Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT)

Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) Practitioner Manual For IEMT Training Designed by Andrew T. Austin Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy ...
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Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT)

Practitioner Manual For IEMT Training Designed by Andrew T. Austin

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

What Is Integral Eye Movement Therapy Integral Eye Movement Technique is a brief change work process that generates rapid change in the area of undesired emotional and identity imprints. The process and algorithms of the technique answers the question, "How did the client learn to feel this way, about that thing?" and applies specific change at the right place within the client's model of the world. By building resources inside the problem state, IEMT brings the client more into the present and enables the client to stay out of past negative experiences permanently. For the practitioner, IEMT is about precise calibration. Unlike other treatments involving eye movements, the eye movements are neither random nor simply a repetitive left and right movement in the hope that change will occur. The training provides the tools for the practitioner to precisely calibrate which axis through which to move the eyes enabling change work to occur with precision and at a remarkable speed. IEMT is not the grand unified theory of therapy and change work, but is a very useful tool for the therapist's tool-kit and provides an excellent remedial tool for emotional change and a generative tool for identity change. IEMT enables excellent results where previously a good outcome might have appeared improbable. Experience shows that such applications of eye movement therapies is particularly effective with regards to intrusive imagery and "flashback" phenomena. Essentially, the method involves holding the problematic imagery in mind whilst the eyes are moved in different directions. The result of this is often that the imagery loses its emotional impact and becomes far less disturbing. Specifically, the image becomes blurry/loses focus, increases in distance, moves location in time and significantly reduces in emotional intensity. Integral Eye Movement Therapy was originally developed out of Steve and Connirae Andreas' model of Eye Movement Integration. This followed the observation of a number of neurological phenomena that occur during the therapeutic eye movements occurring at the moment that the problematic imagery changed its emotional coding. Then there was the development of a specific set of applications of this phenomena that enabled I.E.M. Therapy to be applied to the areas of neurological imprints specifically, imprints of emotion and some of the imprints of identity.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Identity Imprinting Emotional imprinting occurs when a person lays down a new kinaesthetic response to an experience or stimulus. This teaches the person how to feel about certain things. For example, how many of us when told by the boss that he'd "like a word" in his office immediately feel like a school child about to be scolded. This is an emotional imprint in action. I.E.M. Therapy addresses and resolves the question, "How did this person learn to feel this way about this thing?" Identity imprinting occurs during life long development and is constantly evolving and changing. Many aspects of identity are attributed and occur neurologically as a feedback response to the environment. An example of this is the production worker who yesterday was "one of the boys" and today, following promotion to lower management, is now officially an enemy to his former friends and colleagues. Other deeper aspects of identity are more permanent and "feed-forward" into the environment. These are the aspects of identity that tend to occur in all contexts, with some being more resilient than others. Examples of this are gender identity, identity as a father/mother, brother/sister and so forth. Thus, I.E.M. Therapy also addresses the issue of, "How did this person learn to be this way?" In some cases, the person can adopt aspects of identity that can be problematic. For example, an emotional imprint might be, "I feel unhappy" whilst an identity imprint might be, "I am an unhappy person" or even, "I am a depressive." By specifically addressing the identity imprint this enables the therapist to by-pass the beliefs that often support the undesired identity such as, "I cannot do that because I am a depressive" and so forth. Integral Eye Movement Therapy is a brief therapy and an evolving field that enables a core state change in minimal time. The two day practitioner training covers both the emotional and identity imprint models, the relevant neurological anatomy, physiology and the manifest neurological phenomena and the skills required to deliver the model effectively and elegantly.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Neurology and IEMT The Limbic System The limbic system, named after the Latin word limbus for edge, is the innermost part of the brain. The limbic system is the home of emotions, motivation, the regulation of memories, the interface between emotional states and memories of physical stimuli, fight or flight responses, sexual arousal, personal tastes, circadian rhythms and some decision systems. The Thalamus The thalamus, coined from the Greek word thalamos, meaning “chamber”, is the part of the brain responsible for signal relaying and prioritisation. It consists of twin bulb-shaped regions, the thalami, symmetrical about the brain's midline. They are so close to the centre of the brain that they occasionally interconnect, but typically don't. The thalamus is part of the limbic system, the region of the brain largely associated with the emotions. The thalamus is best known as the final relay station for perceptual data before it is passed on to the cerebral cortex. It receives input from diverse brain areas, primarily including all the senses except olfaction (smell). It is also responsible for regulating motor control. The sensory apparatus of the human body registers a tremendous amount of information, far more information than can be put to good use. The thalamus joins a series of other machinery whose purpose is to distil sensory information into a more interpretable and manageable form for higher brain sections. The thalamus is engaged in an intimate relationship with the cerebral cortex, with numerous mutual connections. These connections make up the thalamacortical loop. The Hippocampus The hippocampus, so named because its shape allegedly resembles that of a seahorse, is responsible for encoding long-term memories and helping with spatial navigation. The hippocampus is known to be associated with the consolidation of episodic memories, which are memories of personally experienced events and their associated emotions. In contrast to semantic memories abstract facts and their associations, episodic memories can be represented as stories. Damage to the hippocampus can result in an inability to form new long-term episodic memories, although new procedural memories, such as motor sequences of every day tasks, may still be learned.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

