Why Do You Feel Spacey After EMDR?

Why Do You Feel Spacey After EMDR?

Short Answer: Some people feel a little spacey, unfocused, or mentally foggy for a short time after Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Many people do not experience this at all. When it does happen, it is usually mild and temporary. An EMDR session asks you to focus on memories, thoughts, feelings, and bilateral stimulation, so you may simply need a little time to shift your attention back to everyday activities afterward.

Key Takeaways

• Some people feel temporarily spacey or unfocused after EMDR, while many do not.
• When it happens, the feeling is usually mild and short-lived.
• It may feel like mental fogginess, distraction, or needing a little time to refocus.
• Feeling spacey does not mean the EMDR session went wrong.
• You can give yourself a few minutes after a session before moving on to something that requires your full attention.
• If you are using self-guided EMDR, you can adjust the length and pacing of future sessions based on what works well for you.

What Does Feeling “Spacey” After EMDR Mean?

“Spacey” is not a precise medical term. People use it to describe several ordinary sensations.

You might feel:

• A little mentally foggy
• Less focused than usual
• Quiet or reflective
• Distracted
• Like you need a moment to switch gears
• Slightly tired at the same time

For most people who experience it, this is not an intense reaction. It may simply feel as though your attention has not completely shifted back to whatever you were doing before the session.

Many people finish EMDR without feeling spacey at all.

Why Might You Feel Spacey After EMDR?

An EMDR session involves paying focused attention to particular memories, thoughts, feelings, images, or body sensations while also engaging with bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping.

During a session, your attention may move between the target you are working on, what you notice as the session progresses, and the bilateral stimulation itself.

When the session ends, it may take a little time for your attention to shift back to everyday tasks.

This does not necessarily mean anything unusual happened. Similar to finishing another activity that requires sustained concentration, you may simply notice that you need a short transition afterward.

Researchers continue to study exactly how EMDR works, so there is no need to assign a complicated explanation to a mild, temporary feeling of spaciness.

How Long Does the Spacey Feeling Last?

There is no exact amount of time that applies to everyone.

If you do feel spacey after EMDR, it may fade as you transition back into the rest of your day.

Some people may notice the feeling for only a short period, while others may take a little longer to feel fully refocused.

The important point is that feeling spacey after EMDR is not something everyone experiences, and when it does occur, it is generally better understood as a temporary post-session experience rather than something you should expect after every session.

Is Feeling Spacey the Same as Feeling Tired?

Not exactly, although the two can overlap.

Feeling tired usually means you notice a drop in energy or feel like resting.

Feeling spacey is more about attention. You may feel awake but somewhat unfocused, distracted, or slow to switch back into your usual routine.

Some people may notice both at the same time. Others may experience one without the other.

Neither reaction is required for EMDR to be effective.

Does Feeling Spacey Mean the Session Was Especially Intense?

Not necessarily.

It can be tempting to use how you feel immediately after a session as a measure of how much happened during EMDR.

That is not a reliable way to judge a session.

You do not need to feel spacey, tired, emotional, or noticeably different afterward for the session to have been meaningful.

Likewise, feeling a little spacey does not necessarily mean you worked on something unusually difficult.

People respond differently from one session to another.

Some people may also use EMDR to work on memories, thoughts, or emotions connected to grief.

What Can You Do If You Feel Spacey After a Session?

Usually, you do not need to do anything complicated.

If you notice that you are having trouble refocusing, you can simply give yourself a few minutes before moving on to something that requires more concentration.

You might sit quietly for a moment, look around the room, or take a little time to transition back to what you were doing.

If you know from previous sessions that you sometimes need a few minutes afterward, you can also take that into account when deciding when to schedule your EMDR sessions.

The goal is not to treat a mild post-session feeling as a problem. It is simply to give yourself enough time to shift your attention back to the rest of your day.

What If You Feel Completely Normal After EMDR?

That is also normal.

You do not need to experience an obvious after-effect for EMDR to be doing anything.

Some people finish a session and immediately return to their usual activities without noticing tiredness, spaciness, emotional changes, or other lingering sensations.

There is no single correct way to feel after EMDR.

How you feel afterward may also vary from session to session depending on what you worked on and how the session went.

Can You Adjust Your Next Self-Guided EMDR Session?

Yes.

One advantage of self-guided EMDR is that you can pay attention to your own experience and adjust future sessions accordingly.

If you felt a little spacey after a longer session, for example, you might decide to try a shorter session next time or simply allow yourself a little more transition time afterward.

If you felt completely fine, there may be nothing you want to change.

You do not need to interpret a mild temporary reaction as a reason to stop using EMDR. It can simply be information that helps you find the pacing that works best for you.

Feeling Spacey After a Virtual EMDR Session

Virtual EMDR is a specific self-guided online EMDR program. Because you manage your own sessions, you can also manage how you transition out of them.

If you notice that you sometimes feel a little unfocused immediately afterward, you can pause before moving on to your next activity.

You can also adjust the pacing or length of future sessions based on what you learn about your own response.

There is no expectation that you should feel spacey after using Virtual EMDR. Many people may not notice this reaction at all.

Conclusion

Some people feel a little spacey, mentally foggy, or unfocused after EMDR, but many people do not.

When the feeling does occur, it is usually mild and temporary. An EMDR session involves focused attention, so you may simply need a little time afterward to shift back into your normal routine.

Feeling spacey does not mean anything went wrong, and not feeling spacey does not mean the session was less meaningful.

If you use self-guided EMDR, you can pay attention to how you respond and adjust the pacing, length, or timing of future sessions in whatever way works best for you.