You Know the Plane Is Safe. But the Fear Is Still There.
If you have ever sat in an airplane seat gripping the armrest, feeling your heart race as the plane climbs, you already know the strange thing about the fear of flying.
You may know, intellectually, that flying is considered a safe way to travel. You may know the statistics. You may have read reassuring articles or reminded yourself that the pilots know what they are doing.
And yet, none of that necessarily changes how you feel when the wheels leave the ground.
You know you’re safe, but your reaction may not match what you know logically.
That is one reason people seek professional hypnosis for fear of flying. Rather than relying only on conscious reasoning, hypnosis provides a way to explore the subconscious patterns that may be connected to the fear and work toward changing them.
This is a plain-English look at what may be happening beneath the surface of a fear of flying, why simply telling yourself to “calm down” doesn’t always help, and what working with a professional consulting hypnotist can look like.
Why the Fear Doesn’t Always Care What You Know
Fear isn’t always something you can reason your way out of.
You may consciously know that you’re not in immediate danger while still experiencing a strong physical or emotional reaction when you’re on an airplane.
You might notice the fear before you even arrive at the airport.
You wake up on the morning of the flight and the dread is already there. You’re packing your suitcase and thinking about everything that could go wrong. You’re standing in the security line and imagining the flight ahead.
By the time you board the plane, you’ve already been thinking about it for hours.
For some people, there may be subconscious patterns connected to these reactions. The fear may involve a previous experience, a feeling of being trapped or out of control, or something they learned from someone else.
And because the underlying pattern isn’t always obvious, simply telling yourself that flying is safe may not be enough to create the change you want.
Common Things People Try
People dealing with a fear of flying may try all kinds of strategies:
- Reminding themselves that flying is safe. The information may be true, but knowing something logically doesn’t always change an automatic reaction.
- Distracting themselves. This may help temporarily, but the fear can return when something triggers it.
- Trying relaxation techniques. These can be helpful for some people, although they don’t necessarily address the underlying pattern.
- Avoiding flying altogether. Avoidance may make sense in the short term, but it can also limit where you go and what you do.
- Alcohol or Meds. Prescribed meds or alcohol can help, but for some people they can leave you a bit off once you arrive or simply not work at all, which can cause other problems.
None of these approaches is necessarily wrong.
The question is whether they are addressing the particular pattern behind your fear.
What Might Be Beneath a Fear of Flying?
Every person is different, so there isn’t one explanation for why someone develops a fear of flying.
For some people, the fear may involve one or more of the following patterns.
The Loss-of-Control Pattern
You’re not driving.
You cannot see what is happening in front of you, and you cannot simply pull over if something makes you uncomfortable.
For some people, that loss of control can be an important part of the fear.
The airplane may be the setting, while control and trust are part of the underlying pattern.
The Trapped Pattern
You can’t simply leave the airplane if you suddenly decide you want to get off.
For someone who strongly dislikes feeling trapped, that experience alone may contribute to the fear.
The issue may not be the airplane itself. It may be the feeling of being unable to leave.
The Feeling You Can’t Get to the Bathroom
We are seeing a significant number of people who fear they will not be able to get to the bathroom to relieve themselves. Whether a diagnosed problem with the bowels is the issue or they tend to have motion sickness. If this is the case the fear can make the symptoms worse. Hypnosis can be a very helpful tool for this.
The Social Fear Problem
We also have seen a number of people with fear of flying who don’t like crowds for a number of reasons. That aversion or nervousness around people can be made worse once they feel stuck in a plane. Hypnosis can also help neutralise those feelings, so flying is much easier.
The Previous Flight Pattern
Perhaps you experienced a flight that frightened you.
It may have involved severe turbulence, an unexpected drop, a frightening announcement, or a landing that felt particularly unsettling.
A past experience can sometimes remain connected to how a person reacts to flying later.
You may understand that your current flight is different, yet your reaction can still be influenced by what happened before.
The Learned Pattern
Fear can also be learned.
Perhaps you grew up with a parent who was afraid of flying. You watched them become tense every time your family traveled by plane.
Over time, you may have developed your own association between flying and danger.
You may not even remember consciously deciding that flying was something to fear.
The Anticipation Pattern
For some people, the most difficult part isn’t actually being on the plane.
It’s the days or weeks beforehand.
The flight gets closer, and the worry builds. Sleep may become more difficult. You repeatedly imagine what could go wrong.
By the time you actually board, you’ve already spent a considerable amount of emotional energy anticipating the experience.
The pattern behind the fear can be different for every person.
That is why understanding the individual experience matters.
What Hypnosis Can Do With a Fear of Flying
At Family First Hypnosis, hypnosis is not presented as simply telling yourself that you’re safe and hoping the fear disappears.
Celeste’s approach is to work with the subconscious mind and explore information and patterns that are directly connected to the problem. Done correctly, most people are surprised and pleased at how adept their subconscious is at finding what really causes their fear.
Celeste describes hypnosis as a way to access your subconscious mind, uncover information and patterns that are affecting you, and work with them so that very specific inner changes related to your fear are alleviated. This way you can fly anywhere you want to anytime you like.
