Real Results From Real Skeptics

"I Thought It Was Too Weird to Work"

I get it. Tapping looks strange. The idea that Tapping on your face while talking about your problems could actually change anything sounds like something from late-night infomercials or new-age nonsense. When I first learned about it, I was skeptical too.

But here's the thing about skeptics: they're often the most honest people in the room. They don't just believe something because someone told them to. They need evidence. They need to see it work.

These are stories from people who rolled their eyes, tried it anyway—and then had to admit they were wrong.

1.8M+ Anxiety Sessions Alone

200+ Peer-Reviewed Studies

I was suspect upon hearing this thing called 'Tapping'. It looked weird, seemed strange, and my daughters plus wife would laugh with me when they saw me begin to tap.

— Scott, App User

Why Smart People Doubt Tapping (And Why That's Okay)

Important Medical Notice

While Tapping has strong research support, it is designed for general wellness and stress management. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition, and should not replace professional medical or mental health treatment.

Let me be direct: skepticism about Tapping is rational. It looks weird. It sounds implausible. And if you've spent years trying things that didn't work, you've earned the right to be cautious about new claims.

The problem is that our brains are wired to reject unfamiliar solutions. We assume that if something worked, we'd already know about it. That doctors would prescribe it. That it would be mainstream.

But Tapping is relatively new to Western medicine. The research is still catching up to what millions of users have already discovered. Over 200 peer-reviewed studies now show measurable effects—cortisol reductions, changes in brain activity, symptom improvements—but science moves slowly.

So here's my invitation: don't believe me. Don't believe these testimonials. Try one 10-minute session and see what happens in your own body. Your own experience is the only evidence that really matters.

Research shows Tapping reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) by up to 43% in a single session. Brain imaging studies show decreased amygdala activity—the fear center calming down in real-time.

Published in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, and others

From Skeptics to Believers: Their Stories

These people didn't start as fans. Many of them came to Tapping as a last resort, after everything else had failed. They tried it expecting nothing—and got something they couldn't explain away.

Karen's Story

Hay House Conference, Tampa 2009

FEATURED

"My inner skeptic was raging. He then told us to begin... I looked at my friend like really? We were laughing so hard, trying to be mature at 40 years old. Top of head—tap, eyebrows—tap, expecting nothing."

WHERE SHE STARTED

Karen and her friend were at a Hay House conference, choosing speakers at random. When they saw Nick Ortner on the schedule, her friend said "he's cute, let's go." Karen's response? "Uh no, sounds ridiculous. We're gonna learn tap dancing." She had zero expectations—and plenty of eye rolls.

WHAT CHANGED

They sat in the back, laughing at how silly it looked. But they participated anyway. "We finally settled down. Top of head—tap, eyebrows—tap, expecting nothing. We continued." And then something happened that Karen couldn't explain away.

LIFE NOW

"No one was more shocked than me when I began sobbing uncontrollably. I mean that cry where you can't stop. Something released within me that day. I didn't know the science behind it, I was just shocked that something so simple could release what was needed." Karen has been Tapping ever since and shares the story with everyone she meets.

What I love about Karen's story is the full arc—from literal eye-rolling and jokes about "tap dancing" to uncontrollable sobbing as something released. That's what happens when skeptics actually try it. The body doesn't care what the mind thinks.

Start with this session:

Release Stress (Getting Started) 10 min Free

Scott

From 8-9 Stress to Zero

"I was suspect upon hearing this thing called 'Tapping'. It looked weird, seemed strange, and my daughters plus wife would laugh with me when they saw me begin to tap."

Scott was fully expecting the placebo effect to be the only thing at work. His stress started at 8-9. After every session, it dropped by one level. "I am now consistently at a 1 or even most recently 0 stress level!!! This app has been TRANSFORMATIONAL."

David

PTSD Recovery

"I was worried in the beginning—it sounded like nonsense to me and I wanted to make sure I practiced where no one could see me! I scoffed and would have missed out on a life changing technique."

David had years of PTSD fallout to deal with. He was so skeptical he hid while Tapping. Now he and his wife tap together. "It is amazing that just a few moments can have such a dramatic positive effect. If you are on the fence about it PLEASE just try it."

Katie

Anxiety Relief

"To say that I was a skeptic is an understatement. I felt the anxiety leave me and the sense of peace was unbelievable. You really can feel the difference after every session."

