The Boomerang Tapping Technique

In loving memory of Hypatia Kelly-Butte.

Although we never had the chance to meet in person, energetically there was a deep trust connection between us that allowed you to take me with you through your past and present realities. For me, it will always be a place of honor and respect. I send you love and gratitude for you having lived as long as you needed to leave your mark on our collective consciousness. May you bask in the glow of eternal love and light, and may your heart recognize unbridled joy throughout eternity.

A unique thing about working with energy systems is that, with phone sessions, we practitioners have the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of people without benefit of seeing them in person. These non-visual connections (unless using a web-cam) are very powerfully based on trust and energetic synergy. Hypatia initially called me about working with her for a serious health issue. She was a highly accomplished women who possessed exceptional sensitivity and intelligence. Among her many accomplishments, Hypatia had degrees in Anthropology and Architecture and was also a Vedic astrologer. In later years, through what she called a “spiritual epiphany”, she eventually became an EFT practitioner. Although our focus was on her health challenges, one outcome of our work together was that it opened the channels for the creativity she felt she’d lost, and she started writing again after a long hiatus.

Hypatia was also, during this time, an active member of Rue Hass’s mentoring program, and was chosen by Rue to be a presenter introducing her new tapping technique, “Boomerang Tapping”, at the upcoming Tapper's Gathering. Hypatia was honored and thrilled, but unfortunately she couldn’t stay here long enough to experience her contribution to the EFT world.In honor of Hypatia, I am proud to pay forward her gift to the EFT community and present her creative twist on surrogate tapping.

In her words; “The Boomerang Tapping Technique expands on the power of surrogate tapping. I believe that by tapping as another person and giving them the true words of feeling held, a field of compassion opens up. The potential for deep understanding broadens and true sharing of the release of misunderstanding can be realized by all”.

I see this technique as an energetic form of role playing that has the potential to be a very powerful interpersonal relationship tool. I also see it effectively being used by marriage and family councilors who incorporate EFT in their client sessions, but certainly the applications of boomeranging are limitless. To the best of my ability, and with all due respect to Hypatia, I will describe my knowledge and understanding of how to use it.

Hypatia further described her technique as “reverse surrogate tapping technique”, meaning tapping as if you were someone else surrogate tapping on you. In other words, speaking on your own behalf once removed, speaking to yourself from inside the “looking glass”--which is useful for emotional blockages, and perhaps another way of getting past psychological reversals.

The applications are myriad, of course, and while I am in awe of just how complex our subconscious mind is, I think boomerang tapping will be useful by addressing certain “parts” of ourselves that can't speak our own truth, parts who feel more comfortable helping other people rather than our self--the list and need goes on and on. If these subconscious protective tools are put into place from traumatic experiences of the past, in the natural progression of energetic healing, they no longer serve you. In fact, these developed parts of ourselves serve to stifle emotional growth and development by perpetuating a fear-based reality. Also, this technique could have a profound effect on field professionals with deep and subtle shame for not being able to help themselves, yet can probably quiet easily reflect about their own behaviors from another person's perspective. (see my article on “Professional Resistance”).

Meeting our full potential could actually be accomplished even faster with this added extension of self help . It’s a new way for us to work around our own blockages and discover our own blind spots. The essence of the technique is to imagine you are another person and that that person is tapping on you and your issues or problems. It's surrogate tapping once-removed, allowing your inner imagination free reign to project back to you those insights hidden by your blind spots.

Hypatia’s initial discovery set-up phrase using the Boomerang Technique came out of an exasperating moment when she felt stuck while trying to clear a negative memory. After several rounds of tapping, Hypatia threw the energetic boomerang at her dog, Ruga, who was serving as her benign and loving bystander, and who had just given her the “you are my most beloved person in the world” look with her expressive eyes. As with surrogate tapping, she mentally stepped behind Ruga’s eyes, “becoming” her, seeing herself as she thought Ruga saw her. Using this type of energetic distancing, she quickly cleared her issue much to her surprise.

Set up Phrase: “I’m Ruga, and even though my mom is sad, she is the most loved person in the world right now by me”.

Reminder Phrase; “I love mom more than anything else in this world”.

According to Hypatia, the SUDs plummeted to complete diffusion which she called “magic”. In essence, she sent herself the love and acceptance she needed through her dog, the love that she couldn’t connect with personally and emotionally. At least I think that’s part of what happened.

Although this may seem as simply surrogate tapping, it appears to be the double entendre of energetic manipulation that comes back as your own “borrowed benefits” – and that seems to be the differentiating factor. It is worthy of further experimentation, and I look forward to hearing from those of you who try this new twist on self help .

Boomerang...be ready to catch it when it returns to you.