Brontophobia - Treating The Fear Of
Thunder And Lightning

By Alan B. Densky, CH

Millions of men, women, and children around the world are afraid of thunder and lightning, a common fear known as brontophobia. For as long as this fear has existed, people have been searching for ways to fight it. Today, there are many phobia treatment options available. To help overcome this phobia, experts recommend certain hypnotherapy techniques that are proven effective in relieving fears and anxiety.

People with brontophobia experience an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning. Loud, booming thunder and flashes of lightning can trigger nervousness and anxiety attacks in brontophobia sufferers. Other symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, sweating, and an intense feeling of fear, to the point where a person feels sick.

For many people, the fear of thunder and lightning begins at an early age, when as kids, we hide under the covers during a bad storm. Brontophobia can be especially overwhelming for young children. Many frightened children feel helpless during a storm, and their parents may also feel powerless to help them cope with their fears. 

Despite its frequency in children, brontophobia can develop at any time in life, often after someone has an unpleasant experience such as getting an electrical shock, which reminds them of a lightning strike. A traumatic experience such as living through a hurricane can also trigger an intense fear of storms. 

A person may come to associate loud noises, the sensation of pain, or shock with thunderstorms, which can escalate into a full-blown phobia. This fear is so widespread that it is even seen in some animals; for example, many people notice that their pet dogs seem scared during thunderstorms. 

People with brontophobia try to avoid seeing or hearing storms. They may suffer complete nervous breakdowns during natural disasters such as floods. This can put them in danger if they are unable to function in a situation, which requires them to stay calm and act rationally. 

People with brontophobia may come to dread storm season, often struggling in summer when thunderstorms are common. They might obsessively check weather reports and act extra cautious during periods of bad weather. To others, this behavior may seem extreme and highly paranoid. People with brontophobia may find this fear gradually taking over their lives.

A wide range of options is available for treating brontophobia and other phobias. Common ones include counseling, anti-anxiety medication, and hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy tends to provide safer, quicker results and it is also non-invasive, having no negative side effects. For these reasons and others, hypnotherapy has become a popular choice of treatment.

Hypnosis is excellent as a form of relaxation treatment and has traditionally been used for this purpose. By starting with stress-relief techniques, hypnosis helps tense, anxious phobia sufferers begin the process of healing. When an individual is feeling calm, it is easier for hypnotherapy techniques to guide the unconscious mind into a phobia-free train of thought. 

Most phobias are connected to negative imagery or stimuli, which become associated with fear deep within the unconscious mind. For brontophobia sufferers, the loud rumble of thunder, the flash of lightning, or even the smell of rain often triggers fear. Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) work at the unconscious level of the mind to disconnect the sense of fear from these triggers to deliver powerful phobia relief. One of the most effective techniques is called the NLP Visual/Kinesthetic Disassociation.

Ericksonian hypnotherapy is a form of hypnotherapy that is commonly used to treat phobias. Named for its developer, Dr. Milton Erickson, MD, this type of hypnosis uses indirect suggestions hidden in conversation, stories, and metaphors to cure a phobia. Indirect suggestions work better than traditional post-hypnotic direct suggestions because people tend to question, resist, and reject being told what to do. Suggestions, which are hidden from the conscious mind, are more able to empower people to vanquish their fears. 

Ericksonian hypnosis and NLP techniques have an additional advantage over traditional hypnosis programs because they are generalized to treat any phobia. So a single program is suitable for treating any phobia, or even multiple phobias if necessary. Furthermore, each program combines a variety of techniques to work for any individual. 

For many people, hypnosis is an ideal treatment option, which provides rapid and permanent results. Cowering under the sheets and feeling scared is not the way a brontophobia sufferer should live. Using hypnotherapy and NLP techniques, virtually anyone can overcome this irrational fear. 

© 2007By Alan B. Densky, CH.  This document may NOT be re-printed without permission. All Rights Reserved.  We are happy to syndicate our articles to approved websites.