FLYING terrified Jane, 45.

Even a 45-minute journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore could make her break out in a cold sweat.

Her knees would go weak and she'd sink into total helplessness or, worse, have a panic attack.

She has a phobia of flying and she knew her fear was irrational and abnormal. But all reassurances failed to quell her worries.

I learnt of Jane's fear when we were about to catch a flight home after a training session recently in Kuala Lumpur. Jane confided in me that she was petrified about taking the short plane trip.

She would normally take Valium to sedate herself during a flight. But even this could not ensure she would be calm as the plane positioned itself on the runway just before take-off.

I offered some help. So Jane, her husband and I sat down in a secluded section of the departure lounge.

I asked her some questions about her phobia of heights. She spoke about her fear of high buildings and going up hills.

Her fear had such a strong grip on her that it compromised the quality of her life and did not allow her to participate in many activities.

Phobia control

I suggested to Jane a procedure called Emotional Freedom Technique to help control her phobia.

This technique consists of tapping specific acupuncture points on the face and certain parts of the body while saying explicit affirmations relevant to her fear of heights.

After each round of treatment, she reported that her fear of heights seemed to be getting less intense.

After three rounds of tapping, Jane said that she hardly felt any fear at all. Her whole countenance was calm and relaxed.

After a few minutes, we heard the departure announcement. I looked at Jane and she smiled at me confidently.

As the plane took off, the fearful feelings she expected did not materialise.

Instead, she enjoyed the 45-minute plane trip, talking to her husband and myself and marvelling at her state of well-being.

Jane is not alone in reducing or removing emotional issues through this method.

I've had hundreds of cases where energy psychology methods have been used to help people regain their composure and be free of most of their emotional and psychological distress.

Energy psychology is an emerging branch of psychology that utilises the energy system of the body (meridian and acupuncture points, the chakras and biofield) to eliminate many emotional and psychological issues.

Energy psychology is one branch of energy medicine that is now being researched under strict research protocol.

Energy medicine includes all energy and informational interactions resulting from self-regulation or brought about through other energy links to mind and body.

Harmony and health

Examples of self-regulation would be yoga, taiqi, qigong, special breathing exercises, reiki, touch for health, quantum touch and other exercises and practices that enable the practitioner to direct and promote the flow of energy (qi) throughout the body to bring harmony and health.

As Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, noted: 'In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.'

Other energy links to mind and body would include the many varieties of energy-emitting devices that interact with the body to promote health and well-being.

Examples of these devices would be using magnetism to heal bones, sound waves to break up kidney stones and pulsed transcranial magnetic stimulation for depression.

Dr Joseph Guan was a principal and vice-principal of various secondary schools. He is a corporate trainer and currently runs the Brain Enhancement Centre providing services for peak performance and for children with special needs. He uses neurofeedback, Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine modalities to promote optimal health.

Pressure points to tap while practising the Emotional Freedom Technique

• Think of the problem (for example, I am angry) and say the following three times:
   
  Even though I am angry, I fully and completely accept myself and I forgive myself and others.

•  

• While tapping the specific acupuncture points on the face and certain parts of the body, say the following explicit affirmations relevant to your problem:
   
  1. I am angry... And I want to get over this problem.
  2. I am angry... And I will get over this problem.
  3. I am angry... And I deserve to get over this problem.
  4. I am angry... And I'll do what I have to do to get over this problem
  5. I am angry... And it is possible for me to get over this problem.
  6. I am angry... And I give myself permission to get over this problem.
  7. I am angry... and it is safe for me to get over this problem.
  8. I am angry... And it will benefit me to get over this problem.
   
  Doing this will realign and rebalance the energy flow, thus reducing or removing the emotional or psychological distress.