Fear.
Met a good friend last night for dinner. He's 55 years old and has never been on a plane.
His fear of flying goes beyond what most of us may experience when thinking about being on a plane or having to deal with the turbulence once up there in the deceivingly calm blue skies.
Got me thinking of all the fears that we manufacture for ourselves, and as is the case for my friend, carry with us all of life, a lot of the times inhibiting us from living at our fullest.
My friend's experience of the world is reduced by the inability to bring himself to even try to get on a plane.
As he was explaining it to me, he was getting a physical reaction to the simple thought of having to fly...(we were discussing him coming to visit me in Ireland)
I have met clients that brought their fears to our coaching sessions. Some manifested themselves in a physical debilitating way.
Some managed to overcome them. Some managed to live with them. Some will need to look at different options to work on them.
It is fascinating how our brain can operate and dictate our lives.
There are some interesting neuroscience studies emerging regarding fear.
"Newly identified ‘extinction neurons’ in the hippocampus suppress fearful memories when activated, and allow the memories to return when deactivated. The findings may provide new treatment avenues for PTSD, phobias, and anxiety." (source Neuroscience News) I hope my friend will come and visit by air some day.
And I hope he won't notice this sign that I spotted at Fiumicino airport.
