Is EMDR Magic? (How EMDR Works)

Kyle Lincoln
Aug 30
15 min read

Updated: Sep 10

Hands with playing cards with text — Cover for *7 Days Inside: EMDR* "Is EMDR Magic? (How EMDR Works)"

Episode Summary

EMDR can look mysterious from the outside, but there is no magic trick—just your brain’s natural capacity to heal when given the right conditions. In this episode of 7 Days Inside: EMDR, Kyle Lincoln and co-host Kellyn unpack what is actually happening during bilateral stimulation. They explore how the Orienting Response helps the body shift from alarm to curiosity, how Working Memory demands reduce the intensity of painful images, how Memory Reconsolidation “updates” old files with new safety, and why EMDR’s eye movements echo the brain’s nightly REM processing.

The Essential Concept segment introduces TICES—a simple way to map a memory by naming the Trigger, the most charged Image, the linked Cognition, the Emotion, and the Sensation in the body—so reprocessing can reach the whole network. The skill practice closes with the Spiral Technique, a Phase Two resource that gives “stuck” sensations a direction to move, helping the nervous system let go rather than brace. Warm, accessible, and grounded in science, this episode is an invitation to see EMDR as structured attention paired with expert guidance.

Disclaimer: The content shared in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not replace professional EMDR training, certification, or therapy. For official training or resources, please visit EMDRIA.org.

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Episode Transcript

Transcript, Introduction (Part 1)

[Kyle]: Hi, everyone, and welcome back to 7 Days Inside: EMDR. I'm Kyle Lincoln.

[Kellyn]: And I'm Kellyn. It's great to be back. So Kyle, last week we talked about the huge range of things EMDR treats, and it's impressive. But I’m still stuck on the how. Like, what are my eyes actually doing to a memory? It feels a little… mysterious.

[Kyle]: You're not alone in feeling that. I've had clients joke, half-seriously, and ask, "So... is this magic?"

[Kellyn]: (laughs) Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one! It's not like hypnosis, right? But from the outside, it seems like something strange is happening.

[Kyle]: It does. And that's actually the perfect way to frame today's episode. Because the answer to "Is EMDR magic?" is a definite no. But I completely understand why people ask. The results can feel magical because the process can seem so strange.

[Kellyn]: So today, we're pulling back the curtain to show the audience there are no smoke and mirrors involved.

[Kyle]: Exactly. No magic wands, just neuroscience. Today, our main topic is exploring the science behind how EMDR works. Then, for our essential concept, we’ll introduce the TICES framework, which is how a therapist maps out a memory. And for our exercise, we'll practice the Spiral Technique, a tool for working with sensations that feel stuck in the body.

[Kellyn]: Perfect. Let's get into it and see how the "magic" is actually made.

Transcript, The Four Theories on Why BLS Works (Part 2)

[Kyle]: So, the big question: how does just moving your eyes back and forth actually heal anything?

[Kellyn]: Yeah, that seems completely random and disconnected from the idea of trauma treatment.

[Kyle]: That’s what I thought too before I learned about EMDR. But, just to be clear, we are talking about BLS while thinking about traumatic memories. We are talking about tasks that a person does in your office–tapping their knees, following your hand left and right–after naming the negative thoughts that make a memory so painful and while holding that in their minds.

[Kellyn]: So it’s not really the eye movement that heals the trauma, it’s the actual act of doing two things as once that can aid in our brain’s reprocessing of traumatic memories. But it still begs the question… what is the stimulation itself doing to the brain in that moment?

[Kyle]: The moment of truth. People disagree about it and psychologists have been working on figuring it out. It’s just my opinion, but EMDR emerged backwards and not in the way that other psychotherapies came about. CBT, for example, is premised on the idea that dysfunction is rooted in negative cognitions or beliefs and maladaptive behaviors. Those are the building blocks for the therapy. EMDR came about because Francine Shapiro found something that worked and she didn’t have a good answer as to why it worked. People have educated theories as to why BLS helps your brain reprocess… there are four main theories I’ll talk about that help us understand what's likely happening. And while there isn't one single, simple answer, they are probably all partially true, and they all influence what I actually do in a session.

