Surrogate EFT or Proxy Tapping
Explained

Surrogate EFT is the application of the regular Emotional Freedom Techniques using a surrogate or substitute. It is also called "Proxy Tapping" because of the substitution of another person for the recipient of the tapping. Whenever someone cannot do EFT on themselves and cannot have the EFT tapping done by someone else to them, like babies separated in an incubator or the severely ill that cannot withstand the tapping, a substitute can take their place.

In explaining surrogate EFT here, I am assuming that you already have experience or know how to apply EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). If not, go to EFT Learning first.

The only thing needed to act as a surrogate and to do the surrogate EFT is that you recognize your connection and oneness, at the spiritual level, with the one you are substituting for, and/or tapping for. You are them and they are you, in a manner of speaking.

Surrogate EFT will work for anyone: babies, small children, people with dementia, the physically weak, those that are handicapped, and those too ill to tap on or for themselves. It also works for pets or plants. Many people feel a deep connection to their pets and plants.

Surrogate EFT works because fundamentally we are all energetically connected and fundamentally One in Spirit. The surrogate simply sets the intention through spoken words or thought, "this tapping is for __________", filling in the blank with the name of the one intended to receive the benefits of the tapping.

The surrogate substitutes their "self" in the place of the child, person, animal, or plant. This means responding, as best they can, with words that the child, person, animal, or plant might say if they could express their feelings.

It is important to tune-in or sense the emotions or state of distress of the other person that the EFT tapping is intending to relieve. For example, if a baby is crying on a plane, tune in to the cry and just tap. Let the words, if any, come to you.

The surrogate needs to "keep themselves out of the way", as Gary Craig would say. This means that the surrogate's attention and intention needs to be free of personal views, opinions and the personal sense of "self". This allows the surrogate to serve as a "clear channel" without personal bias and interpretation of the situation.

Keeping a clear and open mind is necessary to be a good surrogate. It may be helpful to have direct physical contact (touching hands) between the surrogate and the person being served if possible. This can makes the body connection feel like one electrical circuit, conducting information as one and not separate bodies.

The intensity level of the problem can be gauged by observing the client. Notice the behavior, mood, rigidity of the body, voice tone, tenseness in posture, energy level, the facial expressions and other gestures. What intensity does that suggest? Notice any changes to what you observed to determine if the intensity is becoming less. Sighing, yawning, rapid blinking, burping and even flatulence, are all good signs of blocked energy releasing.

Surrogate EFT tapping can also be done over the phone. The idea is the same. Say for example, a person calls you unable to speak or listen clearly. Perhaps they are overwhelmed with emotional upset. You would make the intention, "This tapping is for ____________(the person on the line)", and tap on yourself.

When you are present and tuned to the other person's emotional state, skipping the set-up statement and tapping on the short-cut points on yourself is fine; or you can use a general phrase like, "Even though I feel so overwhelmed with emotion...".

Once you notice a calming effect with the tapping, tune in to the specific emotions being expressed and tap on those. Once the caller is calm enough to give you information, they can also tap on themselves.

Surrogate EFT can also be done over the phone for a small child, a person with dementia or a person too physically ill to tap on themselves. The person talking with you on the phone can substitute by proxy.

It is helpful here if the caller can be next to or touching the person being served. The surrogate will need to be your eyes and ears and give you feedback on intensity and any noticeable changes. You will need to ask many questions of the surrogate.

It is also very helpful to know how to do self muscle testing and use yourself as the surrogate. More accurate information can be gained if you are well practiced and trained in this art. Self muscle testing is very helpful when the client cannot answer questions and you are at a loss on what to tap on. It can also be used to determine if psychological reversal is present.

Gary Craig uses surrogate muscle testing in his EFT DVD's. He shortens the short-cut version of EFT even more by doing surrogate muscle testing on himself. He checks to see if the client can skip the "set-up" when there is no polarity reversal. He then directs the client to tap only on the points that have energy meridians blocked.

Is persmission necessary to do surrogate EFT?

The answer to this question is only briefly discussed in the EFT DVD's that Gary Craig used for training. In many cases, it is impossible to get verbal permission from the person being served. The surrogate tapping is offered with the intention of it being a gift or blessing, similar to offering a prayer.

Confusion may exist because it may feel like we are imposing EFT on someone who may not be open to the EFT tapping nor open to us doing surrogate tapping for them. Perhaps it is a son or daughter who is experiencing deep emotional pain but who is estranged from us. Perhaps it is a stranger that we see on the street in trouble. Perhaps it is someone far away that we cannot talk with in the moment. I do a lot of surrogate tapping for my mother who suffers from Alzheimer's.

Surrogate EFT can be offered in all of these cases out of love and a desire for the other person's well being and healing. There is no wrong in this.

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