The Hypothalamus The hypothalamus is located under the thalamus, cone shaped, the hypothalamus are the two small structures in the brain that play a central role in controlling our autonomic nervous system (ANS), responsible for regulating homeostatic metabolic processes in the body. Examples of homeostatic processes include sleeping, eating, thirst, blood pressure, body temperature and electrolyte balance. The hypothalamus controls the nervous system by synthesising and releasing neurohormones at regular intervals. Different neurohormones represent distinct signals to the rest of the nervous system. The hypothalamus serves as an interface between the limbic system, endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system. The Amygdala Allegedly shaped like an almond, the amygdala is a set of nuclei in the brain located close to each other and therefore grouped under the same name. The amygdala is most commonly associated with the emotions of fear and anxiety, and its size is positively correlated to the level of aggression in a given species. It is also associated with the emotion of pleasure, though mainly in the negative sense, i.e. the pleasure sometimes inherent in aggression. There are two amygdalas, symmetrically arranged near the centre of the brain, just above the hypothalamus. They are each about one inch in length. The amygdala play a key part in what has been called the “general purpose defence response control network” and react in response to unpleasant sights, sensations or smells. Anger, avoidance, and defensiveness are emotions activated largely by the amygdala. Like many parts of the limbic system, the functioning of the amygdala is not purely associated with one emotion. Poor amygdalic functioning has been associated with anxiety, autism, depression, narcolepsy, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias and schizophrenia. Lesion studies with monkeys have shown that when the amygdala is impaired before six months of age, individuals have difficulty adapting to social life. This is because the amygdala is necessary not just for experiencing emotions like fear, but also for modelling and quickly recognising the presence of these emotions in others. Thus a damaged amygdala has become overly associated with the condition of autism, social anxiety troubles and a whole host of social and personal difficulties.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

IEMT Training Structure Practitioner Level - Creating Change

Part 1. Emotional Engineering – Depotentiating Imprints of Emotion with IEMT • • • • • •

Introduction to the IEMT Structure Eye Movement and 3d Accessing Cues Introductory Exercise and Calibration of Representational Change The IEMT Basic Pattern and Imprint Tracking Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Time Coding The IEMT Complex Pattern

Part 2. Identity Reimprinting – Updating Our Way of Being with IEMT • • • • • • •

Introduction to Structure of Identity Four Primary Identity References – I, Me, Self, You The IEMT Identity Pattern (Simple form) The IEMT Identity Pattern (Complex Form) Physiological State Accessing Cues Changing Unconscious State Accessing Changing The Negative Kino-Somatic Imprint

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

The IEMT Exercises Kinaesthetic Transderivational Search 1. Anticipatory or Current State Change

Simple Pattern 2. Anticipatory or Current State Change Complex Pattern 3. Updating Identity Imprints with IEMT Simple Form 4. Updating Identity Imprints with IEMT Complex Form Physiological State-Accessing-Cues (PSAC) 1. Eliciting the Model 2. Incapacitating the unconscious physiological access to the

negative state and installing the positive state 3. Changing the Negative Kino-Somatic Imprint

