It is estimated that more than 90% of all adults have at least one intense fear. For some it is as extreme as the crowds and for others it is a seemingly silly fear like a cat or a bird. Although it may sound silly to the person who is afraid, it can be debilitating. Regardless of why the person has established the fear, they commonly react in the same way to their feared situation. In most cases, the reason for the fear is buried deep in the brain and can be traced back to an earlier experience or association in life.

Past Tenses – Cause Present Fears

In each person’s life there is a situation or circumstance that has made them feel a certain way or associate two things. Just as a young child learns to associate the golden arches of McDonalds with a happy meal, others associate things that can cause fear in their daily lives. Most of the time, the individual can recall a traumatic experience, association, or behavior that caused them to be fearful. It is easier to understand if the person has some memory of the situation, but in some cases the person may not remember anything at all. In fact, many people who suffer from fears really have no idea where their fear came from. And this is where hypnotherapy can help you not only discover the root of the fear, but also eliminate it completely.

Hypnotherapy to discover the root

During the hypnotherapy session, the trained hypnotherapist guides the client through their stored memories to discover the root of their fear. It can go back decades in the past or be as simple as a scratch on the surface. Since memory, consciousness, and the senses are heightened during the practice of hypnosis, the individual can easily access memories that may have been repressed. It is not uncommon when a person experiences a traumatic or negative experience to repress or “hide” that experience. With a lot of focus or guidance from the hypnotherapist, this memory can be accessed and replaced. When memory is challenged, it can be put into proper perspective and thus calm or alleviate fear.

With the help of the hypnotherapist, the individual can learn to cope with this negative event and relax. One of the problems with fears is that the person automatically tenses up, blood pressure rises, and the fear-stress behavior becomes a vicious cycle. At this point, the “fear” response is not due to the “item or event”, it is simply a habit triggered by a particular thought, saying, sight or smell. Hypnotherapy helps the individual to regain control of their thoughts, senses and control them to reduce this cycle.

What about irrational fears?

No fear is a small fear. They all cause the same panic, stress and automatic reaction, no matter how small. Fear of a clown may sound petty or nominal to one person, but to another it’s phenomenal. It is important to understand that hypnotherapy is not a practice to assess or classify fears or disorders. It is a discovery of the true memories, thoughts, or behaviors behind that fear, so it works regardless of the level of fear.