The Pain-Body

The pain-body is a very useful concept that has been introduced by spiritual teacher and author Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now, A New Earth). It is the accumulation of emotional pain that we have stored in our mind and bodies.
This pain-body is a negative energy field, an invisible entity in its own right, and it has certain characteristics:

 > It has two modes of being: dormant and active
 > Anything can trigger it to become active, especially if it resonates with a pain pattern from our past (abandonment, rejection, not good enough)
 > Like any other entity, the pain body wants to survive. It feeds on more pain, and it wants you to identify with it completely.
 > It loves drama. The more “soap opera” the better.

EFT is very helpful on your quest to detach from the pain-body,  to let go of THE STORY, and (as Tolle would phrase it) return to the only place of personal power: the present moment. We all would love to achieve that – but how?  I believe that EFT is “the missing link” between these two poles.

From the EFT point of view, tapping on the pain-body is a gentle, effective “Tearless Trauma Technique”: It takes off the edge when delving into the specifics of your emotional pain would be too intense. You always can (and should) get more specific at a later point. With the concept of the pain-body we can stay global and work with a real enough “thing” at the same time.

Tapping on the Pain-Body

If you do not know how to tap (do EFT), go first to What is EFT

First, tune in to your general feeling of emotional (and/or physical) pain, and put your discomfort on a scale 0 to 10. 0 is no pain at all, and 10 is extreme. Write this number down.

Start tapping on the KARATE CHOP point (side of the hand), and say out loud:

Even though I have this dense, very active pain-body,
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.

Even though I have the belief that I am my pain-body,
I reject this ridiculous notion.

Even though my pain-body creates constant agony, 
the time for healing is now.

Now tap on the following points while saying out loud:

Eyebrow: This dense pain-body

Side of eye: This constant negative thinking

Under eye: Overwhelmed with painful emotions

Nose: My pain is who I am

Chin: This identification with my pain-body

Collarbone: I lose my identity if I let go of my story

Under arm: This accumulation of old pain

Top of head: My pain-body loves to feed on more pain

Eyebrow: My deep pain is justified, it is who I am

Side of eye: I have a right to my victimhood

Under eye: I don't want to let go of my pain

Nose: This hungry pain-body

Chin: I am my thoughts and my emotions

Collarbone: I am my mind and my stories

Under arm: I have the right to be unhappy

Top of head: This dense pain-body

Take a deep breath.

Now, rate your global pain again on our scale 0 to 10.

If the intensity went down (or up) use Even though I STILL have/am/do… (adjust the grammar) as the new set-up phrase and go though the tapping sequence again. Repeat this process until you feel profound relief (an emotional shift), or as often as it feels right.

If your intensity did not budge at all (or the level gets “stuck” during the follow-up rounds) you have to get more specific. Also, drink a glass of pure water.

If you were flooded with memories, thoughts, emotions, or body sensations while you were tapping, you already got more specific.

Since these scripts cannot be as personal as a private session, you have to adjust parts of them to your needs. The following sequence is a guideline, please fill in the blanks and extend it. There is no right or wrong when it comes to tapping. Often, out of the greatest mental and emotional mess, a gem (or a whole treasure chest) evolves. Trust the process.

Sometimes, you will release an issue in a jiffy. At other times, you have to do major excavation work.

KARATE CHOP:

Even though I feel this …. (strong emotion like fear, anger, hurt), I deeply and completely love and accept myself.

Even though I feel this emotion in my (body part like heart, solar plexus, shoulders), I allow my body to relax now.

Even though I have this memory of (give it a title like “Forgotten in the grocery store”, “When Dad yelled at me in front of my friends”), I choose to feel safe now.

Eyebrow: This (emotion)

Side of eye: This discomfort/pain in my (body part)

Under eye: This memory of (title of memory)

Nose: This old pain stuck in my body and energy system     

Chin: I can never get over that, and you can’t make me

Collarbone: It hurts too much 

Under arm: It’s not safe to let go of my agony

Top of head: Who would I be without my pain-body?

Continue with the specifics of your feelings, body sensations, beliefs, and memories.

What does this current event or feeling remind you of?

When did you feel like that for the first time?

What exactly happened? Narrate the story.

What is it that bothers you the most of the whole situation?

Did the discomfort/pain in your body shift? Where is it now?

What are your exact feelings? Did they change?

Did another memory pop up?

What couldn’t you say or express as a child?

Continue to “dig” and follow the trail of your memories, thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. Talk it out, make notes, and tap until you get relief.

If you feel warm or dead tired, sigh, yawn, or get bored with the whole thing – those are good signs! Your energy is shifting.

Now you are ready for the last round:

KARATE CHOP:

Even though I feel lost, unsafe, and out of place everywhere,
I deeply and completely love and accept myself

Even though I don’t belong anywhere and it hurts so much,
I honor and respect myself

Even though I have never felt safe when I was a child,
I allow myself to feel safe now.

Eyebrow: I let those old, painful beliefs and feelings go now, they don't serve me anymore

Side of eye: I am stepping back from my pain-body

Under eye: I give myself permission to let go of my pain

Nose: I know that I am much more than my pain-body

Chin: I choose Being

Collarbone: I choose Presence

Under arm: I know who I truly am

Top of the head: I am at peace NOW

Eyebrow: I transform my pain-body into higher consciousness

Side of eye: I choose to believe the wiser part of me

Under eye: I choose to step out of my pain-body

Nose: I let it be easy

Chin: It takes no time at all, it happens NOW

Collarbone: My painful emotions are not who I am

Under arm: I am Soul, I am Presence

Top of the head: I am free to be me.

Take a deep breath. Good work!

©2010 Carna Zacharias-Miller
For personal use only. Do not distribute without my permission.