FEAR OF SPIDERS

A. What is the Fear of Spiders?

The fear of spiders or arachnophobia originates in the part of the brain responsible for protection. Although fear is universal, in every human, the amount of fear varies dramatically. Up to 7% of the population suffers from a more than normal level of anxiety, with a majority of those being females. This has led to speculation that a sex hormone might be the culprit. However, a study rejected this theory in which babies were shown pictures of spiders. Their facial expressions were then measured for signs of fear. Females were shown to have higher anxiety levels, even in the infant stage, when sex hormones are absent.

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Some scientists suggest that the connection is associated with the “hunter-gatherer” division in our primitive brain. Spiders are more frequently encountered around plants (gatherer activities, historically associated with women) than animals (hunter activities, traditionally associated with men). This means that fear is likely hard-wired into our brain circuitry. This hard-wired portion is referred to as our primordial fears. It exists separate and in addition to learned fears – fears learned from events such as trauma, parents, manipulation, and genetic factors.

The first method for treating fears is “cognitive behavioral therapy.” The process works. And for those people who have panic attacks, disabling reactions, or who have been diagnosed as having a full-blown phobia, professional treatment is necessary. Not only is it necessary, but it should also be done as soon as possible.

In cognitive-type therapy, it is essential to use as many sensory input connections as possible. Multiple sensory inputs reconstruct and strengthen neural pathways around, over, or through those circuits in the brain where the spider fears originate. Think of each sensory input as a string. If you have a section of the brain transmitting bursts of spider fears, you create a string around that area each time you go through a cognitive desensitizing training exercise. But, if you use two sensory inputs, you wind two strings around the source rather than one string. This means it cuts the desensitizing training time needed.

“What are sensory inputs?” you might ask. They are information sources generated by your five basic senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. But within each of these senses, there are multiple components to sense. For example, sight involves hundreds of features from shapes, dimensions, colors, motions, symmetry, continuity, patterns, etc. Hearing involves tones, rhythm, intensity, volume, harmony, etc. There are millions of tastes and smells. If you use ten different inputs during the desensitizing training, you are simultaneously wrapping the fear epicenter with ten other strings.

When writing, you should use endearing words that you associate with pleasant things and memories. When listening, you should use your favorite calming music. Tastes should involve things like sweet treats, and smells should be your favorite fragrances. These senses should be invoked while looking at the photo or video so that your brain associates the pleasant feature with the unpleasant fear. These associations are the road map for the strings to find the specific fear location.

Everyone does not start with the same amount of fear. The level of intensity is unique to each person. Table 1 below indicates a single sample out of hundreds as to where to start with the training for your level of fear. For full details on each step, number refer to the steps below the table.

B. What are Sensor Inputs?

Sensory inputs are information sources generated by your five basic senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. But within each of these senses, there are multiple components to sense. For example, sight involves hundreds of members from shapes, dimensions, colors, motions, symmetry, continuity, patterns, etc. Hearing involves tones, rhythm, intensity, volume, harmony, etc. There are millions of tastes and smells. If you use ten different inputs during the desensitizing training, you are simultaneously wrapping the fear epicenter with ten different strings.

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When writing you should use endearing words that you associate with pleasant things and memories. When listening you should use your favorite calming music. Tastes should involve things like sweet treats; and smells should be your favorite fragrances. These senses should be invoked while looking at the photo or video so that your brain associates the pleasant feature with the unpleasant fear. These associations are the road map for the strings to find the specific fear location.

Everyone does not start out with the same amount of fear. The level of intensity is unique to each person. Table 1 below indicates a single sample out of hundreds as to where to start with the training for your level of fear. For full details on each step number refer to the steps below the table.

Table 1

Fear Level and Start Step

FEAR LEVEL	STEP NUMBER
Your fear level is abnormal and is a full blown phobia. The cartoon figure above triggers an extreme reaction and it is difficult for you to look at it. For example, you strain to count the hairs on each spider leg.	Step 1. You should seek professional help. Avoidance may delay the stress, but you often do not have the power to avoid all encounters. What would happen if you are driving and a spider crawled onto the dashboard. Can you pull over safely?
The cartoon figure creates significant stress, but you are able to handle it.	Step 2. Start your training here.
The above cartoon does not trigger any significant fear or stress, but a more aggressive cartoon does.	Step 3. Start your training here.
A video of a non-threatening cartoon produces stress then start here. If the stress is only mild go to Step 5.	Step 4. Start your training here.
Looking at a picture of a real spider causes stress. Start the training with the spider picture that produces only mild stress. If you can have a conversation with the spider of if you can spot several positive features of the spider, then go to the next more scary spider picture to start the training. If you have only mild stress looking at a tarantula, go to Step 7.	Step 5. Start your training here.
Looking at a picture of a more aggressive spider such as Daddy Long Legs causes stress start at Step 6. If it does not then go to Step 7.	Step 6. Start your training here.
Watching a video of real spiders moving around causes stress then start at Step 7. If not, go to Step 8.	Step 7. Start your training here.
If observing a spider outside your house causes stress, then start here. If you can have a conversation with the spider or if you can name several positive features of the spider, then you are fully capable of normal daily activities. This does not negate a potential learned fear.	Step 8. Start your training here.

C. Dealing With Primordial Fear of Spiders.

This paragraph addresses a suggested single method of handling fears originating in the primitive sections of the brain. These fears are essentially impossible to eliminate. But new electrical paths may reduce the effect.

The starting point for the following steps is outlined in Table 1 above.

