The Emotion Code: How to Release Your Trapped Emotions for Abundant Health, Love, and Happiness (Updated and Expanded Edition)

by Bradley Nelson

Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth is not. —Mark Twain

Our emotions don’t come out of nowhere—they are generated by our bodies based on two criteria: what we are experiencing in the moment, and information stored in our bodies and minds from past experiences. So whether we are feeling happiness or shame, that emotion comes from deep within, and for a reason.

Three things happen when we experience an emotion. First, our body generates the emotional vibration. Second, we begin to feel the emotion and any thoughts or physical sensations that come along with it. Third, we choose to let the emotion go and we move on, after a few seconds to several minutes. This last step is called processing, and once it is completed, we have successfully moved on from the emotional experience and it shouldn’t cause us any problems. However, if either the second or third step is interrupted, the emotional experience is incomplete, and the energy of the emotion is likely to become trapped in the body.

Trapped emotions lower immune function and make the body more vulnerable to disease. They can distort body tissues, block the flow of energy, and prevent the normal function of organs and glands.

Your body will normally be drawn toward positive things or thoughts and repelled by negative things or ideas.

The simplest method I know of to get answers from your subconscious mind is called the Sway Test. You will learn other methods of muscle testing later on in this book, but the Sway Test is extremely simple to learn and does not require the assistance of anyone else, so it can be used when you are alone. To try the Sway Test, assume a standing position and make sure you are comfortable. The room should be quiet and free of distractions, including music and television. It will be easiest for you to learn if you are alone or with someone who is learning along with you. Here’s what to do: • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart so that you are comfortably balanced. • Stand still, with your hands by your sides. • Let go of all your worries and relax your body completely. Close your eyes if you are comfortable doing so. Within a few seconds, you will notice that it is actually impossible to stand perfectly still. Your body will continually shift its position very slightly in different directions as your muscles work to maintain your standing posture. You will notice that these movements are very slight, and are not under your conscious control. When you make a positive, true, or congruent statement, your body should begin to sway noticeably forward, usually within less than ten seconds. When you make a negative, untrue, or incongruent statement, your body should sway backward within the same time frame.

Thousands of years ago, ancient physicians were astute observers of the human body. They found that people whose lives were dominated by a certain emotion would have corresponding physical ailments. For example, people whose lives were ruled by anger seemed to suffer from liver and gallbladder trouble. People who dealt with excess grief would often suffer from lung or colon trouble. Fearful people seemed to have kidney and bladder problems. Eventually, a correlation was made between the emotions we experience and the various organs of the body. It was believed that the organs themselves actually produced the emotions that people felt. In other words, if you are feeling fear, your kidneys or bladder are creating that particular energy or vibration. If you are feeling grief, it is being produced by your lungs or your colon, and so on.

Another example can be found in the way that alcohol affects people. We all know that people who become alcoholics often die of liver disease. But we also know that many people who drink can become quite angry and violent when under the influence. Alcohol is broken down and processed by the liver, and too much alcohol overstimulates the liver. When you overstimulate or overload an organ, it will produce more of the emotions that it is designed to produce. The liver produces feelings of anger, among others. This is the mechanism that is often at work when drinking results in violence. If you have an organ that is diseased, overloaded, or imbalanced in some way, the emotions created by that organ will often be more frequent and more intense.

A powerful example of this energetic connection is what happened to one of my patients a number of years ago. She was sitting at home one night, watching television with her husband. Suddenly she began experiencing severe, hammering pains throughout her body, which inexplicably moved from one area to another. The violence of the attack was terrifying, and when it was over, she was greatly relieved but exhausted and frightened. She had never experienced anything like this before and had no idea what had gone wrong in her body. Her attempts to explain this bizarre and excruciating attack baffled everyone, including her doctor. Three days later, she got a phone call from her son, who was working in the Philippines. He was calling her from his hospital bed and told her that he had been severely beaten by the local police a few days before. When they compared the time of his beating to the time of her experience, they were one and the same. Somehow, she was connected enough to her son to literally “feel his pain.” Talk about mother’s intuition!

Your thoughts are immensely powerful. Whenever you say what you’re thinking or write something down, you’re using the energy of your thoughts to affect the world around you. It is through thought, belief, and intention that all things happen.

