Why Many People Say EMDR Is a Spiritual Experience
Many people say EMDR feels like magic.
Others describe it as deeply spiritual — like when they can feel their third eye open, meet with a loved one who passed, or receive clarity from a place beyond their conscious mind.
As a trauma therapist trained in EMDR, I’ve witnessed — and personally experienced — these profound shifts firsthand.
While EMDR is a well-researched, evidence-based therapy for PTSD and trauma, it also has a powerful ability to access the subconscious, dissolve long-held energetic blocks, and awaken deep inner knowing.
EMDR Works on the Nervous System and the Soul
EMDR (short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess distressing memories. During sessions, women often experience:
Spontaneous visuals (like images, colors, or symbolic scenes)
Somatic shifts (chills, energy releases, heart or other chakra-opening sensations)
Emotional waves that feel like lifetimes of grief finally moving
Messages or imagery from loved ones or inner guides
These aren’t symptoms of dissociation. They’re often signs that the body and subconscious mind are in deep communication—releasing what’s no longer needed and making space for something new.
Many of my clients have described EMDR as the first time they truly felt in touch with their spirit again.
Why EMDR Can Feel Like a Mystical Experience
Unlike talk therapy, which keeps you in the cognitive mind, EMDR drops you into a theta brainwave state—the same state we access in hypnosis, meditation, and deep REM sleep. This is where:
The subconscious becomes more accessible
Imagination and intuition become tools for healing
Neuroplasticity is enhanced
This is why EMDR can feel like a bridge between psychology and the sacred.
It also explains why spiritually sensitive or highly intuitive clients often feel particularly attuned to the process.
As one person put it: “It felt like my ancestors were in the room helping me let go.”
A Transpersonal Perspective
EMDR has been studied through a transpersonal psychology lens, which acknowledges spiritual experience as a valid and meaningful part of the healing process. While mainstream EMDR focuses on symptoms, transpersonal EMDR honors how trauma healing can lead to spiritual expansion.
Some researchers and practitioners suggest EMDR may:
Activate the energetic body alongside the nervous system
Facilitate ego dissolution or shifts in identity
Open intuitive channels during and after sessions
This doesn’t mean EMDR replaces spiritual practice. But for many, it deepens it.
How I Integrate EMDR with Somatic and Energetic Tools
In my EMDR sessions, I often blend:
Bilateral audio stimulation to activate certain brainwave states
Bilateral visual or tactile stimulation (like wireless tappers)
Healing frequency tracks to deepen relaxation
Somatic awareness and spiritual inquiry for intuitive insight
This integrative approach allows space for both psychological repair and spiritual remembrance.
Who This Is For
You might resonate with this style of work if:
You’re a spiritually open or highly sensitive person
You’ve experienced trauma, heartbreak, or grief that feels soul-level
You’re seeking a holistic, somatic, and sacred approach to therapy
You want to clear old pain and open to deeper purpose
Ready for Your Own Healing Experience?
I’m a holistic psychotherapist offering online therapy for women across California, including Encinitas, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Marin County, Noe Valley, and beyond.
If you’re ready to reconnect with your intuition, and make peace with the past — click here to learn more.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or therapeutic advice. Reading this post does not establish a therapist-client relationship. If you are seeking clinical support, please visit somaticspiritualtherapist.com for more information about therapy services available to California residents.