[Kellyn]: Is one of those theories that EMDR is magic, or is that just us?

[Kyle]: Let's say there are five theories then. Joking aside, let’s imagine a client—we’ll call her Sarah. Let’s pretend a few months ago, she was in a minor car accident. No one was seriously hurt, but it was terrifying. Now, whenever she gets in a car, she feels panicky. That’s the memory we're working on.

[Kellyn]: Got it. So Sarah's in your office, thinking about this scary memory. How do the theories apply?

[Kyle]: Okay, so let's look at Theory One: the Orienting Response. Normally, when I first ask Sarah to bring up the memory of the crash, her body instantly goes into a threat response. Her heart pounds, muscles tense. It feels like it's happening all over again.

[Kellyn]: Which is the opposite of healing.

[Kyle]: Right. But instead of letting her stay there, I start the eye movements. That's something new, something unexpected. Her brain, even for a split second, shifts from "DANGER!" to "Wait… what is this?" That shift from re-experiencing to observing is the Orienting Response. The theory matters because my job is to use the stimulation to keep her on that curious, observant track, instead of letting her get pulled back into the terror.

[Kellyn]: Okay, you're creating a different, safer response. What's the second theory?

[Kyle]: The second theory focuses on Working Memory. The working memory is the information you can hold in your head at one time. So, when Sarah normally thinks about the crash—the image of the other car, the sound of the tires—it takes up, let’s just say, 100% of her mental energy. Her brain gets completely overwhelmed. It begins to flood.

[Kellyn]: It’s too much to handle, so she just panics.

[Kyle]: Right. But now, while she’s holding a piece of that memory, I'm also asking her to follow my fingers. Her brain literally cannot do both things perfectly at the same time. This makes the image of the crash less vivid, less powerful. It doesn't have enough bandwidth to flood her system. As a counselor, if I see Sarah starting to get overwhelmed, I can speed up the eye movements or make them more complex or add another element like sound. I'm actively using the stimulation to make it harder for the trauma to take over.

[Kellyn]: That's fascinating. You're using it like a dial to keep the distress manageable.

[Kyle]: Exactly. And that leads us to the third theory, Memory Reconsolidation, which is a term used to describe “deep change.” Because we've brought up the car crash memory, that file is now "unlocked" in her brain. But, crucially, because we are doing BLS, Sarah isn't panicking. She's in a relatively calm state and the memory isn't flooding her. Her brain is experiencing the memory of the crash plus the feeling of safety in my office, all at once. When her brain "re-saves" that memory, it saves it with that new data. The file is no longer corrupted by terror.

[Kellyn]: So the memory itself doesn't disappear, but its emotional attachment changes.

[Kyle]: It changes completely.

[Kellyn]: So what is the fourth theory?

[Kyle]: And the final theory suggests this whole process is supercharged because it taps into something Sarah's brain already does every night during REM sleep. The eye movements specifically seem to mimic our natural, built-in system for processing the day's events and filing them away. So in a way, we're just intentionally launching the brain's own healing software.

All these theories show how a therapist, by guiding this process, can help create the exact conditions your brain needs to finally heal a wound that’s been stuck.

And, at least speaking for the perspective of my own job security, recognizing that complexity is the key to understanding why the therapist's role is so indispensable. Doing this on your own doesn't replicate that safe environment or the expert guidance needed to navigate what comes up. It can stir up intense feelings that are best handled with support. The power isn’t just in the movements—it's in the intentional way we use them within a therapeutic relationship.

[Kellyn]: That’s a good point. But I have one more question: Can all of these theories work together? Are there people who are loyal to only one or two of these reasonings, while writing off the others in the same way we write off the Magic theory?