Katie didn't just doubt Tapping—she actively resisted it. And then she felt the anxiety physically leave her body. "Try it! What do you have to lose?! Let me tell you, there's SO much to gain."

Vicki

Insomnia for Years

"Even though I was skeptical I feel so much better. I have had major insomnia for many years... the last two nights I slept like a baby."

One week of Tapping. Years of insomnia. Vicki was skeptical but tried the sleep sessions before bed anyway. "I am a believer. I also am an emotional eater and I am eating less and more healthy. I am excited that I found a natural solution."

Show More Skeptic Stories

"I Made Sure No One Could See Me"

Some of the best skeptic conversions happen in private. These people were so embarrassed they hid while Tapping—and then had to admit it worked.

A Fellow Skeptic's Confession

Struggled with Other Meditation

"I'm a pretty skeptical person, much to my detriment when it comes to meditation and relaxation techniques. Even with guided meditations I have a tough time not letting my mind wander into the negative."

"I've only done a few sessions, but the first one I did was so effective it was helping me into the next day. I wasn't able to let my mind wander at all while Tapping, and I believed the affirmations instead of looking for reasons for them to be wrong." This is what we hear often: Tapping works for people who couldn't make other approaches work.

Good for skeptical minds:

Releasing Anxiety (Getting Started) 9 min Free

Start With One Session

Give it 10 minutes. Be skeptical. Just notice what you notice.

Best sessions for skeptics:

Try the App Free

From the Book

It's TRUE. It actually works. And it works fast. We have brain scans, cortisol tests, genetic expression analysis, and 300+ studies showing real biological changes.

From Rewired - Chapter 3: The Science of Rewiring

We break down the hard science—from brain imaging to cortisol drops to genetic changes. Everything a skeptic needs to see.

Get REWIRED on Amazon

Try these evidence-backed sessions:

Common Questions From Skeptics

Q: Does EFT Tapping really work?

Over 200 peer-reviewed studies have examined EFT, with research published in respected journals like the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease and the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Studies show Tapping reduces cortisol by up to 43%, decreases anxiety symptoms, and produces measurable changes in brain activity. But honestly? The most convincing evidence for most skeptics is their own experience. Many people who thought Tapping was ridiculous tried it once—and couldn't explain away what they felt. Your body doesn't lie to you.

Q: Why does Tapping look so weird?

Fair point—tapping on your face while talking about your feelings does look unusual. I'll give you that. The Tapping points correspond to endpoints of energy meridians that have been used in acupuncture for thousands of years. Research suggests that stimulating these specific points while focusing on emotional distress sends calming signals to the amygdala—the brain's alarm center. It looks weird because it's targeting your nervous system directly, not just your conscious mind. Most approaches only work on the thinking level. Tapping works on the body level. That's why it can produce shifts that feel almost instantaneous.

Q: Is Tapping just a placebo?

Great question—it's what I'd ask too. Controlled studies have specifically addressed this by comparing Tapping to placebo treatments (like Tapping on non-acupoints or doing deep breathing). The results show significant differences in outcomes. Brain imaging studies also show that Tapping produces measurable changes in amygdala activity that don't occur with placebo interventions. Something is happening neurologically beyond expectation. That said, even skeptics who try it "just to prove it doesn't work" often find themselves surprised. And at that point, does it matter whether it's "placebo" if it actually helps? Try it and let your own body decide.

Q: Why isn't this mainstream if it works?

Medicine is slow to adopt new approaches—even ones with good evidence. It took decades for yoga and meditation to become accepted, and now doctors recommend them routinely. Acupuncture was dismissed for years before becoming covered by insurance. EFT is following a similar path. The research is accumulating, practitioners are growing, and more therapists are integrating it into their work. Some forward-thinking healthcare systems are already using it. It's becoming more mainstream every year. But you don't have to wait for mainstream acceptance to try something that might help you now.

Q: What if it doesn't work for me?

Then you've lost 10 minutes. That's it. The app is free to start, and a single session takes less time than watching a YouTube video. But here's what we notice: some people don't feel much the first time, but notice a shift afterward—they sleep better that night, or they don't react to something that usually triggers them. The effects can be subtle at first. Give it three sessions before you decide. Most skeptics who convert needed more than one try to realize what was actually happening in their bodies.

"I Thought It Was Too Weird to Work"