For someone experiencing a fear of flying, that means exploring what is underneath the reaction rather than focusing only on the fact that the person is afraid of airplanes.
The goal isn’t simply to understand the fear.
The information that is uncovered is something to work with and changed, so that you feel so much better.
For example, if a person discovers that their fear is strongly connected to feeling trapped, the work may be different from someone whose reaction is connected to a frightening experience on a previous flight.
The specific process depends on the person and the pattern involved.
What a Hypnosis Session for Fear of Flying Looks Like
A session with Celeste starts with a conversation.
She wants to understand what flying is like for you now, when the fear began, what you notice when it happens, and what you would like to experience instead.
You don’t have to know the root cause before your session. The hypnosis work will show you what it is and Celeste will explain anything you don’t understand to make the changes smooth.
Rather than assuming that every fear of flying has the same explanation, the session can focus on your individual experience.
During hypnosis, Celeste guides you in accessing your subconscious mind and working with the patterns connected to your goal.
You remain aware and involved throughout the process.
Hypnosis isn’t about losing control or being made to do something against your will.
It is a natural ability that you actively participate in.
The Goal Isn’t Simply to Understand Why You’re Afraid
This is an important distinction.
You could discover that your fear is connected to a past flight, a learned association, or a feeling of being trapped.
That’s useful information.
But the goal isn’t to walk away thinking, “Now I know why I’m afraid to fly.”
The goal is to use that understanding so that true change can happen – meaning, so you can fly without fear.
At Family First Hypnosis, the work involves uncovering the pattern, understanding it, and then changing and overcoming it.
Did I mention this changes things? THAT is the point.
The difference may eventually show up in how you experience flying.
Instead of spending the entire trip fighting the fear, you may be able to experience the flight differently.
You may still notice the sounds, movement, or turbulence. But your reaction to those experiences can change. You also will likely begin to get excited about flying especially if your destination is one you have been looking forward to.
What If You Have a Flight Coming Up?
Many people look for hypnosis for fear of flying because they already have a trip scheduled.
Maybe it’s a vacation, a family visit, or an important work trip.
If you have a flight coming up, a consultation can help you understand what professional hypnosis may involve and whether it may be appropriate for your particular situation.
Most people need about 5 sessions. That’s it.
Some people may notice a change relatively quickly, after session 2 or 3, while others may need all 5 sessions before they notice changes with a long-standing or more complicated pattern. Occasionally one or two more sessions can be necessary, but usually are not.
Sessions are done about a week apart.
That’s why Celeste begins with a conversation rather than promising a specific result before she knows what you’re experiencing.
Who May Consider Hypnosis for Fear of Flying?
Professional hypnosis may be worth exploring if you:
- Know that your reaction doesn’t match what you logically believe about flying.
- Feel tired of trying to reason your way out of the fear.
- Notice that the fear begins before you even reach the airport.
- Have connected the fear with a past experience, feeling of being trapped, loss of control, or learned association.
- Want to explore what may be beneath the reaction.
- Are interested in working toward a different experience when you fly.
- You want to be able to travel to special destinations
- You want to keep your job which requires flying
Everyone’s situation is different.
If you have a specific medical concern related to flying, speak with your doctor or another appropriate healthcare professional. Hypnosis should not replace medical guidance when a medical issue needs to be evaluated.
What Could Change When Flying Doesn’t Feel Like a Battle?
A fear of flying can affect more than the hours you spend inside an airplane.
It can influence which vacations you take.
It can make visiting family more difficult. Which sometimes cause issues in relationships, one spouse or partner wanting to fly and the other not able to.
It can cause you to choose a much longer drive when flying would have been easier.
Sometimes the impact isn’t obvious until you start thinking about all the things you’ve avoided because getting there required getting on a plane.
The goal isn’t to promise that you will suddenly become someone who loves flying, but that happens quite regularly with hypnosis clients doing this work.
It’s more about exploring whether the reaction that has made flying difficult can change and then noticing when it does.
Imagine being able to sit in your seat without spending the entire flight fighting your own reaction.
Imagine arriving at your destination with energy left for the reason you traveled in the first place.
That is the kind of change worth exploring.
Your Goal is to experience Flying in a much more comfortable way.
You don’t have to become someone who looks forward to every flight.
You don’t have to convince yourself that turbulence is enjoyable.
But, if there is a subconscious pattern contributing to your fear, professional hypnosis may provide a way to not only explore that pattern, but change it.
And once you begin to experience the idea of flying comfortably while in hypnosis, your real life becomes the testing ground.
Have a Flight Coming Up?
If flying has been difficult for you, a conversation can be a good place to start.
Celeste Hackett is a double board-certified consulting hypnotist at Family First Hypnosis in Plano, Texas, with decades of experience working with clients on subconscious patterns and personal change. She has also been awarded a lifetime achievement award for hypnosis services.
Family First Hypnosis offers in-office and virtual hypnosis sessions.
Schedule a free 30-minute consultation to ask your questions, explain what you’ve been experiencing, and learn more about whether professional hypnosis may be appropriate for your goals.