One evening, Jean and I were sitting and talking together. Rhett was sitting on Jean’s lap. I opened my arms to him to give him a hug. Again, he pushed me away and said, “Bad doctor! Away!” This time it felt like my heart might break. I could feel the heartache welling up within my chest, and I felt like I was going to cry. My wife said, “You know, maybe he has a trapped emotion.” Up until that point, we had only treated adults for trapped emotions. We decided to check Rhett and see. Using the Emotion Code, we found that he did have a trapped emotion. The emotion was grief. But he hadn’t created this emotion; it had actually originated with me! In fact, it didn’t even have anything to do with Rhett. My daughter and I were having an argument one day; I experienced an emotion of grief, and Rhett witnessed the argument and absorbed that negative energy into his body. (We’ll discuss absorbed trapped emotions like this later on.) We released the trapped grief, and to my amazement, Rhett walked right over to me and put his arms around me. As I cried and held my little boy, I was astonished and excited at the same time. If my son could be changed so instantaneously by simply removing a trapped emotion, then how many other children could be helped?

If tissues are irritated over a long period of time, they may eventually enter into a state of metaplasia, or change. In other words, the specific type of cell begins to revert to a more primitive cell. This is often a precursor to malignancy, or cancer. While there are a variety of things that are thought to cause cancer, trapped emotions are a contributing factor to the disease process, as I believe they are to many, if not most, other diseases. Every cancer patient I treated was found to have trapped emotions embedded in the malignant tissues.

A phobia is defined as an irrational, persistent fear of certain activities, persons, objects, or situations. I have found that trapped emotions are a significant cause of phobias, and often the only cause. Most people have one or more trapped emotions at the root of any given phobia they suffer from.

Nightmares can be caused by trapped emotions, but night terrors almost always are.

In 1939, a Russian electrical technician named Semyon Kirlian discovered what is now known as Kirlian photography.1 Kirlian photography uses no light as in traditional photography; instead it uses pulsed, high-voltage frequencies to take pictures of the radiating energy fields that surround all living things. The technique is also referred to as gas discharge visualization, or GDV. Since its discovery, Russian scientists have done a significant amount of research using Kirlian photography. They have found that all things exhibit the characteristics of an energy field, although living things have a much more vibrant energy field than inanimate objects.2 Perhaps the most striking Kirlian images are those of leaves that have been cut in half yet still show the complete, intact energy fields of the whole leaves.

The existence of the “human energy field” has been a basic tenet of the healing arts for a very long time. The Hindus understood the vital, life-giving force that permeates and gives life to all things to be prana, an understanding going back five thousand years. The Chinese taught that this energy is called chi, and understood that if the chi is imbalanced within an individual, the result is poor health. Throughout history, as many as ninety-seven diverse and separate cultures had a belief in the human energy field. Trapped emotions distort and block the flow of this energy in our bodies, and the Emotion Code is one simple way to bring this energy back to a more balanced state.

In my seminars, I use a simple test to illustrate how thoughts can have a powerful effect on another person’s mind and body, even at a distance. I have a volunteer stand at the front of the room with her back to the audience. I perform a quick baseline muscle test to make sure she is testable, by having her say “love,” and then pressing down gently but firmly on her outstretched arm. This should elicit a strong muscle response, and she should be able to resist my downward pressure without any trouble. Then I have her say “hate,” and again I press down on her arm, which now is weakened, making her unable to resist my downward pressure. I instruct the volunteer to keep her eyes closed and her mind clear. I make sure to keep my mind clear as well, so I won’t interfere with the demonstration. I then instruct the audience that when I give the thumbs-down signal behind the volunteer’s back, they are to silently send negative thoughts to the volunteer, such as “I don’t like you” or “You are not welcome.” I tell the audience that when I give the thumbs-up signal behind the volunteer’s back, they are to think positive thoughts about the volunteer, such as “I love you” or “You are wonderful.” At my thumbs-down signal, the audience begins sending negative thoughts toward the volunteer, and I gently push down on her outstretched arm. I remain silent during the demonstration to illustrate to everyone in the audience that it is their thought energy alone that is creating the effect. Wit...

Max Planck, one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century and considered the father of quantum theory, made the following statement when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics: As a man who has devoted his whole life to the most clear-headed science, to the study of matter, I can tell you as a result of my research about atoms this much: There is no matter as such. All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a force which brings the particle of an atom to vibration and holds this most minute solar system of the atom together. We must assume behind this force the existence of a conscious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.

To be a healer, you must not entertain thoughts of doubt; you must leave your fears behind. Your heart must be filled with love and gratitude.

Life is about having joy. It’s about increasing our ability to give and receive love, and it’s about gaining all the knowledge we can. It’s also about serving others, feeling grateful for all that we have, and learning to create the life we want.

