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Have you ever been scared of boarding an airplane? If so, you're not the only one. The fear of flying, called Aerophobia, is among the most common fears that people can have. This fear is often a crippling, overwhelming feeling. It can even prevent you from conducting business; traveling the world, or seeing loved ones. Overcoming such a phobia used to take long years of counseling, but today there are hypnosis therapy and NLP techniques to work on phobias for quicker, life-enhancing results.

Do you wonder what a phobia is? Phobias are categorized as a type of anxiety disorder, and many who have them may experience panic attacks and other unpleasant feelings such as dizziness, physical illness, or a rapid heart beat. Several people report feeling nauseous or losing their self-control, and arrange their daily life around their phobia to try to evade their fears.

For sufferers with Aerophobia, even the simple idea of getting on an airplane might trigger symptoms of an anxiety attack. Other people may feel only a bit nervous while on the ground, but suffer panic attacks once the aircraft is in the air.

Picture a case in which a lady with Aerophobia is sitting on a plane before takeoff. She starts to feel nervous and her heart begins to pound. She knows flying is safe, but she is scared nonetheless. Once the plane is off the ground, she is powerless to do anything but sob uncontrollably, and continues to sob throughout the trip until she is able to get off the plane. Although it may sound extreme, this type of reaction is common to a surprisingly high amount of people.

Phobias are distinguished by extreme, irrational fear. Those with Aerophobia are scared of flying even when they know that flying is actually a safe form of transportation. They often feel embarrassed when they react with crying, trembling, or having a panic attack, but feel unable to restrain themselves. For many sufferers, this fear of embarrassment is as daunting as the phobia itself.

In reality, phobia sufferers can't control their behavior because their anxieties are based in the unconscious mind, which no amount of conscious effort or willpower can help. This is where hypnosis therapy is effective. Ericksonian hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques function at the unconscious level of thought to effectively treat phobias.

An excellent hypnosis program for eliminating a phobia contains several successive steps. The initial step uses hypnosis for stress-relief, quelling anxiety and tension. Once an individual is stress-free and relaxed, hypnosis directs new thoughts in the unconscious to eliminate the phobia. NLP itself eliminates fears by specifically targeting the thought process that results in a phobia.

Unlike traditional hypnotherapy, which uses direct post-hypnotic suggestions, Ericksonian hypnosis therapy uses indirect suggestions hidden in discussion to persuade the unconscious to adopt a new, more logical way of thinking. It is more effective than conventional hypnosis because people have a tendency to ignore straightforward post-hypnotic suggestions, but find it harder to reject indirect suggestions that are incorporated in engaging metaphors and stories.

The specific wording of post-hypnotic inductions in traditional hypnosis means that most conventional hypnotherapy programs will only be effective against one phobia. A notable feature of the Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP program is that it's not phobia-specific and can treat any phobia, in any person. It works for most people because the program is made up of multiple different hypnotherapy techniques arranged for highest effectiveness.

The most useful phobia busting NLP technique that I have used is called the Visual - Kinesthetic Disassociation. The nickname for the V/K is the "one session phobia cure," and with good reason!

The combined Ericksonian hypnotherapy and NLP program is ideal for the independent thinker who wishes to beat an irrational phobia once and for all. People can complete the step-by-step process at their own individual pace, but are usually delighted at the ease with which they complete the process and beat their fears. The results people see with hypnotherapy often seem simply miraculous.

Hypnotherapy and NLP are amazing tools for many battling phobias. Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP have helped countless people beat their fears. The techniques are remarkable for helping those who are scared of flying to experience flying and all of its advantages. For years, hypnosis has been able to enhance people's lives across the globe, and extinguishing fears is just one of many ways in which it changes lives.

Alan B. Densky, CH has been treating phobias using Hypnosis since 1978. He offers how to overcome fear NLP & hypnosis CDs plus a broad range of NLP CDs for stress & depression related symptoms. Visit his website for free hypnosis MP3's.