[Kyle]: I know there are people who do subscribe primarily to the working memory theory, and they do research pushing the limits or finding the right balance of BLS. Interestingly some of these practitioners have been criticized for only doing EMD and leaving out the reprocessing. It’s possible that the working memory theory better explains the phenomenon of desensitization than reprocessing. The official position is that they all are a piece of the puzzle and in fact the puzzle has missing pieces. You do need a calm body to do trauma work, so you need an orienting response. Your brain does have a natural processing ability, which is what the REM sleep theory suggests. And the memory reconsolidation theory, which to my mind is the most magical or the lot, is clearly happening whether I understand exactly how. Neuroscience still struggles answering questions of meaning making.

[Kellyn]: Wow. So, all these things working together. A calm body, a memory with reduced distress, an opportunity to rewrite the emotional meaning, and the brain’s own natural processing ability.

[Kyle]: Well done!

[Kellyn]: Sounds like magic to me! So it really comes down to the guidance. The therapist helps create the space where your own brain can do the healing work it's already equipped to do.

[Kyle]: That's the best way to understand it. Your brain knows how to heal, and EMDR therapy simply helps create the best possible conditions for that natural, profound healing to take place.

Transcript, Essential Concept, TICES (Part 3)

[Kyle]: Every episode, we introduce one essential concept in EMDR to help you prepare for the work your brain will be doing in counseling. Today’s concept is called TICES. It is an acronym that names the parts of a memory.

[Kellyn]: Not gonna lie, when you said TICES, I thought you had come up with a new astrological symbol.

[Kyle]: Oh yeah, Pisces, good one! I hadn’t even thought of that.

[Kellyn]: Maybe in the next series. Okay, TICES. It sounds important. But I have to admit… Another acronym! Okay, lay it on me. What is TICES?

[Kyle]: TICES is essentially a way to map out a memory. Memories, especially stressful ones, often feel like one big, overwhelming blob of feeling. TICES helps us break that blob down into its core ingredients.

[Kellyn]: So it brings some order to the chaos. Where do you start?

[Kyle]: We start with the 'T' in TICES, which stands for Trigger. A Trigger is an event that happens in your life now. For example, maybe your boss gave you some unexpected criticism yesterday, and it's been bothering you ever since. That’s the trigger.

[Kellyn]: Okay, so the trigger is the thing that sets you off in the present.

[Kyle]: Exactly. And often, that present-day trigger leads us to the Target memory. The Target is the specific, earlier memory from the past that we actually focus on in reprocessing. For this exercise, let's say the trigger with your boss reminds you of a similar event from school.

[Kellyn]: Like being called out by one of your teachers?

[Kyle]: Right. So the first step is to name that specific event. We call this the Target memory. So for this, our Target is: “The time my professor called me out in front of the whole class.”

[Kellyn]: Got it. So you pick a specific moment.

[Kyle]: You have to name the target memory in EMDR to process it and release yourself from present-day triggers. Next, we ask, what’s the worst part of that memory? What’s the most vivid snapshot that comes to mind when you think of it? We call this the Image. That's the ‘I’ in TICES. For this, it might be the image of the professor’s disappointed face, or seeing other students whisper.

[Kellyn]: You know, I can see that being a real sticking point for people. But what if a memory doesn't feel like a clear picture? What if you don't really "see" anything when you think back?

[Kyle]: That's a fantastic point, and you're right, some memories aren’t stuck visually. Most people don’t have photographic memories. The word 'image' can be a little misleading. It doesn’t have to be a crystal-clear photograph. It can be a blurry snapshot or even just a sense of the room in this case. And sometimes, it’s not visual at all. The most charged sensory part might be a sound—like the professor's sharp tone of voice—or a smell. We’re just looking for the single sensory piece of the memory that stands out the most. If a person can’t access that, I ask them to create an image to represent the memory like an artist might.

[Kellyn]: Okay, so it’s less about seeing a movie and more about finding the one sensory detail that holds the most energy.

