I often receive the same question from readers. It goes something like this:
I really love your tapping scripts, but I am worried because you use the word ‘not’ all the time. I know the subconscious mind doesn’t hear the word not. When you have us tap on “I am not going to be anxious” you are really tapping on “I am going to be anxious.” Aren’t you worried that you are tapping in something negative?
If you have ever worried about saying the word ‘not’ when tapping then you need to check this out.
I believed that bit about avoiding negative words for a long time. It was not serving me at all. What it does is avoid dealing with the shadow. We all have a shadow when we walk in the light. To pretend otherwise is to diminish the light and give power to the shadow. The setup statement in tapping acknowledges the shadow, and then we can move on to what we do want. For example, when I see a mess in my kitchen, I cannot pretend it doesn’t exist. I need to deal with it. It may not be a pleasure to get started, but in the process of cleaning, I discover the pleasure of dealing with the problem, and of course there is a joy in seeing order restored when I am finished.
We were told in a work training the brain has to think of something before it doesn’t think of it, eg try not thinking of a pink elephant!
This is why telling kids not to touch the fire or whatever only makes them actually touch the fire, because they hear the command before they hear not to do whatever it is.
Very useful when walking with old people; instead of telling them “don’t sit down”, more effective to say “keep standing up”!
Very interesting podcast, thank you, makes sense to me
Thanks for addressing this issue in your podcast, Gene. I absolutely agree that in tapping it is a matter of doing what works for you. In my tapping I mostly
strive to tap on the outcome. If I want to release anxiety I tap to being calm centered and confident. There are also times when I will tap on the “not state,” as in “there is this part of me that is not confident,” or “there is this part of me that does not believe…” What ever works.
I think the point here is not about saying some negative statement, because of course the negative issue is what we want to clear. But when formulating “positive” EFT statements towards the end of tapping session, the use of negative words (with or without “not”) triggers the subconscious back into negativity, so it could undermine the earlier work somehow… until the next session.
However, do whatever works.