Experts in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing have a difficult time explaining exactly how in works. This is primarily because the process of EMDR is a marriage between psychology and neurobiology. In other words, EMDR simultaneously effects the brain and the mind. The following represents some theories on how EMDR works.

Repetitive eye movements or certain other forms of similar stimulation are thought to bring submerged memories into awareness by altering communication between the right and left sides of the brain. In neurologically healthy people, the left hemisphere orchestrates a coherent personality and view of the world by folding new experiences into preexisting beliefs and assumptions; psychological defenses such as denial and repression assist this left-brain effort. In contrast, the right hemisphere acts as a devil's advocate that, when necessary, bursts through defenses and organizes a revision of the internal status quo.

Evidence indicates that electrical activity in the right and left hemispheres of the brain becomes more synchronous following successful EMDR. Improved communication between brain hemispheres caused by the alternating activation that occurs during EMDR is thought to break through conditioned fear responses uncovering the original trauma.

EMDR seems to have a direct effect on the way that the brain processes specific information. After an EMDR session, normal information processing is resumed and the person no longer relives the images, feelings, or other undesired emotions. The person still remembers what happened, but events or things that were originally disturbing tend to be less upsetting. Many types of therapy have similar goals.

EMDR appears to be similar to what occurs naturally during dreaming or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Therefore, EMDR is a physiologically based psychotherapy that helps a person to see disturbing material in a new and less distressful way.

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