Research Suggests This Weird Trick Will Cure Your Fear of Flying

Last updated Sep 9, 2015

The fear of flying can be a crippling feeling that might prevent you from living out your travel dreams. Luckily, research suggests this weird trick will cure your fear of flying…

Think about sex.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) started the ball rolling on the theory that sex can alleviate stress and panic attacks that can happen during a flight. The study, published in Science Daily, delved into the reason people are susceptible to post-traumatic stress. The research found that the way our brains process traumatic events happens through memory consolidation. If your brain consolidates the memory – you remember it. Conversely, if you don’t consolidate the memory – you don’t store the incident and that results in less stress induced by situations you’re uncomfortable with.

Basically, people who are anxious or have fears also have a sensitivity to a chemical that fuels memory – serotonin. When you are naturally anxious, you’re more likely to experience post-traumatic stress and panic attacks thanks to a sensitivity to serotonin.

To combat the production of serotonin and anxiety, the study found that preventing traumatic memories and consolidation can be done by the body’s production of oxytocin. It shuts down the serotonin production and relieves the burden of stress and nerves.

How do you get your body to produce oxytocin? Nursing a baby or having sex both results in production of the anxiety-relieving chemical. To combat the fear of flying, one can learn to link the memories of sex with images of flying. Over time, producing anxiety-banishing chemical with thoughts of sex ahead of your flight can shut down the fear of flying.

Other ways of combating the fear of flying include education. Learning about what cause turbulence and how plans function can relieve the stress by answering question. If you’re afraid of flying during a storm and the pane being hit by lightning, research how the plane the plane is built to withstand storms. Turbulence is a huge factor when it comes to the fear flying. Find the facts; for instance, turbulence is most likely to happen during the cruising part of the trip. Statistically, that is the safest part of the flight. Most fatal commercial accidents happen during final approach and landing.

What tactics do you use to combat your fear of flying? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.