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Anticipatory or Current State Change Basic Pattern Elicit the undesired state (whole being) or kinaesthetic expression (part body feeling) Ask client to assign amplitude scale (1 – 10). “…and out of ten, how strong is this feeling, with ten being as strong as it can be?” Ask: “…and how familiar is this feeling?” Ask: “...and when was the first time that you can remember feeling this feeling… now… it may not be the first time it ever happened, but rather the first time that you can remember now…” Allow the client 20-40 seconds to access imprinting event. Do not offer guidance or advice and allow the client to perform his or her own kinaesthetic transderivational search. When client has accessed their earliest recollection ask, “...and how vivid is this memory now?” Instruct the client to hold that memory vividly in their mind for as long as possible… Guide client to perform eye movements through the different access points. Periodically reminding the client that, “…and if this memory fades, try very hard to bring it back…try as hard as you can to retain that experience…” Continue until client protests that they cannot retain or recall visual memory. Test 1. Ask, “...and how does that memory feel now…?” Test 2. Ask, “…and what happens when you try access that feeling now?” If imprint event still triggers negative kinaesthetic, repeat process. Test 3. Ask: “...and when you think about event now, what feeling comes up for you now?” If negative kinaesthetic emerges then repeat basic process and locate next imprint.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Anticipatory or Current State Change Complex Pattern Elicit the undesired state (whole being) or kinaesthetic expression (part body feeling) Ask client to assign amplitude scale (1 – 10): “…and out of ten, how strong is this feeling, with ten being as strong as it can be?” Ask: “…and how familiar is this feeling?” Ask: “...and when was the first time that you can remember feeling this feeling… now… it may not be the first time it ever happened, but rather the first time that you can remember now…” Allow the client 20-40 seconds to access imprinting event. Do not offer guidance or advice and allow the client to perform his or her own kinaesthetic transderivational search. When client has accessed their earliest recollection ask, “...and how vivid is this memory now?” Instruct the client to hold that memory vividly in their mind for as long as possible… Guide client to perform eye movements through the different access points. As you start to do this instruct the client, “...and you can talk to me as we do this…” Suggest to the client that they can allow their memory to, “…move around through time to different events, experiences and memories, the logic of which need not make any sense…” Whilst continuing to perform eye movement sequences, instruct the client, “…and talk to me as this happens, tell me what images come to mind as we do this…” Observe closely for state shifting and changes in representation. These are often represented by muscular twitches around the eye etc. At each shift, prompt the client's awareness, “...and what was that one…” etc. To maintain state that is anchored into the present, it is important to have the client talking you through their experience as you do this as you move through different representations. Usually, long forgotten emotional imprints arise but do not prompt for these or suggest what may occur.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Updating Identity Imprints with IEMT Simple Form Set Up: Discuss identity with client; explore themes and issues that are both culturally common and specific to the individual. Introduce concept of different aspects of identity such as, “I”, “self”, “me” and “you.” Use story example, emphasising the identity shifts: “I had a cancer patient recently, who said something interesting to me. She said, ‘I didn’t realise just how much cancer would affect me. I guess in my-self, I knew I’d always be ok, but what really shocked me is just how much cancer changes you.’ Summary I: Didn’t realise the effect on me Me: (i). Is affected. (ii). Is shocked. Self: Is ok. You: Changed. Introduce concept of relationship between levels of identity. I hate my self - (hating of self) I like my self - (liking of self) I tell my self to exercise more - (talking to self) When I drink too much, it doesn’t really bother me - (me is unbothered by I’s behaviour) You just cannot feel safe in the cities anymore (post-hypnotic suggestion/belief) Locate identity components in client. Ask: “...and when you think 'I', where abouts is ‘I’?” Ask: “…and how old is that ‘I’?” Ask: “…and what is happening around that ‘I’?” The client often will ask for clarification on the third question – maintain your own state and offer no guidance. If the client gets stuck, repeat the question.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Repeat sequence for “me”, “self” and “you.” Identify aspect(s) of identity that may be problematic, “immature” or unintegrated. If “I” hates “self”, both parts may need addressing, i.e. “I” has an issue with “hating” and “self” may have a behavioural issue that is hate-worthy, and so forth. Instruct client to hold images of, “What is happening around that ‘me’ (or whatever)” and have them move eyes through the “lazy 8” pattern, six times in each direction (clockwise, anticlockwise) and recalibrate.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Updating Identity Imprints with IEMT Complex Form Set Up as in Simple Form Locate identity components in client. Ask: “...and when you think ‘I’, where is ‘I’?” Ask: “…and how old is ‘I’?” Ask: “…and what is happening around ‘I’?” The client often will ask for clarification on the third question – maintain your own state and offer no guidance. If the client gets stuck, repeat the question. Repeat sequence for “me”, “self” and “you.” Identify aspect/s of identity that may be problematic and immature. If “I” hates “self”, both parts may need addressing. “I” has an issue with “hating” and “self” may have a behavioural issue, and so forth. Instruct the client to hold the representation vividly in their mind for as long as possible… Guide client to perform eye movements through the different access points. As you start to do this instruct the client, “...and you can talk to me as we do this…” Suggest to the client that they can allow their memory to, “…move around through time to different events and memories, the logic of which need not make any sense…” Whilst continuing to perform eye movement sequences, instruct the client, “…and talk to me as this happens, tell me what images and past experiences come to mind as we do this…” Observe closely for state shifting and changes in representation. These are often represented by muscular twitches around the eye etc. At each shift, prompt the client, “...and what was that one…” etc. Continue until state change is complete and representation is now current.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Updating Identity Imprints with I.E.M.T. Complex Form (part 2): Changing of Identity Referential Index Other Personal Identity Markers Having addressed “I”, “me”, “self”, and “you” examine other identity representations around the person’s name and titles. For example, a man may be “Andrew” to his employer, “Drew” to his parents and family, “Andy” to his friends and so on. In some instances, he may be “Sir”, “Dr” or “Mr” in other contexts or possess some other title that provides a basis for a separate identity. If problems are identified, repeat IEMT process as above on these areas. Referential Indices of Third Party Identity Assuming your client already understands the concept of “representations” in three-dimensional space. If in doubt, explain with examples. Then… Ask: “What representation do you have when you hear, ‘Him’?” Elicit visual representation and what the representation means to the client. Repeat for the following major themes: Him, his, he Her, hers, she They, them, their We, us Also explore pertinent themes such as: boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, daughter, son, mother, mummy, mum, dad, father, daddy and so forth.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Physiological State Accessing Cues (PSACs)

