Laurel Parnell is a clinical psychologist who has developed a EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) related method of tapping both sides of the body to overcome trauma, boost confidence, calm the body, and respond better to stress. This practice is a means to strengthen and integrate internal resources which include "a wellspring of positive emotional memories and experiences, products of our creative imaginations that evoke feelings, and essential qualities that are helpful to us." According to Parnell, this modern psychospiritual method is similar to the spiritual technology of Tibetan and other meditative traditions, and is also influenced by hypnotherapy, guided imagery, and positive psychology.
The author outlines the six basic principles on which resource tapping is built.
1. "We are essentially whole. This wholeness is our true nature. The expression of our wholeness is wisdom, compassion, equanimity, power, and joy.
2. "Within each of us is the potential to realize this wholeness. Indeed this wholeness wants to be realized, impels us to realize it.
3. "We also have within us a reservoir of positive stored experiences. These can include experiences of loving and being loved, and of feeling comforted, competent, powerful, happy, joyful, peaceful, and calm.
4. "We become unhappy when we are not able to access our wholeness, our reservoir of positive experiences, or when we are out of balance.
5. "We have a natural healing system that, when accessed and activated using bilateral stimulation (tapping), can restore us to balance.
6. "We can access, strengthen, and integrate our wholeness and our reservoir of resources by tapping in our resources."
The imagination's four most commonly used resources are safe/peaceful place, nurturing figures, protector figures, and inner wisdom figures. These resources can be put to work on traumas, preparing for and handling medical procedures, healing illness and injury, overcoming problems, boosting performance, opening creativity, and supporting recovery from addictions.
We were very excited when we reached Part Three where Parnell discusses love resources, resources for peace and calm, gratitude, awe and wonder, beauty, and joy. It is good to see how these spiritual practices can be used in such positive ways.
