Eye Movement Integration (EMI) – An Introduction
Finding freedom from the entrapment of trauma
Trauma is a complex concept with far-reaching effects on individuals and on society. “Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside of you because of what happens to you,” explains Dr. Gabor Mate, bestselling author and well-known speaker. This statement rings true when comparing the diverse ways in which trauma affects people. Where some people seem to resolve trauma in a healthy and natural way, others remain stuck in the fight-or-flight response. EMI accesses and integrates traumatic memories and experiences, freeing the client from the burden of unresolved memories.
Trauma causes the nervous system to go into fight, flight or freeze. The greater the trauma, the stronger the arousal. Overwhelming activation of the nervous system causes a fragmentation pattern in the memory. This fragmentated information is now stored in the sensory, emotional and cognitive systems. When these memories are triggered, by something as simple as a thought, a smell, or an emotion, it causes the person to relive the trauma over and over. In the end, the ongoing effects of the trauma feel as traumatic as the trauma itself.
The trauma memories do not go into the past tense, but remain in the present tense. If the brain believes something is true, then for the brain it is the “truth” and the body will react to that “truth”, as if the threat is right here and now.
EMI accesses the fragmented information in a safe and controlled manner. Guided eye movements and slow introduction of activating words or phrases, facilitates the retrieval of the physical, somatic, sensory and emotional memories. Unconscious neural networks are hereby activated and information is processed in such a way that it makes sense and can be integrated. Negative memories lose the capacity and power to disrupt the person’s functionality. This also leads to a drastic reduction of trauma symptoms. EMI enables the brain to connect all the dots and it can now safely store all the traumatic information in the past tense. The EMI creates a synergy that is not accessible during normal thought and reflection.
The following paragraphs come from ”Extract from Visagie and Keet’s research on EMI: Social Work 2021: 57 (3).”
EMI is known as both a neurotherapy and psychotherapy (Van der Spuy, 2014) and has its roots in neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) (Beaulieu, 2003). According to Beaulieu (2012), neuro-linguistic programming posits that our thought processes are neurologically based. This approach implies that our nervous system continuously transmits information to and from our brain. Our five senses help to gather, filter and store the information. Our perceived reality is a result of how information is processed through our nervous system, leading to our understanding of the experience. There is therefore a direct link between our thoughts and experience of reality, and how information is received through our senses. Connirae and Steve Andreas developed EMI in 1989 and Danie Beaulieu modified it in 2003 with their permission (Beaulieu, 2012). Since eye movements are part of our built-in resilience and a natural way to process information on a subconscious level, EMI is based upon guided eye movements and focuses on the relationship between eye movements and thought processes (Struwig & Van Breda, 2012).
In EMI, the clinician works with the client to consciously address their symptoms of trauma by accessing and integrating multi-sensory information from their memories. The aim is to integrate traumatic memories resulting from unintegrated sensory information of a traumatic experience and reduces symptoms and distress (Beaulieu, 2012; Struwig & Van Breda, 2012). The clinician creates and uses a secure anchorage by deciding along with the client on ways of anchoring for times when the client might need to be grounded. The client identifies a troubling memory and describes the internal representation of that memory in his or her own words from their perspective as they recall the traumatic event. The clinician determines the client’s visual range, preferred distance of the hand from the eyes, as well as the preferred speed of eye movements in accordance with the protocol. The clinician applies the EMI protocol by making use of 22 eye-movement patterns to assist the client in providing new patterns to access cues. The protocol specifies some aspects in terms of the sequence, number, duration, rhythm of the movements and technical details of the hand movements.
In EMI the client is secure and focused on the present, creating a sense of safety and security. The words “just take note of it” are often used during the EMI protocol. According to Levine (2015), those are important words in effective trauma interventions, because they help the client notice what is going on inside of them. This observation allows the left (rational) and right (emotional) parts of the brain to connect.
If memories of a traumatic incident are not integrated, it can be seen as a shattered puzzle and it is hard to see the complete picture. These pieces drift in and out of consciousness and act as triggers. With EMI each drifting puzzle piece can be picked up and be explored and emotions and bodily reactions can be experienced in a safe environment, gradually putting all the puzzle pieces together. At last the big picture becomes clear, the memories can become integrated and the image stored in the past. EMI activates unconscious neural networks and networks are processed in a new way, and this leads to selfhealing.
References:
1. Beaulieu, Danie, PhD, 2012. Eye Movement Integration therapy: The Comprehensive Clinical Guide. Wales: Crown House Publishing
2. Keet, Annaline and Visagie, Andrea, 2020. Traumatised older persons’ experiences of Eye Movement Integration as Trauma Intervention. https://socialwork.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/950/863
3. Mate, Gabor Dr. https://thewisdomoftrauma.com/berlin/