I have most often started with statements regarding the area of concern. After targeting the presenting symptoms, I would then address the issues surrounding the physical concerns. Healing the Issues Surrounding Physical Concerns
In using the statements below, it will usually not be necessary to heal each and every possible emotion listed. Use the general statements and then become more specific as needed. Your knowledge of yourself or your client will assist in the process, as well as use of intuition. I heal any and all emotions that are contributing in any way to any of my physical concerns. I heal any and all __________ [fear, anger, resentment, sadness, abandonment, aloneness, unforgiveness, anxiety, depression, hate, rage, terror, stress] that contributes to any of my physical concerns in any way. I heal any and all feelings of being unsupported that are contributing to any of my physical concerns in any way. I heal any and all self-harming tendencies that have contributed to any of my physical concerns in any way. I heal all of feelings of wanting revenge against anyone that contribute to any of my physical concerns in any way.
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I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me that I need to be punished. I heal all of the tendencies that any parts of me have to sabotage myself by… I heal all of tendencies that any parts of me have to sabotage me because… I heal any and all tendencies I have to sabotage myself when… I heal all of the reasons I would allow myself to be free and happy but… I heal any and all issues, emotions, or traumas that are being held in any area of my body. I heal any and all issues, emotions, or traumas that are being held in my _________ [i.e. hip, knee, back, etc…]. I heal any and all feelings that any parts of me have, of being left behind. I heal any and all beliefs held by any parts of me that I am unappreciated, or not cared about. I heal all of the fears held by any parts of me that it’s not safe to move forward. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me feel they are supporting the weight of the world. I heal all of the reasons that when I heal symptoms in one area, they move somewhere else. I heal all of the ways any parts of me get something out of holding onto any of my physical concerns. I heal any and all decisions made by any parts of me during positive experiences, that are contributing to any of my physical concerns in any way. I heal any and all residues or energetic imprints of any past illnesses or injuries that are contributing to my current health in any way. I heal any and all decisions made in the past by any parts of me that affect my physical health and do not serve my highest good now. I heal the original decision made by any parts of me that I am not good enough. I heal the original decision made by any parts of me that I don’t deserve good things.
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I heal the original decision made by any parts of me that I will never have good health. I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not in my best interests to feel better because… I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that nothing this easy could ever work for me. I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that my problems are too difficult to be healed. I heal all of the tendencies of any parts of me, to hold onto my physical concerns. I heal all of the reasons that any parts of me would choose to hold onto what is familiar rather than move forward. I heal any and all physical health issues that are known to me. I heal any and all physical health issues that are unknown.
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Chapter 11
Addressing “Levels of Consciousness” 21
In “Power vs. Force” , David R. Hawkins presents a description of different “levels of 22 consciousness” . He explains that one’s level of consciousness is determined by the principles to which one is strongly committed. Some principles vibrate at a lower frequency than others. The level of consciousness that one vibrates at, is also not fixed – one may respond at the 20 level of shame in response to a specific type of circumstance but at other times, may resonate at higher levels. Hawkins further describes a “critical” 200 level of consciousness – the level associated with integrity and courage. This level is the point of balance between weak and strong attractors, and between negative and positive influence. Below the 200 level, the primary focus of the individual is upon survival. Feelings such as shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, or pride may be the more predominant motivators. At very low levels of consciousness, one may fall into feelings of hopelessness and depression. As one crosses the 200 line between negative and positive influence into courage, the well-being of others becomes increasingly important. Qualities such as neutrality, willingness, and acceptance become more predominant. Once the 500 level of love is reached, the happiness of others becomes the essential motivating force. As the level of consciousness raises further, feelings of joy and peace strengthen. Those resonating in the high 500’s have an interest in spiritual awareness for oneself and for others. By the 600’s, the good of mankind and the search for enlightenment become the primary goals. From the 700 to 1000 levels of enlightenment, life becomes dedicated to the salvation of humanity. According to Hawkins, approximately 85% of humanity resides below the critical consciousness level of 200. However, those who are aligned at consciousness levels above 200 provide a powerful counterbalance, leading to the whole of humanity being placed at the level of 207. In “Power vs. Force”, Hawkins states that although only 0.4
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Since a full explanation of Hawkins’ levels of consciousness and how they play out in our lives is beyond the scope of this manual, interested readers are referred to “Power vs. Force”. Please see “Resources” section for more information. 22 A “map of consciousness” can be found in “Power vs. Force” or purchased at www.veritaspub.com
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percent of humanity resonates at the 500 level of love, one individual who does so counterbalances 750,000 who calibrate at below the 200 level.
