Why You’re in Pain: How Emotion Therapy Treats It
Why Clearing Emotional MUD Could Be the Key to Resolving Chronic Pain and Trauma
The Stories Our Emotions Tell
Every emotion carries a story. Anger might whisper of betrayal. Anxiety could scream about uncertainty. Depression often murmurs the loss of hope. These stories don’t just live in our minds—they shape our bodies, sometimes in ways we barely notice until the pain becomes unbearable.
Traditional therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focus on rationality and logic to help people “think their way out” of problems. While CBT can be effective, it often falls short when addressing the deeper roots of emotional and physical suffering. That’s where Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) steps in.
EAET takes a radically different approach. Instead of trying to outthink our pain, it invites us to feel it fully, understand its story, and release it. This article explores how EAET differs from CBT, why emotions may reside in an energetic biofield connected to physical health, and how this understanding can unlock profound healing.
The Divide Between CBT and EAET
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns. Its core elements include:
Goal: Challenge and reframe distorted thinking.
Techniques: Thought records, behavioral experiments, and problem-solving strategies.
Focus: Present-oriented and logical.
CBT works well for conscious thought patterns, but it often neglects the hidden emotional drivers buried in the unconscious mind.
What is EAET?
Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy (EAET) ventures into the unconscious realm, where emotional wounds are stored and where logic has little power. Its core elements include:
Goal: Identify, feel, and express unresolved emotions.
Techniques: Emotional expression, guided role-playing, and reflective writing.
Focus: Processing trauma and emotional pain that linger below conscious awareness.
Unlike CBT, EAET acknowledges that emotions aren’t problems to solve—they are experiences to feel and understand.
MUD: The Hidden Driver of Emotional Pain
At the center of unresolved emotional pain is what we at Next Level Human call MUD, which stands for Misguided Unconscious Decisions:
Misguided: These decisions are formed when the emotional event first occurs—often in childhood or under conditions where we lacked the maturity, knowledge, or skills to process what happened.
Unconscious: These decisions operate beneath the surface of our awareness, shaping our thoughts, actions, and beliefs without us realizing it.
Decisions: These are not passive experiences. When the original event occurred, we made a “decision” about what it meant. That decision became the story we tell ourselves—and it gets stuck unless addressed.
For example, a child abandoned by a parent may unconsciously decide, “I am not worthy of love.” That decision creates a story that plays on repeat, manifesting as anxiety, depression, or even physical pain.
The Biofield: Where Emotions and the Body Meet
Emotions as Energy
Emotions are more than fleeting feelings—they are dynamic forms of energy that ripple through the body. Some researchers suggest they may interact with the biofield, an invisible energetic framework that surrounds and penetrates the body.
Biofield Hypothesis: This energetic scaffolding is thought to regulate physiological and biochemical processes.
Energy and Pain: Unresolved emotions may create disruptions in the biofield, which can manifest as physical symptoms like chronic pain, fatigue, or even illness.
The Feedback Loop Between Emotions and Stories
Emotions and stories are deeply interconnected:
Triggering the Story: When an emotional event occurs, we feel first—then write the story to explain it.
Reinforcing the Emotion: Once written, the story drives the emotion.
For example:
Anger: A story about being unable to let go or move forward.
Frustration: A story about feeling stuck or unable to complete a task.
Depression: A story about losing trust, hope, or faith in oneself or others.
These emotions, if unresolved, become recurring patterns—living within us instead of simply being felt and released.
Dimensionalized Consciousness: Turning Emotions into Allies
One powerful way to address MUD and release emotional patterns is through dimensionalized consciousness.
How It Works
Dissociate from the Emotion: Instead of identifying with the emotion (“I am angry”), see it as a separate part of you (“A part of me feels anger”).
Give It Form: Visualize the emotion as a person or entity with its own thoughts, feelings, and motivations.
Engage in Dialogue: Ask the emotion what it needs, what it is teaching you, and how you can collaborate to release it.
Why It’s Powerful
Dimensionalized consciousness draws on principles from:
Shamanism: Emotions as spirits or guides.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Treating emotions as internal “parts” with distinct roles.
EAET: Allowing suppressed emotions to surface and express themselves fully.
The Evidence: EAET for Chronic Pain
In a study comparing EAET and CBT for chronic pain in older veterans, EAET demonstrated greater reductions in pain intensity and disability (Lumley et al., 2024). The findings highlight EAET’s unique ability to address not just physical symptoms but also the emotional root causes of pain.
Key Findings
Pain Reduction: EAET significantly reduced pain severity, while CBT showed less pronounced effects. (63% pain reduction versus 17%)
Emotional Well-being: EAET participants reported greater improvements in depression, anxiety, general life satisfaction, PTSD symptoms and treatment satisfaction.
Lasting Impact: The benefits of EAET extended beyond pain, influencing overall emotional and physical health.
(Yarns, et al., Emotional Awareness and Expression Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain in Older Veterans. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2415842)
Healing at the Level of the Biofield
EAET and dimensionalized consciousness work not just at the psychological level but at the energetic and physiological levels as well:
Psychological: Release the stories trapped in MUD.
Energetic: Clear disruptions in the biofield caused by unresolved emotions.
Physiological: Restore balance to the body’s systems, leading to profound healing effects.
This explains why EAET has been observed to alleviate conditions like chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and even persistent viral infections.
Conclusion: Moving Beyond Logical Healing
True healing requires moving beyond logic and diving into the unconscious world of emotions, stories, and energy. EAET provides a pathway to feel fully, release deeply, and rewrite the stories that keep us stuck.
If you’ve been living in a recurring emotional pattern or struggling with unresolved pain, EAET offers a transformative solution. It’s time to face your emotions, clear the MUD, and reclaim your health and happiness.