A few decades ago, the scientific community generally denied the existence of any sort of human energy field. Since that time, scientists have completely changed their minds. They now know with absolute certainty that an energy field exists. As new technology has come along, they’ve been able to test for and confirm it. For example, one device, called the SQUID magnetometer, can detect the tiny magnetic fields created by the biochemical and physiological activities of the body. Using this device, scientists have learned that all of the tissues and organs in the body produce specific magnetic vibrations. These are called biomagnetic fields.9 Although not all medical doctors are aware of this yet, it has been determined that the biomagnetic fields in the space around the body give a more accurate reading of the patient’s health than traditional electrical measurements like EEGs (electroencephalograms) and EKGs (electrocardiograms). In fact, scientists now know that the heart’s electromagnetic field is so powerful that you can take an accurate reading three feet away from the body.

Scientists now know that the electromagnetic field of your heart extends eight to twelve feet from your body in all directions, behind you, above you, below you, in front of you, and to your sides.

The brain’s pineal gland, which secretes hormones that affect your whole body, is surrounded by magnetite clusters that are carefully tuned to perceive and interact with magnetic fields. These are the same kinds of magnetic clusters that allow homing pigeons, butterflies, and bees to navigate using the earth’s magnetic field. It appears that these magnetite formations in our own pineal glands have a lot to do with our own sense of direction. A study published in the respected British Medical Journal found that people who were suffering from calcification (or hardening) of the pineal gland were significantly more likely to get lost!

Remember that the person you are testing has to be willing to be tested. If their attitude is cynical or skeptical, it will be harder for you to test them. Don’t waste your time with people who don’t want to be helped, or who are not open to being helped. Life is too short.

In my experience, about one in fifty people are considered to be untestable at any given time; that is, they will stay strong no matter how incongruent or untrue their statement. It is not a serious problem, however, nor is it permanent.

Getting consistently weak answers is most often caused by a temporary state called overload. Usually, you will be able to clear between four and ten trapped emotions in one session, and most people can do a session every two or three days. Most of the time, you can clear one trapped emotion after the other without needing to take a break. But once in a while, the body and brain may become overwhelmed with the myriad bits of data and the connections and reconnections that need to be made after a trapped emotion is released. Being in overload will make a person test weak no matter what you do. It is a temporary condition, and usually lasts less than thirty seconds.

If you are trying to work with a person who tests strong no matter what you do, consider that this person may be untestable at present. I’ve found that this is usually due to one of two things. Either they are dehydrated, or one or more bones in their neck are misaligned. When someone is dehydrated, it directly affects their muscle strength and their electrical conductivity. Have them drink a glass of water, then try again. Sometimes that’s all it takes. You may also drink some water; if you are dehydrated, the testing will be affected in the same way. A misaligned bone in the neck may be creating interference in the nervous system, inhibiting the nerve connections and throwing off the messages to their muscles. In that case, they should see their chiropractor for an adjustment, after which they should be testable.

Now and then, I’ve run into people who have already made up their minds that muscle testing doesn’t work. And wouldn’t you know it? It doesn’t work on them! They make sure of that.

Muscle testing works on most people, most of the time. But other things can come into play. Sometimes it doesn’t work because a person is just not comfortable for some reason. Or they think it’s weird. Or they’re defensive, afraid that something might be revealed about them. For example, I have found that sometimes people will be untestable in front of a group of people yet become perfectly testable when they are no longer in front of an audience.

Always explain what you are going to do before you do it. If you are going to be pressing down on someone’s arm to test them, explain the procedure beforehand and get their permission. It is technically possible to test other people through self-testing without their knowing it, and this is wrong. It is critical to ask permission of the person you are going to test, and it is critical that you honor their wishes. Testing people without their permission or against their wishes is a true invasion of their privacy and is unethical. Not only that, but because you don’t have their permission, it may be harder for you to make a good connection, and you may get incorrect answers. So don’t waste your time! Don’t do it even if you’re curious, and tell others that it’s against your principles or ethics to do so. Never test or work on a minor without the permission of their parent or guardian. The same guideline applies to animals.

It is possible to influence the outcome of testing by what you are thinking, so it is really important to stay focused. Distracting or negative thoughts can override the information you’re seeking. If you are holding negative thoughts in your head about the person you’re testing—even if that person is you—your body will respond appropriately by showing a weak muscle response, even if the answer to your question was actually yes.