Use of Zensight to Raise Levels of Consciousness When the idea first came to me to use Zensight to begin to transform my own level of consciousness, I muscle tested myself before and afterwards, to measure the impact that doing this had for me. The results I obtained indicated that using Zensight to directly focus on raising my level of consciousness raised the level I tested at b y 200 points, simply by using the verbal clearing statements. When I added in visualization, that amount jumped by another 125 points. I have found that the level of consciousness I test at varies according to stress levels, the environment I am in, and even the foods I have eaten. As a result, I find it extremely useful to work on raising my level of consciousness on a daily basis – often more than once each day. Most often I do this when I first wake up in the morning, or as I am falling asleep at night. I also will sometimes focus on transforming my levels of consciousness during a bodywork treatment, while going for a walk, or while just relaxing. I have found with time that it is not necessary for me to repeat all of the verbal clearing statements. Instead, I simply focus on recalling the sensations I experienced when vibrating at my own highest levels of consciousness, and use my healing symbol to again calibrate myself at that level. In addition, I often picture myself surrounded by white or golden light or simply asking the Universe to assist me in raising my level of consciousness so that I can be of most help to myself and to others. I find this exercise to be extremely powerful, and to bring in wonderful feelings of peace, tranquility, joy, and profound feelings of love for myself, for others, and for the Universe. Please note that you can expand or condense the verbal clearing statements as feels right to you. If your own personal sense – or muscle testing – indicates that some of the levels of consciousness are not an issue for you, you can use more general statements such as I heal all of the ways that any parts of me resonate at any level of consciousness below the 200 level.
I also find that after having done this exercise once, it becomes increasingly easier and faster to arrive at higher levels of consciousness. You will know when your level of consciousness has been raised either through u se of muscle testing or through the sensations that you experience when this occurs. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me resonate on the 20 level of shame, in any areas of my life.
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I heal all of the ways that that any parts of me resonate resonate on the 30 30 level of guilt, guilt, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts of of me resonate resonate on the 50 level level of apathy apathy or hopelessness, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts of me resonate resonate on the 75 75 level of grief, grief, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts of me resonate resonate on the 100 100 level of fear, fear, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts of me resonate resonate on the 125 125 level of desire, desire, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts parts of me resonate resonate on the 150 150 level of anger, anger, in any areas of my life. I heal all of the ways that that any parts of me resonate resonate on the 175 175 level of pride, pride, in any areas of my life. above the 200 level of courage, in all areas I install new ways of resonating resonating on on or above the of my life. or higher , in I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 250 250 level of neutrality neutrality or all areas of my life. or higher , in I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 310 310 level of willingness willingness or all areas of my life. I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 350 350 level of acceptanc acceptancee or higher , in all areas of my life. or higher , in all I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 400 400 level of reason reason or areas of my life. I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 500 500 level of love love or higher , in all areas of my life. I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 540 540 level of joy joy or higher , in all areas of my life. or higher , in all I now raise my level of of consciousness consciousness to the 600 600 level of peace peace or areas of my life.
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I now bring in as much of the 700-1000 700-1000 levels levels of enlightenment enlightenment as I am capable capable of holding, according to the highest good of myself and others.
