What is Neuroplasticity?  

The concept of neuroplasticity has evolved over time, with massive developments in the second half of the 20th century. You may often hear it referred to as “neural plasticity” or “brain plasticity.”  

Before we get into it, a quick anatomy/biology review in case you need it, as “neurons” is mentioned several times throughout this post – the brain is mainly composed of billions of neurons (nerve cells) that send messages all over your body. Neurons therefore allow you to do everything from breathing to talking, eating, walking, and thinking.  

It was previously thought that the brain was “fixed” after childhood, under the assumption we were mostly born with all the neurons we were ever going to have. However, as “plasticity” suggests, we now know that the human brain is not static, but dynamic and capable of changing in response to experiences throughout the lifespan.  

Neuroplasticity is an “innate, universal genetic feature in humans¹,” which enables the brain to continuously adjust its structure and function by “reorganiz[ing], forming new neural connections, and strengthening existing ones¹.” Without this, we could not change and grow. It also provides us with the pretty cool ability to modify our thoughts, actions and behavior so that we can create more of what we truly desire in our lives.   

To summarize, Cambridge Dictionary provides this lovely definition of neuroplasticity: “the ability of the brain to form new connections and reorganize itself as a reaction to new experiences or information.” 

Neuroplasticity in Action 

Neuroplasticity isn’t just theory – it’s happening every day in real life, often in powerful and transformative ways. It plays a crucial role in the following:   

Learning, memory and habit formation. When we learn, the brain forms new connections between neurons that store the required information. Repeated activation of these connections makes the connection stronger. Over time, this information is retained and can be easily retrieved. Some examples include:  

• Athletes, musicians and adult language learners have been able to physically change their brain structure through repeated practice.  
• Draganski et al, used MRI scans to show how the brain’s structure changes when people learn new tasks, particularly complex motor skills. The researchers had participants learn the new skill of juggling.  
• In our day-to-day life, a great demonstration of neuroplasticity is learning to drive a car. The more we practice, the more we reinforce those connections and over time, we can drive a car automatically. Thanks to neuroplasticity, we all have things we do daily that are so easy or routine we can perform them “with our eyes closed.”  

Recovery from brain injuries: When part of the brain is injured (e.g. due to stroke or trauma), neuroplasticity enables undamaged regions of the brain to take over lost function(s) or to form new connections to detour the damaged areas. An example of this is Gabby Giffords, a U.S. Congresswoman who suffered significant brain damage particularly to the language-producing areas of her brain following a gunshot wound. With intensive speech therapy, she regained her ability to speak.  

Emotional healing: The concept of neuroplasticity is also foundational to various therapeutic approaches, including EFT, which can help rewire thought patterns and emotional responses. Keep reading to find out more about how tapping and brain rewiring go hand in hand (including some fascinating real-life applications). 

The examples above demonstrate how neuroplasticity strengthens connections in our brain through repetition and experience. As Hebb’s Law summarizes, “neurons that fire together, wire together².” 

This also applies to our thoughts and feelings. 

As mentioned in an earlier blog, we explored the idea that “thoughts, feelings, and experiences (real or imagined) are constantly rewiring our brains and creating our reality.” Now, having unpacked the concept of neuroplasticity, we can understand that every thought we think and emotion we feel strengthens a neural pathway in the brain. Over time, repeated thoughts can reinforce patterns – either helpful or not so helpful.  

Given many of us tend to think the same thoughts, have the same feelings, and carry out the same routines in our life, we are continuously ‘firing’ the same neural circuits and pathways. Consequently, these often become automatic, leading to the same patterns of thinking, feeling and doing day in and day out; often operating without our conscious awareness.  

Dr Joe Dispenza uses the following example to explain this biological feedback loop:  

“Say a person lives much of her life in a repeating cycle of thoughts and feelings related to unworthiness. The moment she thinks about not being good enough, smart enough, or enough of anything, her brain releases chemicals that produce a bodily feeling of unworthiness. Now she is feeling the way she was just thinking. Her brain notices that, and she begins to have thoughts of insecurity that match the way she was just feeling. Her body is now causing her to think. If her thoughts and feelings continue, year after year, to generate the same feedback loop between her brain and her body, she will exist in a state of being that is called unworthy.” 

