Integral Eye Movement Therapy (IEMT) was developed out of these models following the observation of a number of neurological phenomena that occur during the eye movements at the point that the problematic imagery changed its emotional coding. Then there was the development of a specific set of applications of this phenomenon that enabled IEMT to be applied to the areas of neurological imprints – specifically, emotional imprints and imprints of identity.

Emotional imprinting occurs when a person lays down a new kinaesthetic response to an experience. This teaches the person how to feel about certain things. For example, how many of us when told by the boss that he’d “like a word” in his office immediately feel like a schoolchild about to be told off. This is an emotional imprint in action.

IEMT addresses and resolves the question, “how did this person learn to feel the way they feel about the things that they feel bad about?”

Key Concepts:

Emotional Imprints: Negative emotional imprinting occurs when an event with intense emotional distress creates a painful memory, forming an emotional template for related experiences.

Identity Imprints: These evolve throughout life, influenced by neurological factors and environmental feedback. They can be stable (like gender identity) or change according to context.

Patterns of Chronicity: Behavioral patterns that defend the problem from therapeutic change, identified through linguistic analysis.

Therapeutic Approach: IEMT identifies patterns like the Three-Stage Overreaction Pattern, the Maybe Man, the Great Big “What If” Question, and others.