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Exercise #1 – Eliciting the State Access Strategy • • •

Use rapport and state elicitation to enable client to access recurrent negative/problem state. Observe and calibrate the physiological shifts that the client uses for state access. Note these. Break state, subject change. Lead client back to problem state, recalibrate physiological shifts used for state access.

Break state and change subject context. Then: • • •

Use rapport and state elicitation to enable client to access resource state. Observe and calibrate the physiological shifts that the client uses for resource state access. Note these. Break State. Lead client back into resource state, recalibrate physiological shifts used for resource state access.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Exercise #2 – Incapacitating the unconscious physiological access to the negative state and installing the positive state • • • •

Use rapport and state elicitation to enable client to access recurrent negative/problem state. Feedback to the client the physiological shifts that are necessary to access state. Encourage the client to exaggerate these muscular movements and tensions. Mirror client as you do this, comically exaggerate client’s movement whilst encouraging them to increase the muscular tensions, posture etc. Encourage the client to maintain holding this posture until it becomes too uncomfortable to maintain.

Then: • •

Lead the client physiologically from discomfort into the resource state as mapped previously, and test for state change. Allow enough time for client to relax into this state.

Move client – change location, change chair etc. to break state. •

Then repeat entire sequence twice more in order to install the new chain. Each repetition moves the client faster to the resource state by spending less time on the problem state and more time in the resource state.

