by Hypatia Kelly-Butte, in memoriam
(offered by Rue Hass)

This is an article about an EFT technique contributed by Hypatia Kelly-Butte,
who died in the autumn of 2010. The following words are all hers.

What is Boomerang Tapping?
It’s a Boomerang of energy sent out of ourselves into another and that comes winging back to us to voice its thoughts and experiences….

Entanglements with benefits…

Without a doubt Surrogate Tapping is one of the more fascinating and mysterious aspects of EFT.  This “spooky action at a distance” is an area of tremendous potential in the more artistic developments in the practice of tapping.

“Boomerang Tapping” is a type of Surrogate Tapping I have been working with to great success. It is often the play that gets the energy flowing again. This is a wonderful tool in creative detective work and it can be used to help create new emotional resource states.

The Boomerang Technique is tapping on your own body, as another, for your own benefit.

I come to EFT and the Energy Therapy Practices from a background in Anthropology, Archaeology, Architecture and Vedic Sciences.  My passion is in providing opportunities for A-HA moments in creative vision and in understanding our constantly evolving creativity in our daily lives.  Everyday we have the profound opportunity for the open question of “what if?” That question brought me to this technique.

It is a simple tool but one with many ways of utility. As I have worked with it I have found it often to be the point of shift in a session.  It’s often when the Boomerang is applied that an A HA! moment begins to broaden out into alternative points of view.

Perhaps its most gratifying gift that I have often seen it bestow is the profound sense of compassion for others.  Moving awareness outward though another and seeing in third person can open deep feelings of peace and compassion.

It’s a fun exploration to see where this little technique can lead.

Boomerang Tapping –Applications

While the application of the techniques is very flexible, there are three main categories of Boomerang Tapping:

*To borrow a feeling state to help out the client:

This is a technique my dog helped with…

At the time I discovered Boomerang Tapping I had been doing EFT only a short time. I had begun to investigate various energy practices to develop a remedy stream for my practice as a Vedic Astrologer.  I was doing some personal tapping on what I thought was a fairly low SUDS issue.  Suddenly I remembered a part of the scenario that shot me up to a 10.  Following protocol, I tapped and tapped and just couldn’t seem to diffuse it.

My dog was lying at my feet.  She looked up at me with that “You are the most beloved person in the world look” I said “ Oh Ruga!  I wish you could help me tap on this…

I picked up my hands and began, I’m Ruga, and even though my doggy mom is sad she is the most loved person in the world right now by me.

My SUDS plummeted.  The issue cleared.

*To allow for a new way of framing an experience for conflict resolution or emotional release

It was a scorcher of a day. My husband made a snarky comment about the ugly paint-spattered spectacles that I save especially for this loathsome task. Realizing that he thought he was the height of wit, at the same time as I was close to also realizing a sudden desire to hurl something hard his way, I thought… I’ll just excuse my self for a quick tap.

I began tapping:
I’m Robert and even though my wife thinks I’m an enormous @#$@! I love and accept myself completely…. Even though I have a wife who loves me but at the moment is finding it really hard to connect with that feeling of love, I love and accept myself anyway.

By the time I got to the third or fourth round I was laughing and connecting to his sense of humor—really having a great time in this.  I felt much better. When I entered the kitchen Robert was still in there waiting for me.

He turned abruptly and said “I’ve been a real @#$@!  Get cleaned up—dinner and flowers for you!”

*To build a bridge to an experience for which the client has no frame of reference

A client elected to work on an early childhood event involving a molestation that she had suffered. She had worked through it before but somehow she still felt that it had an effect on her.

So we started on the memory with some global work. We eventually zeroed down on a key aspect that was still unresolved.  With a great sigh, she felt almost done, but didn’t quite feel free of it.  She said that she truly wanted to forgive the man but didn’t know how to get there.

So I suggested that we might want to try tapping from his perspective.

The client tapping the karate chop point:
I’m that man, and even though I hurt a little girl and made her feel ashamed all these years, I can ask for her forgiveness and compassion.

I’m that man, and even though I caused a little girl to live with hesitation and self-blame,  I choose to be allowed to be forgiven, and to allow compassion to heal everything about the situation.

I’m that man, and even though my selfishness and pain caused a little girl to not trust herself all these years, I accept that forgiveness is now possible.

She finished the sequence with: I choose to forgive this man completely.

Great benefit often arises from getting a bit of distance on a problem or emotional state. This can be especially valuable in working with clients who are removed from their emotions or are stuck on a particular emotional response from another.

The Boomerang Tapping Technique—How to Do It

The Boomerang Technique amplifies the power of surrogate tapping.  We all have had the experience of wishing that someone else could truly know how we feel and how we think.  In this process we tap on issues but in the third person we borrow the strength and viewpoint of another to expand awareness.

The Boomerang is easily adapted to different uses:

• To gain distance on a high SUDS aspect that refused to budge.
• To bring an instant experience of compassion and understanding to a hot conflict
• To clear the last remnants of an old largely diffused pattern of emotional pain ushering in forgiveness and compassion
• To create an experience of insight into a long standing grudge pattern
• To create a gentle crack in the armor of a highly emotional pattern
• To connect energetically and with a family member or loved one that is unavailable for contact
• Inserting humor and creativity into a session.
• Riffing in this technique is a great “garbage in the gold” opportunity.

**To Begin

Make a note of the reoccurring phrases (yours or your client’s) about the other party in the issue.

Ask them what they want from the other person or what makes this situation stuck or irresolvable.

“What seems impossible to bring this to resolution?” is a good question to ask.

**The Set Up

The set up is most easily thought of as phrasing the tapping in third person.

For example (another painting story):

Moe and Larry have a long standing falling out over a can of paint and a ladder.  Currently Moe is distant and unavailable to Larry for mediation.  Larry comes to you as a festering mess of resentment and undischarged hurt.

After a few skillful rounds to discharge many of the aspects of this unfortunate scenario Larry is still just terribly stuck on the injustice of being hit with the can of paint and Moe’s finger jab to his eyes.  He wants Moe to know how it feels.

**Assess initial SUDS level.

**Start Surrogate tapping:

Larry begins tapping. Larry says: “I’m Moe”

Even though I hit Larry with the can of paint and poked him in the eyes, I know now I really hurt him and would like to know how he feels.

I’m Moe, and even though I have a friend, Larry, who feels that I’m a bully because I hurt him, I am open to understanding him now.

I’m Moe, and even though it seems impossible to ever make amends because Larry hurt me so deeply, I choose to ask for forgiveness anyway.

**Reassess SUDS

(A rise in the SUDS level can indicate a new aspect to work through.)

**The Follow Through

With a reduction in SUDS often at this point a free flow round of tapping the points can be inserted here of Larry speaking in the third person:

I hurt Larry.
He’s carried the burden of this pain all these years.
We have missed a great friendship.

I hope he can begin to forgive me.
I’d like to ask for this forgiveness—I hope Larry would want to forgive me.
I haven’t known how to ask for forgiveness and release but maybe Larry can begin to choose to release the pain I inflicted.

**Test to see if the client is in a space to tap the choices of forgiveness and release.

Three points to remember when you are doing the Boomerang Tapping Technique:

• You are tapping in the third person, AS the other, speaking about you, using your phrases.
• Best to use it at the end of a session after major aspects have been discharged.
• You can bring in new points of view, and add new resource states as appropriate.

You can have a lot of fun, and be very effective, exercising your creativity with the Boomerang Technique!

With appreciation to Hypatia, and love and blessings to you all –

Rue