The Tapping Evidence Base
PTSD & Trauma · How It Works (Biology)

Neurophysiological Indicators of EFT Treatment Of Post Traumatic Stress

Swingle, P., Pulos, L., Swingle, M. K. · Journal of Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine · 2005

Outcome studyPreliminary✓ Source-checked📍 Canada
In plain English. Auto accident survivors with PTSD learned EFT in just two sessions, and three months later the ones who still felt better also showed measurable changes in their brain wave patterns on EEG. Researchers linked the lasting improvement to continued at-home tapping practice. This is a small, uncontrolled study, so it's best read as an early physiological signal rather than definitive proof.

What they found

Three months after learning EFT in two sessions, auto accident victims with PTSD who reported continued symptom relief also showed significant positive changes in EEG brain wave measurements.

How the study worked

Who took partauto accident victims with PTSD
What they didParticipants received tapping and were measured before and after, without a separate comparison group.
Measured withEEG (brain wave measurements)

⭐ Why this study matters

EEG readings are a direct recording of the brain's electrical activity, not a description someone offers about how they feel, and finding that auto-accident survivors with PTSD who still felt better three months after learning tapping in just two sessions also showed real changes in their brain-wave patterns links a lasting subjective recovery to a lasting physical one.

💡 Where this could help

If this pattern holds up, it's a hopeful sign for a population that often can't afford or access extended trauma therapy: that two sessions of a free, self-administered technique, kept up with brief home practice, might be enough to produce brain changes that persist for months after a traumatic car accident.

🔬 What to study next

A useful next step is tracking EEG at multiple points, not just a single follow-up, to map when the brain-wave changes first appear relative to symptom relief, and whether people who keep practicing tapping at home show larger or more sustained changes than those who stop. Adding HRV or cortisol measurement at the same follow-up visits would help show whether the brain-wave shift is part of a broader, whole-body calming of the trauma response.

The full record

DesignOutcome study
Populationauto accident victims with PTSD
Outcome measuresEEG (brain wave measurements)
JournalJournal of Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine
Year2005
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish
MethodEFT / tapping
Publication typeStudy / trial
Verification✓ Confirmed against the primary source
Verification note. Exact N could not be found in any accessible source (only 'clients/participants' plural); 'N unknown' as recorded remains accurate.

Read the original study →

Cite this study

APA

Swingle, P., Pulos, L., & Swingle, M. K. (2005). Neurophysiological Indicators of EFT Treatment Of Post Traumatic Stress. Journal of Subtle Energies & Energy Medicine.

This record is part of the Tapping Evidence Base — an openly-sourced, fully-referenced directory of the research on EFT/tapping. Explore more studies on PTSD & Trauma · How It Works (Biology)

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THE TAPPING EVIDENCE BASE PTSD & Trauma ✓ Outcome study WHAT THEY FOUND Three months after learning EFT in twosessions, auto accident victims with PTSDwho reported continued symptom… Outcome study Swingle · 2005 · evidence.thetappingsolution.com