Note: The resource state should be a logical step that is possible for the client to make easily when considered against the problem state. For example, to go from “Depressed state” to “Hilarity” may be too big a leap.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Exercise #3 – Changing the Negative Kino-Somatic Imprint Now that the client is able to pace themselves out of the negative/problem state and move into a resource state, the next task is to install this resource into the imprint. Have the client access the negative state via kino-somatic modelling. Ask the client to assign an intensity score 1-10. Ask: “…and how familiar is this way of being?” Ask: “…and when was the first time that you can remember being this way…now… bearing in mind that it may not be the first it ever happened, but rather it is the first time that you can remember being this way now…” Allow the client sufficient time to access the imprint. Do not assist or guide the client with the transderivational search. When the client has accessed the imprint ask, “…and how vivid is this memory now?” Now that the client has accessed the kino-somatic behavioural imprint: Instruct the client to inwardly focus their attention on the imprinting experience whilst physiological-in-the-now they move their physiology and state into the resource state, whilst simultaneously tracking events in the imprinting experience. Ask: “What happened? What did you notice?” Break State Repeat procedure twice

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Patterns of Chronicity and Emotional Chaining

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

The 5 Primary Patterns of Chronicity 1. Three Stage Abreaction Process • • •

Stage 1. Signal (Implied Threat of Emotion) Stage 2. Increased Amplitude of Signal (Direct Threat of Emotion) Stage 3. Abreaction (Punishment)

2. The Great Big, “What if...” Question •

Yes, but, what if [A], then [B], which means [C]

3. The Maybe Man Phenomena •

The Maybe Man is uncertain of his own experience and this leaks out into his language. By remaining uncertain and vague he does not commit to his experience or to his identity.

4. Testing for Existence of The Problem Rather Than Testing for Change •

Even though 99% improvement might be made, if the person with chronicity is able to locate just 1% of the problem existing, this will generally be seen as representative of 100% of the problem existing.

5. Being “At Effect” rather than “Being At Cause” •

By being “at effect” the person experiences emotional problems happening to them, rather than being something that happens by them. A person “at effect” will seek treatment rather than seek change.

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

The Three Stage Abreaction Process Stage 1 The Signal. - (Implied Threat) “I feel bad…” (There is usually a non-verbalised implication which suggests, “I am handing you the responsibility for changing the way I feel…”) Example: “I have a headache.” Example: "I am very angry with you."

Stage 2 Increased Amplitude of the Signal - (Threat Repeated) “I told you that I feel bad!” (There is an increased emphasis on the signal, an increase in the symptom and an increased implication that the other person is responsible for the solution.) Example: “My headache is getting really bad.” Example: "I told you that I was angry with you and still you continue."

Stage 3 Abreaction - (Punishment) “Now I feel so bad, I am giving you no choice but to be responsible for my solution.” (This stage may take the form of a tantrum, a convulsion, unconsciousness, total helplessness, becoming bed bound, being unable to leave the bathroom, extreme nausea, fainting, and so forth.) Example: “Now I have a migraine, you have to take me home.” Example: *Kicks other person in the shins*

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

Notes: 1. Once everyone in the social system is adequately trained in the meaning of the stage one symptoms, stage two and three become unnecessary. Escalation to stage two occurs when a new person enters the system and requires training, or an existing trainee dares to ignore or challenge the first signal. 2. At an intervention level, other participants need to learn the mantra, “My behaviours are not controlled by the way that you feel.” 3. In changing one’s own behaviours, the person needs to ask, “What am really saying here when I report this symptom?” Or, “What do I want through this behaviour that is more important?”

Integral Eye Movement Technique and Therapy Practitioner Manual © 2009 Andrew T. Austin Web: www.integraleyemovementtherapy.com Tel: 07838 387580 Email: [email protected]

The Three Pillars of Depression Principal: Anxiety is not an emotion. It is an over-arousal of the autonomic nervous system caused by underlying emotions. When these underlying emotions are resolved, the over-arousal of the autonomic nervous system reduces and anxiety is greatly alleviated. In many, but not all, cases, these emotions will follow a common pattern. This pattern is as follows:

[Depression] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>

Guilt Shame Remorse

Causes

Anxiety Stress Panic

Causes

Temper Anger Frustration