It can be an interesting exercise to muscle test yourself before and after transforming your level of consciousness. In addition, make note of any visual visual images that arise during the process, and how they change as you use your healing symbol. While I have yet to self-test as having entered into the 700 to 1000 level range, I do find that my level of consciousness is moving upwards at a gradual but steady pace. While using this clearing I have had some peak experiences that have felt extremely deep and moving, and have had the privilege of witnessing some of my clients experiencing this as well.
Applications of Raising Levels of Consciousness An awareness of and ability to easily, gently, and quickly raise levels of consciousness brings our ability to transform issues issues – and ourselves – into a whole new arena. A world of new possibilities opens up to us when we streamline our healing statements and focus upon addressing an entire level – or a set of levels – of consciousness, at once. In addition to clearing levels of consciousness con sciousness at the most general level - “in all areas of my life” – we can also choose to do so in relation to more specific issues. For example, as part of doing the suggested trauma healing statements in relation to a traumatic memory, you may wish to add in a statement such as: I heal all of the ways that that any parts parts of me resonate resonate on any level level of consciousness consciousness below 200, in relation to this incident – or any incidents similar to it.
Following this most general statement, you may wish to scan the memory and see how you are feeling. As needed, you may wish to insert insert more specific statements statements such as: I heal all of the ways that that any parts parts of me resonate resonate on the 20 level of shame shame in relation to this incident – or any incidents similar to it.
Once the memory feels free of any upset, you can then do some installing statements and visualizations, to assist yourself in tapping into higher levels of consciousness even while thinking of the trauma or other problematic situation. Allow your focus to shift shift back and forth between the picture of the incident, and the connection with the higher levels of consciousness, until you feel equally calm and peaceful in either place of focus.
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Chapter 12
Additional Suggestions Using Zensight with Children Naturally imaginative, children are wonderfully easy to work with using Zensight Process. In most cases, they will very easily pick up this fast and easy way of healing themselves. When I have used Zensight with children, I have suggested that they choose a word that they will use to help them to feel better. With younger children you can explain that this healing word will help their sad, scared or mad feelings to get smaller, and their happy feelings to get bigger. In my experience Zensight works even more quickly and easily with children than it does with adults – presumably because most children will have fewer layers of difficulties and/or preconceived ideas about healing to get in the way of their progress. One of my children had had, since beginning school, a fear of speaking in class. Although she was extremely talkative at home – and even during times at school when the teachers did not want her to talk! – When asked a question in class, she would freeze up in fear and be unable to speak. When she was seven, her teacher expressed concern to me that this issue was not resolving on its own. Finally, it then occurred to me to to teach her how to use Zensight Process. I spent a few minutes explaining to her that she could use her healing word whenever she felt upset or scared about talking at school, and to picture herself speaking without fear. At the time that we had this discussion, I had been somewhat distracted. We were interrupted and I never actually spent time with her assisting her in healing this issue directly. Therefore, I was surprised surprised and delighted when she came home every day the following week with a note from her teacher saying that she was suddenly raising her hand, answering questions and participating meaningfully. At the end of the school year, her teacher stated that immediately after expressing ex pressing her concerns to me, from that day forward, my daughter had participated regularly a nd easily in class. Similarly, I assisted my son – then 5 years old – when one night he started to complain of an ear infection. It was late at night night and I was reluctant to have to spend hours in the Emergency Department, but he was crying and in pain. I had him sit down with with me, and suggested that he picture his ears feeling better. Together we used some healing statements in relation to to the pain and the infection. Within 5 minutes he said the pain was completely gone. He slept well all night long and when he got up, I asked him how his ear was. He said “I can’t hear too good but it doesn’t hurt!” Some infection remained
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but it was not bothering him. He happily went to school, and did not experience any further symptoms.