Step 1. If you have a full-blown phobia, cannot function in the spider’s presence, or if looking at the cartoon above causes significant stress, you need professional help to resolve the problem. This is no different than seeking help from a swimming instructor in learning how to swim. If you need it, do it.

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Step 2. This starts with pictures, preferably with cartoon pictures of friendly spiders like the one shown above. Print out the cartoon picture of the spider, and then write down your most positive words. Have your favorite calming music playing in the background and pop a small treat in your mouth every once in a while. Have a bottle of perfume, cologne, or flowers on your desk or table. After you write down the word, say it aloud while looking directly at the picture. Don’t rush it but say it with volume and feeling. After you write down the second word, say both out loud and repeat the process, varying your pitch, cadence, and volume as you say them out loud. Each verbal statement helps create an electronic signal, and each electronic signal helps generate a string, so the more you say it, the better. Do this for at least ten minutes until you have gone through ten words, a half-dozen treats, 1-3 songs, and at least one smell. Repeat this process tomorrow and the next day until the cartoon picture is only mildly scary or not scary at all.

Step 3. The following week, print out a different cartoon character and repeat step 2. Hopefully, this will only take 3 to 5 days. Change the positive words you write on the picture, and change the song, treat, and smell. You can purchase various odors at a local hardware store or grocery store. Never skimp on the number of senses. If your mind wanders off topic, it may signal that you need to go to the next level or that you are bored, and perhaps you should shorten the lesson. Short 10-minute lessons are recommended.

Step 4. Once you can look at a picture of a non-threatening cartoon character, proceed to a non-threatening cartoon like the YouTube video called Lucas The Spider Creator. To some people, the spider movement is as scary as the spider itself. A fast-running spider is extremely intimidating. This step may take a little longer to master. You may want to bring the big guns on the taste reward and indulge in a favorite sweet treat.

Step 5. It is time to proceed to photos of real spiders, but NOT the terrifying ones like tarantulas. The jumping spider has a friendly-looking face. The process of Step 2 begins anew. This photo is a big step, so take it slow. This time write down things you see in the picture that are friendly, attractive, perfect, etc. Look at the eyes of the jumping spider. Can you think of a friend who has large eyes or thinning hair on top or scraggly whiskers? Can you talk to the spider as if it were your friend? Mary, how did you get those beautiful eyes? Now put yourself in the spider’s body and reply to the question. I asked my mom for the biggest and most beautiful eyes.

Step 6. Next, find a picture of a more threatening spider, like a Daddy Long Leg spider. Get a black and white photo with a solid white background instead of an actual surface. Natural scenes often make the spider appear more threatening. Try and picture in your mind something other than the spider. You look like cracks in my windshield. My genealogy chart has more legs than you. Etc. If it takes a month to reach this level, don’t worry – you’re average. Do not push it. It is similar to building up muscles by lifting weights. The muscles do not grow overnight, nor do the strings surrounding the fear.

Step 7. Now you are ready for videos of real spiders. Go onto YouTube™ and search for spiders. An excellent introductory video on spiders is “Don’t be Afraid of Spiders.” It has a good discussion on spiders in general. And it’s not too scary. Find another family-friendly spider movie and watch it. Remember, the more senses you activate, the more strings are generated.

Step 8. Go outside and look for spiders. This is going to be complicated. Having a friend find a small, not too scary spider is best. Then you and your friend pull up a chair and watch the spider for ten minutes. If it is not too stressful, have a conversation with your friend about what you see. Next, have a conversation with the spider. Do this for several days until you can go outside and converse with the spider without your friend. When you accomplish this, you have finished the training session.

Step 9. You have now graduated. Have a party with your friends and family. Buy a cake with a spider cartoon as frosting. You do not need to pick up a spider to prove that you’re no longer afraid of spiders, just as you do not have to jump off a building to prove that you’re not scared of heights. The only objective is to lessen your fear of spiders to the point where it no longer disrupts your daily life experiences. These eight steps should get you to that point.

Step 10. What do you do after graduation? Whenever you see a spider, you will assess how it made you feel. Resume the training if you did not react the same way you did at the end of Step 8.

D. Dealing With Learned Fear of Spiders.

Trauma. If you had a traumatic event with a spider, you would need to deal with those circumstances. The treatment method discussed in paragraph A will likely not solve this problem. Many factors may need to be resolved. Did you put your hand in a dark area? Exercises in putting your hand in dark holes may be part of cognitive behavioral therapy. If you were bitten and became infected, you may have fears associated with infections, hospitals, or medical treatments. Did it happen while on a hike, near a lake, or at a baseball game? Then you may have fears associated with a location or event.

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Parent Connection. Was either of your parents afraid of spiders? Did they teach you to become scared as well? Did you have an overprotective parent who forced you to leave your bedroom when a spider appeared in a faraway corner? You will need to address those learned fears.

Manipulation. The movie industry has ensured that people never forget how bad spiders are. Movies such as Tarantula, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and Jumanji portray spiders frighteningly.

One way to avoid that kind of trauma is to not go to movies featuring spiders. Most movies intentionally make spiders into villains and then further magnify the fear factor by making them larger than real life, with human-like brains, looking for revenge. Don’t give Hollywood the satisfaction of paying for these ridiculous caricatures, which allow them to scare people with false, exaggerated images.

E. Personality Type Connection.

The personality type most susceptible to arachnophobia is type-D. D-types are concerned with future events and caution. This is right up their alley.

Many celebrities have arachnophobia, including Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake, Halle Berry, Wendy Richard, Jennifer Lawrence, Andre Agassi, J.K. Rowling, Jessica Simpson, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and many others. Most everyone knows someone who has a fear of spiders.