Automaticity is not always a bad thing – it is pretty convenient to not have to search for your work address every morning or re-learn how to balance and move the pedals around each time you feel like riding a bike. However, it can be challenging if we are trying to improve or change our lives, whether it be wanting to experience less stress or anxiety, overcoming trauma, making more money or getting a new job.  

As the classic saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” implies, it is difficult to change a person’s habits if they have been doing things a certain way for a long time. At a biological level, change requires reprogramming these neural circuits so that we are no longer ‘firing’ the same old sequences.  

The good news is there are tools and strategies available to make this happen. This is where EFT comes in.  

Tapping (literally) into Neuroplasticity  

Harnessing the brain’s natural ability to rewire, EFT can help to break these ‘loops’ as well form and strengthen newer connections by:  

Reducing stress. Tapping helps calm the nervous system, making it easier to interrupt negative thought cycles and create new, empowering neural connections. When we are regulated, it is much easier for learning to take place – healing happens when we feel safe. In a study on the effects of EFT on stress biochemistry, “statistically significant improvements in anxiety” as well as a decrease in cortisol levels were found following a one hour tapping session³.  

Shifting thought patterns. When you work with a skilled practitioner, the ‘root’ of limiting beliefs and negative thoughts along with any associated stories and memories are uncovered. By tapping away and reframing these old beliefs, existing neural connections are weakened. A 2022 study led by Peta Stapleton demonstrated that post-EFT treatment, MRI scans of adults suffering from chronic pain showed decreased connectivity “between pain modulating and catastrophizing areas in the brain⁴.”  

Apart from this neural ‘pruning’, an EFT session also typically involves the input of updated ‘coding’ to create new, positive connections. For example, after using tapping to dismantle and challenge the underlying thought of “I am not good enough,” EFT would then also be used to replace it with thoughts of “I am worthy.”  

Reinforcing positive emotions. As previously mentioned, EFT removes “the emotional charge from memories⁵” and enables more joyful thoughts to be programmed into the brain. In doing so, we are positively influencing the biological feedback loop – our brain will therefore manufacture chemicals that make us feel inspired or uplifted in response to these happy and positive thoughts, so in turn we “begin to think the way we are feeling⁶.” Bach et al. found that in addition to positive health effects, increased feelings of happiness were identified following EFT.  

You can read first-hand experiences of reducing stress, transforming beliefs and boosting positivity from some super inspiring individuals.  

Of course, there a range of other therapies and strategies including mindfulness and CBT that harness the power of neuroplasticity to shift negative thought patterns, build better habits, and heal emotional wounds. EFT works beautifully on its own or alongside these approaches, offering fast-acting, somatic and accessible healing all while keeping you regulated, calm and safe.    

Your brain is always changing – it is fluid, responsive and ready to grow with you. EFT offers a powerful, accessible way to work with that change, helping you gently rewire emotional patterns, reduce stress, and create more ease in your life. By tapping into neuroplasticity (literally!), you can rewrite old patterns and make space for healing, alignment and expansion – one tap at a time.  

With love and light,  

Val xxx

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¹Dispenza, J. (2019) Evolve Your Brain. https://drjoedispenza.com/dr-joes-blog/evolve-your-brain  

²Hebb, D.O. (1949) The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory. New York: Wiley.  

³Church, D., Yount, G. and Brooks, A.J. (2012) ‘The effect of emotional freedom techniques on stress biochemistry’, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200(10), pp. 891–896. doi:10.1097/nmd.0b013e31826b9fc1.  

⁴Stapleton, P.B., Baumann, O, O’Keefe, T. and Bhuta, S. (2022) ‘Neural changes after emotional freedom techniques treatment for chronic pain sufferers’, Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 49, 101653. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101653.  

⁵Church, D. The EFT Manual. Third ed. Petaluma, CA: Energy Psychology Press, 2014.  ⁶Dispenza, J. (2012) Breaking the habit of being yourself: How to lose your mind and create a new one. Hay House.