Combining Zensight with Other Modalities Many people find Zensight after learning or using a wide variety of other healing methods. If this is true for you, there is no reason to completely discard what you have used before. Zensight is itself a combination of many different techniques that I have found especially effective – and there are numerous other valuable techniques out there that I am not familiar with. Many of you may take what you already know and incorporate it into your own use of Zensight. I have had extremely positive feedback from people who have combined Zensight with use of Bach flower remedies, Attractor Field Therapy, the Tarot, chiropractics and other approaches. Often I have conducted self-healing Zensight sessions while I was receiving acupuncture, reiki, or massage therapy. Zensight is easily used in the moment, and will naturally boost the healing effects of any other treatment that it is combined with.
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Chapter 13
Envisioning a New Future It is important to recognize that Zensight is abo ut much more than just resolving upset, difficulties and trauma. Zensight is ideally used also to fully create and embrace all of who you are, and all of whom you would like to become. Therefore, when you are using Zensight to heal upset or concerns, ideally each healing session will end with you picturing your life and self being exactly as you would like them to be, in the present and in the future as well – see the reality you wish to create. When you use Zensight to bring healing to a relationship, be sure to also spend time envisioning yourself connecting with the other person – or thoughts of her or him – in the future, while feeling completely at peace and coming from a place of feeling fully grounded and centered. As you picture this, strengthen this image and your experience of it through the use of your healing symbol. Similarly, when you have used Zensight to heal a traumatic memory, spend some time seeing yourself thinking about the incident – or encountering situations that would normally have triggered an upsetting response – and see yourself remaining at peace even in the face of this trigger. If as you picture these future instances, you feel any upset or concern, use Zensight to heal that until the visualization brings up only positive feelings. This aids you in knowing when an issue is fully resolved, and also helps the different parts of you to have a beginning framework – and the beginning of new “programming” – for how life can be, now that these old feelings, patterns, habits and emotions, are healed. Be sure to spend as much time – or far preferably, even more time – focusing on what you do want in your life, rather than what you don’t want. I have used Zensight with people in order to help them to be able to feel and maintain a greater degree of spiritual connectedness, to increase their focus on attracting healthy loving relationships or prosperity, to build their businesses, to enhance their intuition – and even to improve their sales performance! Life is about much more than just feeling okay or “settled” in relation to past upsets. Life should be – and can be – about fully experiencing and embracing joy. If your life has been a struggle, this may feel out of reach. However in my experience, with time, with perseverance, and with a dedication to healing yourself and moving towards the kinds of qualities and experience you want in your life, this can be done – even by those who have had many difficult experiences in their lives.
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Through both my work and my personal life, I have learned that people who have known the greatest suffering are also capable of feeling the greatest joy. Give yourself the gift of this joy in your life…begin creating it for yourself today. You don’t need to wait until all of your past is fully healed or until your life is set up exactly how you want it to be. The most lasting joy is that which can come even when life isn’t perfect – a sense of inner peace is something that, once well grounded in, can not easily be taken away.
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Appendix Zensight Closing Statements I heal all of the tendencies that any part of me would have to hold onto what is familiar rather than moving forward. I heal any and all decisions, past life issues, and/or sacred contracts in connection with all of this clearing that do not serve my highest good now. I heal any and all traumas connected with all of these concerns. I heal any and all generational or ancestral issues connected with all of these concerns. I heal all of the ways that all of these issues have been held in my body and/or energy field, or at the DNA, cellular, or molecular levels. I heal any and all energetic imprints of any kind, in relation to all of these concerns. I heal any and all neural pathways connected with all of these issues, that don’t serve my highest good now. I now install new neural pathways in order to support, reinforce and continue all of the healing that has occurred, and all of the healing that is about to occur. My subconscious mind, higher self and the Universe now create and run any additional statements I would benefit from. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits and thoughts connected to all of these issues. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now. I extend all of this healing to all of the past, all of the present, and all of the future. I now heal any and all programs connected with all of these concerns, that don’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that any parts of me have been programmed to put the old programming back in place if it is removed.
