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Fast Phobia
This technique is one of the most well-known and perhaps the most spectacular techniques in NLP. With this technique, it is often possible to permanently eliminate phobias in twenty to thirty minutes.
Excursion: General Information about Phobias from the NLP Perspective
What is a Phobia?
A strong, uncontrollable, inappropriate fear response. The person also cognitively knows that this fear is unfounded. In order to have a phobia, someone must be able to create dramatic images internally and must be associated with those images. This inner film can no longer be controlled once it starts running.
The only way to stop it is to turn off the external trigger, e.g. fear of heights, someone stands on the tower. If they are far enough away, they have no phobic reaction. Approaching. Once a critical point is crossed, the phobia can no longer be stopped. (e.g. a mouse 50 meters away, or a spider behind a glass wall).
In the case of a fear of elevators, for example, the horror usually starts only a few meters before reaching it. Once the phobic reaction begins, it indicates that the safety distance has been crossed. What the phobic person fears most is experienced as an inner film. This inner film is often unconscious and associated. The phobic reaction is the physical sensation, while the fear film runs internally. The phobic person knows the trigger and their physical reaction but not the inner film. What is crucial is the control over the inner film. The phobic person cannot do this automatically. A non-phobic person has the meta-feeling - when it gets too unpleasant, I just turn off the film. I could stop this imagined film at any moment, e.g. when you lean over a railing.
The inner film is an anchored reaction to the external trigger. When the anchor is fired, the inner film runs. Phobias are often learned when something dramatic has happened once.
Example: A child is playing in the garden and puts a worm in their mouth. At that moment, the mother comes and screams hysterically.
Phobias can also be learned by observing others and being in position two, e.g. shark phobics usually have never seen a shark live, but only watched "Jaws" in the cinema and experienced the shock. A look at the sea then becomes the trigger for the fear of sharks, because that was the start of the film with the title music in the background. Gradually, such a fear generalizes to inland waters and swimming pools, until eventually, sharks appear in the hallway.
The goal in the Fast-Phobia Format is to regain control over the inner film.
- The client is taught to dissociate by letting the film run in black and white on an imaginary cinema screen.
- At the worst point, the client enters the film associated, brings color into it, and the film runs backward until the client is safe.
Fast Phobia Format
Ecology Check: Imagine we were successful with the intervention. What would happen then? Are there any negative consequences if you no longer have this stress reaction?
- Now think of a situation where you reacted phobically. Think about it in such a way that a more or less strong reaction occurs.
- Now, step out of the state, close your eyes, and imagine you're in the cinema watching a black-and-white film of that situation.
- Imagine yourself slowly approaching the critical situation.
- At the critical point, let the INNER FILM run until the worst moment.
- At the worst point, stop the movie on the imaginary screen and create a still image.
- Now go into the film (associated). You are now in the situation and see the film through your eyes, with everything that is visible in the situation. Bring color into the image.
- Let the film run quickly backward until you are safe again, before the critical point. Now open your eyes.
- Repeat this format several times (typically 5-10 times), and then test if you are still able to have a phobic reaction when imagining point 1. If yes, go through the format again. If no, test the result in reality when possible.