NAP: This is a noncopyrighted similar to EDMR. The complete write up of EMDR can be found in Francine Shapiro's book on EMDR. She runs though it step by step. The Eye Movement Release is an internet derivitive that I copied down a few years ago.

I would not recommend doing this solo. I would do this with a friend. Don't do this if you've got some major traumas or it might restim the hell out of you.
It moves pretty slow compared to what we're used to on this page. But since it gets a lot of press you might be interested in it. (The thing would work a heck of lot better if you were breathing with it)

EYE MOVEMENT RELEASE

(1) What emotion or problematic situation would you desire to clear?

(2) Name all the negative beliefs you have about the emotion or problematic situation you wish to clear. Example: An assualt victim might believe they were not manly for failing to defend themselves.

(3)Experience a memory or emotion. Allow yourself to experience the memory or emotion. Note the amount of distress you are feeling. Give it a SUD Scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being no distress at all and 10 being overwhelming.

(4)Do the eye movements. Do not proceed with this work if you experience eye dryness, eye pain, or strong anxiety about the method itself. People with painful eye movement or eye dryness can use hand taps or auditory stimuli instead of eye movements. These alternatives will be discussed. (Pointers on eye movements following step 5.

(5) After each eye movement set test your distress level with a SUD scale from 1 to 10. 1 means no distress and 10 means overwhelming distress. Processing will only be considered complete when distress is down to 1 when you experience the target memory or emotion.

Eye movement pointers:

# Eye movements go from one side of the range of vision to the other and are done as rapidly as possible without discomfort.

# A friend's two fingers or a pen will make a good target. This moving target can be 12 to 14 inches from the face. The range should be comfortable for the person processing. Adjust eye movements until they are comfortable.

# All eye movements are done in sets of 24. A complete movement to the right and a complete movement to the left counts as one movement. Experience the target emotion or sensation during the set. After each set briefly review what happened.

# Check height, speed, and distance of the target before each set of processing begins.

# Act as if you are pushing the target with your eyes.

# Stops, jerks, eye jumpiness are signs the processor is having difficulty following the fingers or pen.

# Vertical eye movements are calming and can be used as well as horizontal. They work well with people with vertigo or nausea.

# Diagonal eye movements can be used. Diagonal eye movements go from the lower eye corner to the opposite eye corner.

# Never strain your eye muscles. Go to hand taps or auditory stimulation if your eyes feel strained.

# Strong emotional distress generally requires a great many more eye movement sets than do beliefs/thoughts.

# The best alternatives to eye movements are hand taps and alternative ear sounds. Hand taps are done while holding your palms up and tapping them with two fingers. Hands rest on knees. Taps are alternated left palm then right palm. Speed is the same as eye movements. Tap gently.

# If emotional distress grows overwhelming stop or use one of Steve's neurovascular head or facial holds. That will chop out the restim pretty quickly.***Added by J.G.

Pointers on working with strong emotions:

# Never force strong emotions or try to cram them back. Just feel them. ***Use Steve's intention of allowing the feelings to be there with no intention of getting rid of them or keeping them. J.G.

# This process is slow going from 30 to 90 minutes as compared to many of the items we use on the tech page which may zap something in 5 to 15 minutes. Sometimes less if we're skillful with the tech. But I think this eye processing is an interesting alternate.

# Sets of eye movements are useful because they allow a person to know they are in the present and not sucked back into the past.

# Avoid doing any eye movements mechanically.

# You may want to alter your focus for the next set if you find yourself stuck. Scan your target incident for something more upsetting.

# Imagining an event and its details in a different way can get the processing going again if it bogs down.

John Gastly