[Kyle]: I think you've got it. Now, when you connect with that sensory piece, I will ask next, what is the negative thought about yourself that comes with it? This is the Cognition. That’s the ‘C’ in TICES. So Trigger, Image, now Cognition. For instance, with this memory, a person might think to themselves: “I am a failure,” or “I’m not smart enough.”

After naming the cognition, we identify the primary Emotion—the ‘E’—which might be shame or humiliation. This is the feeling you get when you remember the memory.

[Kellyn]: So we have the Trigger, the sensory Image, the negative Cognition, and the Emotion. What’s last?

[Kyle]: The final piece is noticing where that emotion shows up in your body. That’s the Sensation, the ‘S’ in TICES. When you feel that shame, does your face get hot? Does your stomach sink? Do you feel a tightness in your throat?

I think this another one of those tricky steps. Many of us have literally never been asked to locate a sensation in our bodies. It’s not typical conversation, you know.

[Kellyn]: Yeah, can’t say I hear that one every day. How does someone ever respond to that question?

[Kyle]: Sometimes clients will pause a second or two and touch their hand to their chest or stretch their neck. For many people, there's a real disconnect and they have to learn to describe feelings like warmth or tightness. If the answer is 'I don't know' or 'Everywhere at once,' that's perfectly fine—that’s useful information. We’re just checking for any small areas of tightness, hollowness, pressure, heat, or cold. That helps us to scale the intensity of an emotion and also to know if reprocessing is effective at changing it.

[Kellyn]: So the sensation isn’t always strong or super intense.

[Kyle]: Sometimes the answer is just 'a tingling in my hands' or 'a hollow feeling in my chest.' There are no right or wrong answers. We're just noticing the body where it’s holding the emotion.

Actually, listeners will get a chance to enter the strange world of EMDR in just a minute because the skill-building exercise today asks you to locate a feeling in your body.

[Kellyn]: Okay, I’m sure listeners appreciate you normalizing the strangeness. So to recap, TICES breaks down the parts of a memory—the trigger, the image, the cognition, the emotion, and the sensation.

[Kyle]: The reason we map it out so carefully is because to truly heal the memory, we need to activate the entire network where it's stored. By gently identifying all these components, we are lighting up the whole circuit so the bilateral stimulation of EMDR can do its work effectively, reaching every part of the experience. It makes the process targeted, thorough, and ultimately, much more complete.

Transcript, Skill-Building Exercise, Spiral Technique (Part 4)

[Kellyn]: Okay, it’s that time again—our skill for the end of the episode. What are we trying out today?

[Kyle]: Today’s practice is called the Spiral Technique. It’s another resourcing tool from EMDR Phase Two, and it’s designed to help your body shift out of discomfort—especially when something feels stuck or tense. This one is less about calming and more about movement—letting your body do something useful with what it’s holding.

[Kellyn]: So we’re not creating a calm state, we’re helping the body release what’s in the way of it?

[Kyle]: Exactly. Sometimes people feel tightness, heaviness, or pressure in their body—like emotional energy that has nowhere to go. The Spiral Technique gives that sensation a direction. It helps you shift your attention in a way that lets your nervous system begin to settle without needing to force anything.

[Kellyn]: Okay, I’m excited to try this one out!

[Kyle]: Great. If you’re listening somewhere safe, take a moment to get comfortable. Let your body settle into your seat. You can close your eyes or just soften your gaze.

Start by noticing your body. You’re not looking for anything intense or dramatic—just see if there’s a place that feels tight, heavy, or activated in a mild way. It could be tension in your shoulders, a little restlessness in your legs, or just a place that feels “off.”

[Kellyn]: Okay… I think I feel some tightness in my stomach. Kind of like when I haven’t eaten in a while.

[Kyle]: Perfect. Stay with that sensation for a moment. No need to change it—just notice it.

Now I want you to imagine that there’s a spiral in that area. Picture it spinning. What direction is it moving? Is it turning inward or outward? Is it fast or slow?

