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The Science Behind ALMA
The Science
The rhythm behind ALMA,
and what the research says.
ALMA is inspired by the bilateral stimulation used in EMDR therapy, a structured psychotherapy developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro in the late 1980s and studied for over thirty years.
Here is what that research actually says, in plain language, and where it stops.
Read this first
Everything below is research on EMDR therapy and on bilateral stimulation as a mechanism. None of it was conducted on ALMA. We include it to explain where the idea comes from, not to claim these results for our product.
The World Health Organization, the American Psychological Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognise EMDR therapy delivered by licensed clinicians. They have not evaluated, endorsed or recognised ALMA. ALMA is a consumer wellness product, not a medical device, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition.
01 Where the rhythm comes from
Bilateral stimulation was not designed as a consumer product. It emerged from clinical research, and it has been refined in therapy rooms for more than three decades.
1989
The first study
Dr. Francine Shapiro published the first controlled study on EMDR in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. Alternating left-right stimulation was the central mechanism, and it launched three decades of research.
2012
What researchers propose
Researchers van den Hout and Engelhard formalised the working-memory explanation: they proposed that occupying attention with an external rhythm reduces the emotional charge of difficult thoughts. It remains the best-supported explanation in the EMDR literature.
2016
Touch, specifically
A brain-imaging study by Amano and Toichi looked at alternating tactile stimulation, the kind ALMA delivers rather than eye movements. The researchers reported a distinct neural response and increased feelings of comfort among their participants. The study was conducted in a laboratory setting and did not involve ALMA.
02 Why a left right rhythm
In EMDR sessions, therapists guide patients through alternating left-right stimulation: eye movements, sounds, or gentle taps. Handheld tactile pulsers, often called tappers, are one of the most common tools. Researchers have proposed three leading explanations for why many people describe this rhythm as calming. All three remain hypotheses under study.
I.
The working-memory effect
Attention has limited bandwidth. Researchers propose that when a gentle external rhythm occupies part of it, distressing thoughts become harder to hold at full emotional volume. This is one of the best-supported explanations in EMDR research.
II.
The REM-sleep connection
During REM sleep, the eyes naturally move left and right while the brain processes the emotions of the day. Some researchers hypothesise that bilateral stimulation engages similar processing mechanisms while awake. This remains a hypothesis, not a settled finding.
III.
The orienting response
Researchers have suggested that slow, rhythmic, predictable stimulation engages the body's natural orienting response. In laboratory studies of bilateral stimulation, researchers have reported physiological changes in participants, including a slower heart rate. These observations come from research settings and were not made with ALMA.
03 The therapy that inspired ALMA
The organisations below recognise EMDR therapy, a structured treatment delivered by a licensed clinician. They do not recognise, endorse or evaluate ALMA, and ALMA is not a therapy. We list them because they are why bilateral stimulation is taken seriously, and being clear about the distinction matters more to us than borrowing their credibility.
World Health Organization
Includes EMDR therapy in its 2013 guidelines on conditions specifically related to stress.
American Psychological Association
Includes EMDR therapy in its 2017 Clinical Practice Guideline.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs & Department of Defense
Include EMDR therapy in their joint clinical practice guidelines.
04 The research
[1]
Shapiro, F. (1989). Journal of Traumatic Stress. The original study that launched three decades of EMDR research.
[2]
Lee, C. W., & Cuijpers, P. (2013). Meta-analysis of 26 trials. The authors reported that adding bilateral eye movements measurably reduced the vividness and emotionality of distressing memories.
[3]
Amano, T., & Toichi, M. (2016). PLoS ONE. Brain-imaging study of alternating tactile stimulation, the kind ALMA uses: the authors reported a distinct neural response and increased feelings of comfort.
[4]
van den Hout, M. A., & Engelhard, I. M. (2012). Journal of Experimental Psychopathology. Lays out the working-memory explanation: taxing attention with external stimulation blunts the emotional charge of difficult thoughts.
All four studies concern EMDR therapy or bilateral stimulation in general. None of them studied ALMA.
05 Straight answers
Is ALMA the same as EMDR therapy?
No. EMDR is a complete, structured psychotherapy delivered by a trained clinician. Bilateral stimulation is one component of it. ALMA borrows that component as a simple self-soothing tool. It is inspired by EMDR, not a substitute for it.
Is there research on ALMA specifically?
Not yet. The research above concerns EMDR therapy and bilateral stimulation in general, including tactile stimulation delivered by handheld tappers in clinical settings. We are honest about this distinction. It is also why ALMA comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee: the only way to know how your body responds is to try it.
Why don't you promise results?
Because no honest brand can. People respond differently to bilateral stimulation. Many of our customers describe feeling calmer, more grounded, and less tense. Some notice it within minutes, others after a few sessions, and for some it does less. That is the truth, and we would rather you buy knowing it.
A simple rhythm your body can follow.
Find my calm$139 one-time · Free US shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
ALMA is not a medical device. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or condition, and it is not a replacement for EMDR therapy or professional mental health care. If you are struggling, please reach out to a qualified professional. ALMAWAVE SENSE™ is a trademark of KALMAC AAC LLC.