The Rewind Technique for Fast Phobia Cure

The rewind technique can be used when fear of flying is more than an unsettling feeling; when it has become a full blown phobia.

A phobia is a response in the present time that is linked to a traumatic experience of the past.

Sufferers know their phobia is irrational but the anxiety generated by the phobia is so strong that they are unable to face the trigger - in this case - flying.

Phobias are an amazing psychological achievement! They are a very strong, 100% reliable response that is based on one single adverse experience. By deliberately using this psychological rewind technique, the aim here is to overcome fear of flying by "anchoring" good feelings to the experience of flying.

The Rewind Technique

Sit comfortably and relax. Focus on your breathing and relax.

Think, very briefly and only fleetingly about your phobia.

Observe your physiology. What is your pulse rate? Is your breathing shallow or deep?

Don't stay in the memory of the trauma - just visit it briefly and notice the effect it has on your body.

Stand up and move. Stretch, shake your hands and feet and breathe.

Now, sit comfortably, relax and recall a time when you felt very safe and secure. Take your time and recall the feelings of safety and security. When you are in that memory take hold of your right thumb with your left hand and squeeze.

Once again, stand up and shake out your body.

Sit, get comfortable and go back to that happy, safe and secure place. Practice generating those feelings of safety and security and when you are in that place once again, squeeze your right thumb in your left hand.

Now, imagine yourself in a cinema. You have complete control over the film that will be showing. You may choose to watch in black and white or colour; you may want to view in full, wide screen mode or restrict the image to a small, blurred view in the middle of the screen. You have complete control using the rewind technique.

Begin to play the film of the trauma that lead to your fear of flying. You may not be sure which film this is, and that's just fine, select the film of the part of your life that seems most appropriate.

Start the film at a point before the trauma, when you were safe. View yourself on the screen, safe and well.

Now, fast forward the film to a point after the traumatic event to a point in time when you were once again safe and well.

Play with this rewind technique, try it in different colours and sizes. If you feel any discomfort whilst watching, remove yourself from the front of the cinema screen and simply watch yourself watching film.

In the here and now, watch yourself in the there and then.

Keep flicking the film backwards and forwards in fast forward mode until you can do this without experiencing any of the physical symptoms you associate with your phobia - breathlessness, palpitations, nausea.

Stand up, walk around, go to your safe secure place, squeeze your right thumb with your left hand when you are there.

Go back to the cinema and watch the film of the traumatic event once again. Remember that you are in control. Play with the film, always starting and ending at a point at which you were safe and well. Watch it in fast forward, fast rewind; watch it frame by frame using the pause button. Keep playing with it until you notice that you can watch without being traumatised all over again.

Stand up and move around. Think about your place of safety and security. Go back into that memory using the thumb squeeze to anchor yourself there.

You may need to practice this technique more than once if you have more than one traumatic memory. The aim is to reach a point where the recall causes you no more physical symptoms.

Know that you can overcome this fear of flying if you so choose!

You may find it helpful to also make use of the fear of flying rewind technique audio file