I believe that angels come every time we ask for divine help, and that the thoughts, impressions, and ideas that filter into our minds about how to help our subject are most often coming from them. In addition, prayer connects us with the Creator and facilitates our use as divine instruments. Indeed, I have come to believe and know that the highest duty of the healer is to act as a go-between for that Higher Power. Be willing to try it, and you will see what I mean.

Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe. —Saint Augustine

Decide to cast away any anxiety you may have about this process. Anxiety is a form of fear, and faith and fear cannot coexist!

If you quiet your mind during this process, and especially if you ask for divine help to figure it out, you will be guided. Trust me on this. Remember, “Ask, and you shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened to you.”

To release a trapped emotion from yourself: Place your magnet between your eyebrows, either touching or just over your skin. Roll or slide the magnet up the middle of your forehead, over the top of your head, and down the back of your neck as far as you can comfortably reach. Do this three times total.

Each stroke transfers magnetic energy into the Governing Meridian. This magnetic energy magnifies and carries your intention into all the other meridians, filling the body with that intention energy. The result is that within three strokes, the trapped emotion is released, forever. It’s just that simple.

If you are struggling with a specific problem in your life, it’s important to determine if trapped emotions may be playing an unseen role. You might suspect that you have a trapped emotion contributing to a specific issue, but it doesn’t show up when you ask the general question “Do I have a trapped emotion that I can release now?” This is probably because the subconscious mind needs you to ask for the particular trapped emotion that is causing or contributing to the issue. Here are some examples of common problems, along with ways to ask about them. This list could go on and on, but it will give you an idea of how you can ask about your own specific problems. “Do I have a trapped emotion that is preventing me from losing weight?” “Is there a trapped emotion that is causing inflammation in my tissues?” “Do you have a trapped emotion that is blocking you from making more money?” “Is there a trapped emotion that is preventing me from selling more of my product or service?” “Is there a trapped emotion that is contributing to my (back, neck, shoulder, knee, etc.) pain? “Do I have a trapped emotion that is causing me to be (depressed, short-tempered, angry, etc.)?” “Do I have a trapped emotion about my (husband, wife, son, daughter, boss, etc.)?” “Is there a trapped emotion that is interfering with the achievement of my goals?” “Is there a trapped emotion that is making it more difficult for me to quit (drinking, smoking, using drugs, looking at pornography, etc.)?” “Do I have ...

It’s critically important to be neutral and to keep an open mind while doing this work. Remember that we are all connected to one another, and when we use the Emotion Code, we are communicating on an energetic level even more “loudly” than usual. Because of this, if you start to add your expectations, suspicions, or prejudices into the mix, you can really get off track (to say the least). For example, a student of mine was a victim of sexual abuse, and for some reason, she suspected that all her friends and acquaintances had been sexually abused as well. She would ask their subconscious minds if this was true, perform a muscle test, and receive an affirmative answer every time. Of course, these people had not all been abused in this way, and they found this very upsetting. What was happening here was that she was projecting. She was expecting so strongly to get a yes answer that she did indeed receive that answer.

Scientists have long speculated about the possibility of emotionally charged memories being passed from one generation to another. In a famous experiment, researchers administered uncomfortable electrical shocks to the feet of mice that were, at the same time, exposed to a powerful odor. The scientists observed that the offspring of these mice became extremely wary when they smelled this particular odor, even if they had never smelled it before in their lives. At first, scientists were unsure about the mechanism at play. They thought perhaps the parents of these mice had somehow taught them to be wary of this odor. To explore further, sperm cells were removed from male mice that had been exposed to the shocks and the odor, and in vitro fertilization was done using the sperm to inseminate a totally separate group of female mice that were being held on the other side of the campus, far away from where the first part of the study had been done. The resulting offspring showed the same sensitivity to the odor as the original mice. The scientists concluded that the mice must have inherited some sort of biological memory.1 This phenomenon, known as “epigenetic inheritance,” has created a fascinating area of study that shows great promise in helping us to understand how the experiences of our parents and ancestors affect us in the here and now.

In the same way that you can inherit your eye color from your father, or the shape of your nose from your mother, you can also inherit trapped emotions from them. In other words, you likely have inherited trapped emotions from your mother and father, emotions that they may have inherited from their own parents, and some of these emotional energies may go back many generations, originating with someone further back in your family tree. These emotions have been with you as long as you’ve been in your body. Some of them may have colored your personality in an undesirable way, or may have caused you to have significant emotional and physical issues. Others may not have created any troublesome issues as of yet but could in the future if you allow them to remain.

