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Bilateral Stimulation: The Forgotten Cousin of Mindfulness
By Erin Vandermore, LCMHC, LCPC – Therapist & Creator of the Mind Circuit App
If you’ve been around the wellness world in the last decade, you’ve probably heard of mindfulness. It’s on meditation apps, in classrooms, and even recommended by doctors. And for good reason—mindfulness is a powerful tool for calming the mind, reducing stress, and building emotional resilience (Kabat-Zinn, 2003). But while mindfulness became the golden child of mental wellness, another science-backed technique has been quietly working in the background, helping people heal from trauma, reduce anxiety, and find their calm—often faster. It’s called bilateral stimulation (BLS). And it might just be the forgotten cousin of mindfulness.
Ilateral stimulation involves alternating left-right sensory input—through eye movements, taps, tones, or other rhythmic cues—that helps your brain process information and regulate your nervous system (Shapiro, 2001). BLS (Bilateral Stimulation) and mindfulness are like two besties teaming up to help you chill out, process emotions, and stay present. BLS, often used in EMDR therapy, works by rhythmically engaging both sides of your brain—think eye movements, tapping, or tones—to help you work through tough memories. Mindfulness, on the other hand, is all about being in the moment, observing your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Together? They’re a powerhouse. BLS helps calm the storm, while mindfulness keeps you anchored in the now. Both reduce stress, rewire your brain for healthier patterns, and leave you feeling more balanced. It’s like a mental spa day, but with science.
In therapy, BLS is most famously used in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a trauma treatment recognized by the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. But BLS isn’t just for the therapy room—it shows up in daily life more than you think.
Examples you already know:
- Going for a walk (left-right stepping) and feeling your thoughts “clear.”
- Rocking a baby (and yourself) back to calm.
- Drumming your fingers or tapping your knees in a steady rhythm.
These small actions can shift your nervous system from “fight or flight” to a calmer, more integrated state (Stickgold, 2002). While mindfulness helps us notice our thoughts without judgment, BLS gives the brain an active task that can help process stuck emotions or memories. This is especially important for people who struggle with traditional mindfulness because sitting still with intense feelings can feel overwhelming—or even triggering.
For trauma survivors, ADHD brains, or anyone who struggles with overthinking, bilateral stimulation can be a gentler way into self-regulation. Instead of wrestling with thoughts, you give your brain a predictable pattern to follow. That rhythm creates safety, and safety creates space for healing (Siegel, 2010).
The two aren’t in competition. In fact, they work beautifully together. You might start with a few minutes of tapping or gentle walking to downshift your nervous system, then ease into mindful breathing or guided meditation.
The beauty of BLS is that it’s embodied—you’re doing something physical, not just sitting in awareness. That’s why I call it mindfulness’s forgotten cousin: it’s been quietly supporting nervous system regulation while the spotlight has been elsewhere.
When I built the Mind Circuit app, I wanted to make BLS as accessible as mindfulness has become. The app guides users through rhythmic visual, auditory, and tactile cues they can customize—bringing therapy-informed tools into people’s pockets, whether they’re at home, at work, or in the middle of a sleepless night.
I believe the next wave of mental wellness will focus less on “just think differently” and more on “let’s help your body feel safe enough to think differently.” That’s what bilateral stimulation offers: a bridge between overwhelm and calm, between insight and action.
Try This: A 2-Minute BLS Reset:
1. Sit comfortably and place your hands on your thighs.
2. Alternately tap left, right, left, right—about once per second.
3. While tapping, notice your breathing and let your thoughts wander without chasing them.
4. Continue for 1–2 minutes.
It’s simple, but your nervous system will notice the difference. If mindfulness has been your go-to, keep it. But make room for its overlooked relative—because sometimes, what we forget about is exactly what we need.
References:
– Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and
future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156.
– Shapiro, F. (2001). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Basic
Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. Guilford Press.
– Stickgold, R. (2002). EMDR: A putative neurobiological mechanism of action. Journal of
Clinical Psychology, 58(1), 61–75.
– Siegel, D. J. (2010). The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician’s Guide to Mindsight and Neural
Integration. W. W. Norton & Company.