Overcome Your Fear of Flying

Posted on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:04:33 GMT

The fear of flying goes by many names such as aviophobia or aerophobia. It doesn't really matter what you call it, it simply means you are afraid to fly. The flying phobia is usually a mish mash of various phobias. Claustrophobia is one. This is the fear of not being able to escape small spaces and often results in a feeling of panic and suffocation. Someone with a fear of enclosed spaces may not actually fear flying; instead they may be nervous about what could happen to them in a confined space. They'll do whatever it takes to avoid the circumstances.

I often hear people say that they feel safer driving in a car. They think that since they can pull over to the side of the road and escape the seat of their car that they are safer than in an airplane. It's really just an illusion. Others fear falling, heights, death or not being in control. These all have one thing in common. It's the fear of what might happen. You see, fears are not based on common sense. Fears are irrational beliefs that are held in the subconscious mind. To be successful in overcoming fear, it makes sense to use techniques that are creative. They may even seem a bit illogical. The Swish Pattern is an NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) technique that can immediately remove any fear, including aviophobia. It's an easy exercise that you can do on your own any time you like.

First, create a vivid picture in your mind of what you look like when you are a fearful flyer. You will want it to include as much detail as possible. You can put a nice picture frame around it to make it seem more authentic. Get a real sense of all the colors, shapes and textures. Where are you in this scene? Are you in the airport, on the airplane, or booking your reservations?

Second, do the same thing all over again. This time, think about how you want to feel instead. Create an image in your mind of yourself flying with a complete sense of calm and confidence. Include all the details of location, color and texture just as you did in the first step. What does this picture look like?

Third, go back to the first picture, the one with you as a fearful flyer. Take this picture and shrink it. Now make it black and white. Then move it further away from you until it disappears. Feel better now? It should reduce the feeling of fear.

Fourth, return to the second picture, the one with you as a confident flyer. You want to make this picture bigger and more colorful. It can be helpful to add a sound track to it. Ever notice how your feelings change when you are watching a movie just by listening to the music. You know when someone is in danger or something bad is about to happen. You also know when times are good. So add some empowering music to your picture.

Finally, do this several times and keep your focus on the big, vibrant, colorful picture of yourself flying with confidence.

This technique really works. The great news is that you can do it anywhere.

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