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Zensight Outline Zensight involves working with the subconscious mind. Begin by choosing a “healing symbol” that you will use to help bring healing to yourself. Any word, visual image or colour is fine, as long as there are no negative connotations to it. You may wish to choose something that you can use either as a visual image, or as a word – whichever feels right at the time - such as “ocean”. When you use your healing symbol together with visualizations or “healing statements”, all of the different layers of your concerns, fears, traumas, phobias, unwanted patterns, and other difficulties will simply dissolve. You can also use your healing symbol to increase feelings of relaxation and peacefulness. The Zensight Process
With Zensight, we use visualizations and/or “healing statements”, together with the healing symbol. When visualizing, you can picture a person, place or situation – either as they actually appear, or as a metaphorical representation (for example – seeing yourself caught in a trap). Simply focus on whatever image comes to you with the intention of bringing healing to it, and then take a deep breath and let it go. While doing this, use your healing symbol and simply notice how the picture changes. What you will find is that some aspects of the picture will change and you will begin to feel better. If you take a deep breath again, and continue using the healing symbol, this will continue to deepen. Notice also any body sensations, emotional upset, or other discomfort associated with the picture or situation. Use your healing symbol to resolve these aspects too. You can further accelerate this healing with clearing statements such as “I heal all of the ways I feel…. [angry, depressed, hopeless, trapped]” During this process, you will find that your concerns will begin to simply melt away and you will start feeling increasingly relaxed – even when focussed on the issue you were upset about. Zensight can be used to improve relationships, increase self-esteem, heal emotional traumas, and let go of any of the concerns that are currently holding you back. For more information about Zensight & to access fr ee resources, please contact: Carol Ann Rowland, MSW, RSW www.zensightprocess.com (905) 691-0330
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Zensight Relationship Healing I heal all of the beliefs held by any parts of me that it’s not safe to completely heal this relationship with [name of person]. I now heal any and all upset of any kind that any parts of me feel in relation to [name of person]. I heal all of the ways that when I think about [name of person] parts of me feel… I now heal any and all anger, rage, hostility or resentment that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [ name of person]. I now heal any and all judgment, blame, criticism, or unforgiveness that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [name of person] for anything. I now heal any and all fear, worry, sadness, grief or loss that any parts of me are holding onto in relation to [name of person]. I now fully release any and all roles I have taken on from [name of person] that don’t serve my highest good now. I now fully release any and all roles I have assigned to [name of person] that don’t serve my highest good now. I heal all of the ways that seeing, thinking about or hearing of [name of person] impacts upon my body, emotions, or energy field in any way that does not serve my highest good. I heal any and all energetic cords connecting me to [name of person] that do not serve my highest good. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, habits, behaviors, and thoughts connected to all of these issues. I install new ways of feeling completely at peace in connection to [name of person] and my relationship with him/her. I can now see, think about, hear about, and interact with [name of person] and hold onto my sense of self, inner peace, and personal power.
