On April 18th 2018, a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas was hit by tragedy, when one of the planes engines exploded during flight, leading to one fatality (Jennifer Riordan), and seven casualties.
As a result of an explosion, Jennifer Riordan was said to have been partially ‘sucked out of a window’, which led to other passengers attempting to save her. The plane made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport, where Jennifer Riordan was pronounced deceased upon arrival.
Not your traditional plane crash…
Fortunately, the plane was able to land, so this wasn’t a traditional ‘plane crash’, but the idea of a plane engine exploding and a woman being partially sucked out of a window, is the stuff that nightmares are made of, for those of us who suffer with a flying phobia.
Naturally, after such an accident, I am inundated with emails and phone calls, from people who want to see me. The first thing that I tell them is that statistically, a tragedy like this happening is minimal. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at some facts and figures.
A one off freak accident..
Also on April 18th:
- 3,278 people were killed in road accidents
- 65 people were killed by lightning
- 14 people died taking a bath
- 8 people died through encounters with Hippos
- 2 people died from falling out of bed.
Now, to put things into perspective, compare the one fatality on April 18th, with the 3,278 people killed in road accidents. Food for thought isn’t it?
Naturally, if you have a fear of flying, or make that a fear of anything, it’s natural to be overpowered by emotion. And it’s your emotion (linked to a memory in your subconscious), that will have the hold over you.
Simply tackling your fear or phobia by talking logic, isn’t going to cut it, so I do appreciate that for some, looking at these statistics, isn’t going to be the cure for things.
When I work with my clients I use many different techniques, based around my Integrated Change Method and a phobia can be dealth with very quickly.
Here is a quick technique that you can ,try : visualise in your mind, the thing that you are most worried about… if it’s the plane falling from the sky, I want you to visualise that. I know, this isn’t pleasant, but hang on in there with me… it’s about to get better…
Next, I want you to add some background music to this mind scenario. I always use the example of the Benny Hill theme tune, I dare you to imagine this and it not raise a smile. Then, imagine that everyone on that plane around you is wearing a funny mickey mouse mask, and the plane is made of marshmallow, and as you do this, when you are finding this funny, I want you to anchor this by squeezing your thumb and forefinger together.
Anchoring means to set this memory and feeling, so that you access this next time you are thinking about flying and squeeze your thumb and forefinger together. Then, the next time that you find yourself worrying, fire off your anchor, hear that Benny Hill theme tune, and have some fun with this.
Remember: You cant apply logic to yoru fear of flying, it’s all based around your emotion, so if you can alter your emotional state when you think about flying you’re part way there to removing your phobia.
Let me know how you get on with this,
Christopher.