Bilateral Stimulation
Bilateral Stimulation Patterns
An overview of common bilateral stimulation patterns used in EMDR — horizontal, infinity, circular and pendulum — and when clinicians choose each.
Reviewed by the BilateralSync clinical team · Updated · 5 min read
Introduction
Visual bilateral stimulation can be delivered in several movement patterns. Horizontal is the classical default; infinity (lemniscate), circular and pendulum patterns are used to vary the dual-attention task or to accommodate client preference.
Evidence summary
There is limited comparative evidence between patterns. The working-memory account suggests any pattern that reliably taxes working memory during recall will contribute to reprocessing; clinician and client preference generally drive selection.
Clinical use
In practice, horizontal is the reliable default; infinity introduces additional trajectory complexity and can feel less mechanical; circular is sometimes used for grounding; pendulum offers a gentle, wave-like motion often preferred for closure. BilateralSync supports all four patterns with instant switching mid-session.
Frequently asked questions
- Which pattern should I start with?
- Horizontal is the standard starting point. Switch based on client feedback, comfort or clinical judgement.
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