What is the Emotion Code chart?
If you’ve ever looked into energy healing work, you’ve probably come across a colourful grid of emotion words and wondered what it actually is. The Emotion Code chart is the working map used in The Emotion Code, developed by Dr. Bradley Nelson: a single page of emotion words arranged in columns and rows, which a practitioner uses together with muscle testing to locate what may be weighing on a person. It isn’t a personality test and it isn’t a diagnosis — think of it as a well-organised menu the body can point at.
In this article we’ll walk through what’s on the chart, how the columns and rows work, why the pairing of emotions matters, and what actually happens in a session when the chart comes out. If you’re wondering whether any of this is for you, the short version: it’s a gentle, structured way of letting your own subconscious do the pointing.
How the chart is organised
The chart arranges emotion words into six columns. Each column holds several pairs of related emotions — grief and depression sit together, for example, as do abandonment and vulnerability. Within each pair, one emotion is labelled A and the other B. That’s the whole magic trick of the layout: it’s deliberately structured so that a series of yes/no questions can narrow down to one word on the page.
The emotions themselves range from the ones everyone recognises — anger, fear, sadness, shame — to subtler states like “loss of control”, “forlorn” or “worthless”. The idea is not that the chart is an exhaustive dictionary of feeling, but that the words are precise enough to give the subconscious something clear to confirm or reject.
Why the pairing matters
The A/B pairing inside each cell is what makes the process fast. Instead of asking “is it grief?”, the practitioner asks which of the two — and the body’s yes/no response does the choosing. Muscle testing, in this context, is simply a way of getting a clean signal from a system (your nervous system) that already knows the answer. If you’re new to the concept, we explain the mechanism in plain language in our guide to muscle testing.
Narrowing runs column by column, then pair by pair, then letter by letter — a handful of questions lands on a single word. Most sessions resolve an item in under a minute once the flow gets going.
What a session actually looks like
A typical Emotion Code session follows the same backbone whether it happens on Zoom, over WhatsApp, or fully offline as a proxy session:
- Set the intention — the practitioner asks what the session should look at, for you or for an animal you’re helping.
- Test — using the chart, the practitioner narrows down to a specific emotion and, where relevant, an approximate age or event.
- Release — the identified emotion is released gently, usually with a magnet-based sweeping motion over the governing meridian, or with the equivalent intention in a remote session.
- Verify — the practitioner confirms the release tested complete and checks whether another item is ready to come up.
Nothing is forced and nothing is diagnosed. The work is complementary by design — it sits alongside whatever care you’re already receiving, never instead of it.
Can you use the chart yourself?
Yes, with honest caveats. Self-testing on your own emotions is harder than working with someone else, because you’re both the asker and the answerer — wishful thinking and doubt both muddy the signal. Many people start with simple self-tests (the sway test is the easiest to learn) and use the chart informally for self-reflection. Where a practitioner adds the most value is neutrality: we don’t have a stake in which emotion comes up, so the signal stays clean. If you’d like a taste of the mechanics before booking, the questions in our first remote session guide show how the structure works from the inside.
The chart is a tool, not a truth machine
It’s worth saying plainly: the chart has no diagnostic power. Two people presenting the same “problem” may surface entirely different emotions, and that’s the point — the chart doesn’t analyse, it listens. The word that surfaces is the word your system picked, not a verdict. Clients who get the most from sessions treat the process as a conversation with their own patterns, not as a medical reading. If you want a grounded overview of how this fits with the wider method, our explainer on the six areas of the Body Code shows where emotion work sits among the other map layers.
Frequently asked questions
How many emotions are on the Emotion Code chart?
The standard chart lists 60 emotion words arranged in six columns, grouped into paired rows. Each pair is labelled A and B so a yes/no narrowing can land on one word.
Is the Emotion Code chart the same as the Body Code chart?
No. The Body Code uses a set of mind maps covering six broader areas — including circuits, toxicity, nutrition and misalignments. The Emotion Code chart is the focused single-page map of emotions that sits inside that larger system. See our Emotion Code vs Body Code comparison for the full breakdown.
Can I download a printable chart?
The official chart is published by Discover Healing, and practitioners use it under their framework. Rather than hunting for a printout, it’s more useful to understand how the narrowing works — which is exactly what a session teaches you. For general education, our article walks through the structure without needing the page in front of you.
What if the same emotion keeps coming up?
Patterns are normal. A recurring emotion usually means there’s a layer still ready to release, or that the theme is active in your life right now. Sessions track what has already cleared so repeat items are recognised and worked with, not re-looped.
Does the chart work for animals?
Yes — animal sessions use the same chart and testing backbone, with the animal’s guardian or a proxy standing in. Our article on energy healing for pets covers how that works.
Disclaimer: This work is a complementary support modality. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from qualified healthcare providers. Outcomes vary.