Now stop and picture this person and your relationship with her/him. If some upset remains, use visualization together with the healing word or symbol to bring healing to it. For more information about Zensight & to access fr ee resources, please see: www.zensightprocess.com
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Zensight Trauma Healing I heal all of the beliefs formed by any parts of me when [name of the incident] occurred. I heal all of the beliefs formed by any parts of me about myself, others, the world, or what I can expect from life, in relation to this incident. I heal all of the beliefs taken on by any parts of me, in relation to this incident, that… I heal all of the ways that all of these issues have been being held in my body and energy field, or at the DNA, cellular or molecular levels. I heal all of the ways that all of the different parts of me experienced this incident. I heal any and all aspects of this incident that I may not remember. I heal all of the patterns, emotions, behaviors, habits, and thoughts connected to all of these issues. I heal any and all neural pathways connected with all of these concerns, that don’t serve my highest good now. It happened, it’s over, and I’m safe now. It is safe for me to completely let go of all of my upset surrounding this incident. I install new ways of now feeling at peace with this incident, and at peace with myself in relation to it. All of this healing is completely effective for all of the past, all of the present, and all of the future. All of the different parts of me receive all of this healing now. I now install new neural pathways in order to support, reinforce and continue all of the healing that has occurred, and all of the healing that is about to occur. Visualization
If SUDs is low or at a 0, visually scan the memory to see if any upset remains. Focus on whatever remains – and any associated pictures - while using the healing word or symbol For more information about Zensight & to access fre e resources, please contact: Carol Ann Rowland, MSW, RSW (905)691-0330 www.zensightprocess.com
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Resources How to Learn More about Zensight To learn more about Zensight, please access any of the resources described below, through www.zensightprocess.com ZensightDiscussions – ZensightDiscussions in a Yahoo email discussion list that Carol Ann Rowland moderates. People from all over the world participate on this discussion list, sharing experiences and getting feedback about their use of Zensight and other leading energy work techniques. ZensightDiscussions is open to anyone. ZensightPractitioners – If you are a therapist who is using – or learning to use – Zensight with clients, you may wish to join this list in order to share clinical experiences with Carol Ann and other clinicians who are using Zensight Process. Membership on this list is available by invitation only. Should you wish to join ZensightPractitioners, please email your request to
[email protected]. Please outline your credentials and clinical experience when making your request. ZensightNews – If you would like to access free articles, tips on using Zensight for yourself or with others, stay current in relation to new developments with Zensight, while keeping informed about workshops, retreats, teleconference calls, and other upcoming events, you can sign up for the monthly ZensightNews Ezine. Membership is free and you can easily unsubscribe at any time. Audio Healing Sessions – Recorded Zensight audio healing sessions are available in MP3 format, on a wide variety of issues. These recordings can be listened to upon a computer, burned to a CD, or downloaded to an MP3 player. Topics presently available include Manifesting Your Dreams, Strengthening Spirituality, Moving Into Power, Loving Yourself Now, Healing Relationships, Addressing Physical Concerns, Healing Trauma, Transforming Programming, and the Energy Balancing Series which contains the homolateral, triple warmer, chakra, and grid healing sessions in audio format.
New topics will be added as they www.ZensightProcess.com to watch for these.
become
available.
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Workshops – Carol Ann teaches Zensight Workshops. If you are interested in sponsoring a workshop in your area, please feel free to contact Carol Ann. Please watch for workshops conducted by web conferencing, beginning in 2006. New! A 5 audio CD set of a one day Zensight Workshop is now available! Zensight Counselling Sessions – Zensight counseling sessions are available by phone or in person, in Milton Ontario. Consultation to other therapists is also available. No long distance charges apply for most people – please enquire for details.
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References For further information about specific topics mentioned in this manual, interested readers are referred to the following: Dale, Cyndi. New Chakra Healing. Llewellyn Publications, 2003. Eden, Donna. Energy Medicine. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc. 1998. Hawkins, David R. Power vs. Force. Hay House, 1998. Levine, Peter. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books, 1997. Myss, Caroline. Sacred Contracts. Three Rivers Press, 2003. Steinberg, Marlene & Schnall, Maxine. The Stranger In the Mirror. Harper Paperbacks, 2001.
Useful Links
www.andrewleeds.net
Andrew Leeds, developer of Resource Development & Installation EMDR protocols.
www.april-steele.ca
April Steele, creator of Imaginal Nurturing EMDR.
www.besetfreefast.com
Larry Nims, creator of Be Set Free Fast.
www.emdr.com
Information about EMDR.
www.emofree.com
Gary Craig, creator of EFT
www.energypsych.com
Fred Gallo, creator of Negative Affect Erasing Method
www.energypsych.org
ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology).
www.innersource.net
Donna Eden, creator of Energy Medicine.
www.tatlife.com
Tapas Fleming, creator of Tapas Acupressure Technique
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