Keep in mind that when we talk about inherited emotions, we are talking about baggage we share within a biological family. When a trapped emotion is inherited, one receives this energy at the moment of conception, from either the sperm or the egg. When the sperm and egg unite, one or both of them may be carrying the energy of some specific negative emotional events from the past. You can inherit trapped emotions only from your birth mother and birth father, even if you have never met them. You cannot inherit emotions from adoptive parents, as you are not biologically related to them. An inherited trapped emotion is unique in that it is received at conception from a parent, differentiating it from any other type of trapped emotion.

When we find and release an inherited emotion, we are actually identifying an emotional vibration shared by two or more people, sometimes many. Because this unique vibration is shared, I have found that we can effectively release it from anyone who has received it, all in one go.

Over many years of doing this healing work, I have found that the spirits of a person’s departed ancestors seem to show up on the scene when an inherited emotion is about to be released from them as well as their living descendant. I have never seen any of these spirits myself, but I have met quite a number of people with the spiritual gift of being able to see these spirits, who consistently confirm what I have found on muscle testing. When I ask the person that I am working on if those direct line ancestors are there with us, the answer is always yes. I believe the reason for this is simply that they are aware of their descendant, and they are aware that some of their own emotional baggage is about to be released.

With my lecture over, I made my way back to the display booth and joined my staff. Shortly after I had gotten my things arranged and taken a seat, a pleasant looking woman in her thirties arrived at the booth with a message for me. “Dr. Nelson,” she said, “I’m one of those people that has the ability to see spirits that other people don’t see. It’s been both a blessing and a curse to me, but I have had this ability all my life. I just wanted you to know something. When you were up there on stage, talking about that woman’s ancestors being on stage with you, I want you to know that you were absolutely right, because I could literally see each one of them. But there was something else going on that I also saw, something that I am not sure you are aware of. I saw at least 200 spirits surrounding the stage, and it was very clear to me that they were this woman’s yet to be born descendants. They were there, rejoicing that they were not going to have to take on this woman’s crippling trapped emotion.”

Widespread depression is another common side effect of Heart-Walls and trapped emotions. Globally, over 300 million people suffer from depression. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Nearly 800,000 people commit suicide every year. By releasing trapped emotions and removing Heart-Walls, I have seen cases of severe depression eliminated once and for all. I have seen marriages saved, abuse stopped, and lives turned around. I’ve seen beautiful, loving relationships begin. I’ve seen kids make better choices. I’ve seen peace restored.

Each new day, the choice is there: to feel good or to feel bad about the things that are going on in your life. There are almost always both good and not-so-good things happening at any given time. What you choose to focus on is a big factor in the happiness equation.

When we resist, we attract more resistance to us! It’s like expecting the worst to happen and then getting angry when it does. Contrast this with a state of acceptance. When we are in this state, energy is not chaotic but flows like peaceful water. Acceptance allows us to be open to others, to connect with them on a deep and meaningful level, to see their beauty and respond with compassion. Being in a state of acceptance does not make us more vulnerable to being hurt, but it allows us to respond more slowly, thoughtfully, and appropriately to whatever is happening now. And it can also act as a type of protection against negativity, too, primarily because we attract less negativity but also because it raises our vibration so that negativity will not stick to us as much or at all.

Part of being in a state of acceptance is constantly forgiving others their trespasses. We may feel justified in holding on to hurt feelings because it seems to punish those who hurt us. In reality, holding on to negative emotions hurts us, not them. They may or may not be aware of how we feel, but the way they feel is entirely up to them. Acceptance is realizing that we have no control over anyone in this way; we can only decide how we want to feel now. Just because you choose to suffer by holding on to the past doesn’t mean they will suffer along with you. And desiring the suffering of another is a low vibrational state that hurts you anyway! I’ve always liked this quote by Lewis Smedes: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner was you.” So why not set yourself free? Why create more negativity and more damage by feeding your hurt feelings year after year? So much human suffering occurs because we don’t know what we do to one another. If only we could understand that what we do to others, we do to ourselves.

When we focus on generating the vibration of unconditional love for ourselves and for our fellow beings, we ascend to a higher level of consciousness. We are more open to understanding the motivations of others, and we are able to connect with them better. We are slower to judge and quicker to show compassion. In this state, we are less likely to experience as many negative emotions to begin with. This beautiful frequency of unconditional love simply doesn’t allow room for any of the dark feelings that could create trapped emotions. I believe that learning to develop this kind of love is one of the most important reasons we are here on this earth. It can feel challenging at times, but we are made of pure energy and light, and if we ask for divine help, we can receive it.