There’s no right answer—just notice what comes to mind.

[Kellyn]: It feels like it’s spinning inward, kind of tightly.

[Kyle]: Good. Now gently imagine that spiral reversing direction. If it was spinning inward, let it begin to spiral outward. If it was turning counterclockwise, imagine it slowly shifting to clockwise.

Let the movement change gradually. You’re not forcing it—just letting your attention guide it.

(Pause)

Now let that spiral expand. Imagine it moving outward, softening, loosening. Like it’s uncoiling or dissolving tension as it goes.

And now, picture something else filling that space. Maybe it’s a color, a temperature, a sense of steadiness. Just something your body associates with relief or release.

Take a breath in…

and out…

Notice what has shifted.

[Kellyn]: MI… I could feel the sensation let up as the spiral got slower.

[Kyle]: That’s one of the unique things about this technique. It doesn’t start with calm—it starts with noticing what’s active in the body and giving it somewhere to go. You’re not suppressing anything—you’re helping it move.

[Kellyn]: It felt different from the earlier practices. Less about telling myself I’m safe, more about letting my body decide how to let go.

[Kyle]: That’s a great way to describe it. Sometimes the best way to regulate isn’t through breath or words—it’s through directional attention. You’re staying with the feeling just long enough to let it shift. Like always, the best time to practice is when you don’t need it—so that your body knows the path when you do. Try it a few times this week, even if all you’re working with is a little shoulder tension or restlessness.

Transcript, Wrap-up (Part 5)

[Kellyn]: Wow. Okay, my head is spinning a little bit, but in a good way. So, going back to the question of the episode, it's not one single thing. It's... the Orienting Response that calms the body down...

[Kyle]: Right, which keeps you grounded in the present. Then you have the Working Memory theory, which explains how the stimulation keeps your brain from getting flooded by the memory.

[Kellyn]: And that whole combination opens the door for Memory Reconsolidation, which is where the memory file actually gets updated.

[Kyle]: And don’t forget, the eye movements in particular seem to have a lot in common with what happens during REM sleep.

[Kyle]: You've got it. It's this interplay of different mechanisms that are all likely happening at once.

[Kellyn]: So, I guess the official verdict is in: EMDR is not magic. (laughs)

[Kyle]: (chuckles) It's not magic. But the fact that our brains have these incredible, built-in systems for healing can feel pretty magical when you experience it. The science is really just catching up to what practitioners and clients have been seeing for decades.

[Kellyn]: And the science is actually seeing it now, right? Not just talking about it?

[Kyle]: Yes, and that's the most exciting part for me. Researchers can put someone in a brain scanner and watch as the brain's fear center—the amygdala—literally quiets down during the process. They can see the alarm bells stop ringing. Even if they are still debating the exact details of why it works, they can't deny what they see happening.

[Kellyn]: That's so hopeful. It makes me feel like understanding the 'how,' even with all its complexity, makes the whole process feel more solid and trustworthy.

[Kyle]: That's the whole point of today's episode. And now that we've pulled back the curtain on the science, next week we're going to pull back the curtain on the session itself. We're going to be a fly on the wall and walk you through what happens, moment by moment, when a client actually sits down to do this work.

[Kellyn]: I can't wait for that. Thanks, everyone, for joining us today. You can find links to some of the research and articles we mentioned on the website.

[Kyle]: We'll see you next week.

Resources for Is EMDR Magic? (How EMDR Works)

EMDR Preparation Skills Checklist. I designed this checklist is a tool to help you practice and master the grounding and resourcing skills that form the foundation of EMDR therapy. Consistent practice helps these skills become second nature, allowing you to access them whenever you need to feel more stable and calm. Use this log to track your practice and make notes to discuss with your therapist.

Spiral Technique—Step-by-Step Guide. Use colors and this step-by-step guide for noticing and gently reversing a “stuck” body sensation so it can unwind..