Are your vacation plans up in the air because you are afraid to fly?

Don’t  worry. You are not alone. The number of people who report

fear of flying has doubled since the September 11th suicide hijackings.  

Some people have always been afraid to fly. Their fear has nothing

to do with terrorism.  Or, you may be one of those who just don’t

trust that air travel is safe yet. Either way, the question for you is

will you let your fear keep you from enjoying freedom to travel
 this year?

Will it be Martha’s Vineyard instead of Disneyworld?  Atlantic City

instead of Las Vegas? New York City instead of Paris, France?

Whichever category of fearful flyer you fall into, I’d like to suggest
you follow the same line of reasoning that I use to help the true

What am I afraid of?

I find it interesting that people who are truly phobic  worry 
less about terrorist takeovers  than travelers who are not phobic.
Genuine phobic flyers worry about  whether the plane will
fall through the air on takeoff, or turbulence or crashing on landing.
They ask themselves “what if” questions like “What if the pilot
has a heart attack? What if we hit a small commercial jet?  
What if the wheels don’t come down when the pilot tries to land? 
What if the plane explodes? Or what if the bolts come loose 
and the wheels fall off?” 

In 1980, Boeing commissioned a survey to investigate people’s fears
of flying. Interestingly only 6% of people whom they talked to 
said that they believed flying is unsafe. Yet close to 30% (5 times
as many) admitted to being afraid of flying.  This disparity shows

that the vast majority of fear of flying is irrational. The passenger
“knows” flying is safe yet feels fear anyway. This doesn’t mean 
that their fears aren’t real. They are every bit as powerful as fear
and panic in the face of a genuine threat.  Palms sweat. 
Hearts beat faster. Passengers feel a sense of impending doom.  
But this fear occurs despite the fact that the person feeling the fear

rationally thinks that planes are perfectly safe. The first question you 
must ask and answer to free yourself of any irrational fear of flying 
you have is simple. 

Talk with friends and family members who do fly. When you

understand the incredible safety built into today’s air travel,

you can then make a judgement about whether flying makes

sense.  The truth is that most people think airplanes are back

to being the safest way to travel. But what most people think 

is irrelevant.  What matters is whether you think that flying is

safe. If you do and yet are still terrified, then you can work on

your feelings of panic as an emotional problem rather than as

a realistic response to the risks attached to flight.

How hypnosis can help you
 quit the Fearful Flying Club

If  the problem seems too much for you to handle, I would

suggest you schedule your first hypnosis session as soon before

your flight as possible. I  generally approach fear of flying the

same way I treat any fear. First I probe for the root cause of 

the issue. Often there is a distinct origination point that may have

little or nothing to do with flying.  If this is found I help the client

hypnotically to reframe it in such a way that it no longer applies

to flying. The next step is to desensitize the fear. You will be guided

through an imaginary flight from packing to arriving. You will be  

directed to gently experience a toned down version of your fear and

to allow it to disappear and then to associate feelings of enjoyment

and relaxation while flying. Other techniques include time compression,

distraction/dissociation and somnambulism. In time compression, 

you are conditioned to experience the flight as very short so it seems

to be “over almost as soon as they leave the gate.” 
Distraction/disassociation programs you to think and daydream,

about things other than your fears before and during your flight. 

You may be directed to immerse yourself totally in a book or 

the in-flight movie.  As a last resort, training in somnambulism

enables you to fall asleep as soon as you take your seat 

onboard the plane and wake up after landing. The following is a list of

additional steps you can take to ease your anxieties.

Fearless Flying Tips

·                Arrive at the airport early. You will be more relaxed overall and

   By checking in early you will have your choice of seats.

·                Ask to visit the cockpit.

·                Introduce yourself to the pilot and crew. 

·                Request a seat near the front where you will be less aware

        of any turbulence 

·                Bring a book, magazines, a  Walkman with relaxing tapes,

         or crossword  puzzles. Don’t plan to just sit there with 

         nothing to do but worry.

·                Schedule non-stop flights whenever possible. Minimizing the number

        of take offs and landings AND waiting on the ground between take offs

        will reduce your overall anxiety.

·                Avoid smaller planes and propeller planes till you are more comfortable.

        They are as safe as the larger ones but fearful flyers often feel safer 

        in a bigger aircraft.

·                Eat nutritiously the day of the flight and cut back on caffeine.

·                Practice visualizing your flight and arriving at your destination safely.

      Trying to put the flight out of your mind until you are onboard may

        seem like a good idea. But it isn’t. The more emotional/mental

        preparation you can do before hand the better.  The last thing you want is 

        to suddenly “find yourself” on a plane without having processed your  

        anxiety beforehand.

·                Ask for a aisle seat, especially if you feel any claustrophobia.

        An aisle seat will let you easily get up and move around rather

        than feel penned in by other passengers.

Dear John,

I wanted to let you know how my trip, including the plane ride, went on November 25th.  I did panic for 10 minutes when we left Boston to Miami, but the flight from Miami to Turks and Caicos was wonderful!  I didn't even have the opportunity to listen to the cd's.  I simply repeated the mantra you taught me and it worked beautifully. I'm not sure I'll ever be completely comfortable flying, but this was such a huge change that my family no longer dread mentioning "flying" around me.  We are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon for next August! Thank you again for encouraging me to conquer this fear...I don't think I could have done it without your
help!

L.P. (Woonsocket, RI)

Dear John,

Thank you for helping me eliminate my fear of flying. The flight back home was nothing like the one over to the states which I'd have to describe as extremely uncomfortable in every way possible. As you know, I was NOT looking forward to the flight home. Discovering that I "inherited" my little phobia about airplane travel from my mother was an eye-opener and seemed to simply dissolve away the fear.  The results exceeded my expectations.

D.M. (Warwick, RI)

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