EFT, Proxemics & Your Heart
Last week, I was on a flight from the East coast of the United States to the West coast. It was about a five hour flight. Two strangers, a man and a woman, sitting right next to me developed a focused conversation that lasted the whole trip. The things they discussed were intimate and self-revealing, covering topics two best friends might not even discuss. It was as if they were oblivious to anyone else being on the airplane. Was it because they were so physically close and felt so comfortable being in each other’s personal space? How important is personal space in doing EFT?
It gets down to proxemics which is the study of the cultural, behavioral, and sociological aspects of spatial distances between individuals. Personal space differs for each person, culture and situation. For an average Westerner, some estimates place it at:
- About two feet (27.3 in., 70 cm) in front
- A foot and a quarter (15.6 in., 40 cm) behind
- Around two feet (23.4 in., 60 cm) on either side
Here’s an example of personal space:
In situations where you’re teaching someone to do EFT or tapping jointly on an issue, does personal space matter? It certainly does in the sense that you want the other person to feel rapport, trust and comfort. And, does the “right” personal space affect the outcome of doing EFT? It surely seems that it does because there is something else going on–the transmitting and receiving of electromagnetic energy.
According to some fascinating research at the Institute of HeartMath, which has been conducting research on neurocardiology and neurophysiology for over a decade, the electromagnetic field of your heart extends outside of your body. An electromagnetic signal produced by your heart is registered in the brain waves of people around you. While the field of your brain extends just a few inches from the brain, the heart’s field has been measured as far away as 10 feet. The heart’s magnetic field is about 5,000 times stronger than the brain’s field. You are creating waves as you feel different emotions and those waves influence the other people in proximity to you. Again, this is research from scientists.
In the Institute’s research paper, The Electricity of Touch: Detection and Measurement of Cardiac Energy Exchange Between People, it discusses examples from a number of experiments demonstrating that when individuals touch or are in proximity, one person’s electrocardiogram (ECG) signal is registered in the other person’s electroencephalogram (EEG) and elsewhere on the other person’s body. What’s especially significant to me is that the experiments represent an initial attempt to identify and objectively measure an exchange of energy between individuals.
‘m curious how the distance between people might affect the “signal strength” of transmitting and receiving of energy exchanges, especially when people have been successful doing surrogate tapping and EFT over long distances. There may be other factors in effect.
Generally, what is the best distance for doing EFT and honoring each other’s personal space? Go closer and ask the other person to tell you when the distance feels just right. In addition, it seems to me that in doing EFT with someone, it’s more than having the “right” distance of personal space. It’s also important to have heart or emotional coherence. Have the intention to really be tuned in to the other person.
As organizations like HeartMath do more scientific research, it gives credence to techniques like EFT and other energy therapies. While intuitively and experientially people who try EFT know it works, other people rely more on complementary research for “proof.” And that’s good too.
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