What is bilateral stimulation?

It is stimulation that regularly alternates between the left and right sides of the body. It can be visual (following a point that moves from side to side), auditory (a sound alternating between the ears) or tactile (alternating taps or vibrations).

Bilateral simply means both sides. What matters is the alternation: left, right, left, right, at a steady pace you can slow down or speed up.

Everyday life is full of this rhythm, from walking to rocking. In an exercise, it becomes a point of attention: you follow the movement, and it occupies part of your mind.

How does it relate to EMDR therapy?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a psychotherapy delivered in several phases by a trained clinician. Bilateral stimulation is one element of it, used while the person holds a difficult memory in mind, guided by the therapist.

The EMDR International Association describes EMDR as a psychotherapy designed to help people recover from trauma, which should only be offered by properly trained and licensed clinicians.

The World Health Organization in 2013 and the UK’s NICE in 2018 list EMDR among recommended treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Those recommendations concern the full therapy delivered by a professional, not an exercise done alone on a phone.

What does research say about eye movements?

A well-studied explanation is working memory: following a movement while recalling a memory draws on the same limited resources, which may make the memory less vivid. Findings are still debated and do not transfer directly to self-guided use.

Dutch researchers van den Hout and Engelhard ran a series of laboratory experiments: eye movements, but also other attention-demanding tasks, reduced the vividness and emotional intensity of unpleasant memories.

A 2013 meta-analysis by Lee and Cuijpers found an added effect of eye movements, moderate in clinical studies. Other analyses conclude that this component adds little or nothing. The question is not settled.

Can you practise it alone to calm down?

Yes, as a self-soothing exercise: follow a slow light, listen to an alternating sound or do the butterfly hug, then breathe calmly. The aim is to slow down and refocus, not to work on traumatic memories, which calls for professional support.

Sit somewhere quiet and keep your head still. Choose a slow speed: faster is not more effective, it is only more tiring for your eyes.

Keep sets short, from thirty seconds to two minutes, and always finish with a few slow breaths. If a strong emotion rises, stop and come back to your senses: what you see, hear and touch.

  • Visual: follow a light moving from one edge of the screen to the other.
  • Auditory: listen through headphones to a sound alternating between your ears.
  • Tactile: tap your shoulders or knees in turn, or feel a vibration on each pass.

How does EMDR Pocket offer it?

In EMDR Pocket, a soft light glides along the horizon of a landscape. An alternating sound and a gentle vibration follow it, driven by the same clock. The free Find calm session lasts four minutes and ends with long-exhale breathing.

You choose the path (side to side, two diagonals or infinity), the speed from 1 to 10, the sound and the colour of the light. Pause, speed and stop stay within reach throughout the session.