Overcoming fear of snakes with hypnosis

Edwin Selij
July 14, 2019

Snakes, they are nasty beasts, especially if they are poisonous. In the Netherlands we don't have many poisonous animals, but the adder is one of them. It is the only poisonous snake we have in the Netherlands. They are small snakes compared to the pythons in the zoo. In fact, they only grow to be between 55 and 60 centimeters long. However, the viper is not aggressive and only bites when it senses threat. So being afraid of snakes is actually not necessary at all in the Netherlands

In the process, the adder is really only found in the Veluwe and in the northeastern part of the Netherlands and a few other places on the border with Germany and Belgium. These are often high sandy soils. So the habitat is mostly in sparsely populated areas and the chances of encountering one while you are out shopping are very small.

The viper is not super poisonous, it doesn't usually kill you, but it can make you very sick. Besides the adder, in the Netherlands you also have the ring snake and the smooth snake. In 2010, only 20 people were bitten by a snake in all of the Netherlands. This happens mostly to people who themselves have a snake as a pet, in the zoo (with caretakers) and in research institutes where the snake is being researched. The chance of being bitten by a snake in the Netherlands is extremely small[1].

What if you do get bitten by a viper? Call 112 and stay calm. Do not move, and remove any tight clothing or jewelry. You should never apply a tourniquet to a viper bite.

Are you bitten by another snake? Then call your doctor or 911 if you know it is poisonous. Mark the place where you were bitten so you can see if your body reacts to it separately or not.

Fear of snakes imparted by nature?

Research shows that a fear of snakes may be in our genes, but when I look at the study’s design, it also seems that the babies are reacting to the fearful voice during a video about snakes[2]. So there may still be some debate as to whether it’s genetic or, on the contrary, learned from your parents.

In research on students' fear of snakes, researchers also indicate that the fear does not have to have come from a direct collision with a snake, but because the students could observe fear or be instructed to be fearful of snakes it could also be learned fear[3].

So, despite the fact that researchers like to suspect that fear is in our genes, it has not yet been 100% proven. Besides, it would be strange if it were in the Dutch genes, because there are not that many snakes here at all.

Another reason children sometimes learn early to fear snakes is because many snakes, but not all, have triangular figures on their skin. These are patterns that are commonly seen in predators and therefore we are less fond of them[4].

Recognizing fear of snakes

When you are afraid of snakes you experience the following symptoms when you see a snake:

  • Faster heart rate
  • Tension in your muscles
  • Sweat
  • Vibrate
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness

This doesn't even have to be with a snake in nature. It can also be pictures of snakes or a snake sitting safely behind glass at the zoo.

Overcoming fear of snakes

One of the best ways to overcome your fear of snakes is to confront them. You can do this with a hypnotherapist. The latter can help you overcome your fear of snakes in various ways.

Initially, it is helpful to make a top 10 list of your fear of snakes, such as:

  1. A drawing of a snake.
  2. A photo of a snake.
  3. A video of a snake.
  4. A toy hose made of plastic or rubber.
  5. A snake in the zoo 10 meters away.
  6. A snake at the zoo behind the glass as you stand near it.
  7. A snake in the zoo, not behind the glass.
  8. A snake in the circus.
  9. A circus leader holding the snake.
  10. Holding a snake yourself.

Step by step, the hypnotherapist can help you with this confrontation. Initially, this is often done with a guided visualization in which you learn directly how to calm your body so that the physical symptoms of anxiety do not make the fear even stronger.

After a visualization, you can confront the real thing, such as with the picture of a snake. This way you go one step further each time until the fear of snakes is gone.

Changing beliefs about snakes

Do you check under your bed to see if there’s a snake? Do you find it difficult to go for a walk in nature because you’re afraid of snakes? If so, you may have developed limiting beliefs about snakes.

Hypnosis can help you change the beliefs you hold about snakes. One way to do this is to "install" factual beliefs in your mind. You do this, for example, by repeating hypnotic suggestions while under hypnosis, such as:

"When I'm calm the snake feels safe and nothing happens."

"There is no snake in my house."

"I can relax in nature."

"Snakes want to be left alone."

These are just examples of hypnotic suggestions for becoming less afraid of snakes. Depending on your fears and beliefs about snakes, you may receive other suggestions from your hypnosis expert.

Staying calm when near a snake

As mentioned, the viper in Holland will not bite you as long as it does not feel threatened. It is therefore important to remain calm at a time when you do face a snake.

As soon as you start jumping around frantically and flapping your arms in panic, the snake may perceive this as a threat; walking too close to it can also be interpreted that way.

So if you see a snake stay calm and walk slowly away from it.

If you find it difficult to do this naturally well, a hypnosis expert can help you with a guided visualization that includes a post-hypnotic suggestion. In that visualization, you practice the behavior you want to have if you unexpectedly encounter a snake, so to speak. In doing so, you get the post-hypnotic suggestion that that is what you would do should you ever encounter a snake. Because you do this while you are under hypnosis, this penetrates your subconscious more deeply, making you more likely to demonstrate this behavior in real life as well.

Guided visualization with suggestion can take the following form:

"You are having a nice walk in the woods when suddenly you hear a rattlesnake. You look around and see the snake. The first thing you do is continue to breathe calmly and relax your muscles, you avoid eye contact with the snake and calmly walk further or away from the snake. You increase the distance between you and the snake. This feels good and safe. You feel strong. If you encounter a snake in the future, this is what you do."

This is just an example of a guided visualization. Depending on your beliefs and fear with snakes, you may get a different guided visualization with post-hypnotic suggestion.

Would you like to learn more about how hypnosis works, what it feels like, and whether you can put people under hypnosis? Then sign up for a hypnosis workshop. Would you like to learn techniques right away to help people with, for example, a fear of snakes? Then sign up right away for one of the training courses, or ask about the online options if that suits you better.

[1] https://www.henw.org/artikelen/slangenbeten-nederland

[2] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00753.x

[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0005796779900652

[4] https://www.nature.com/articles/srep37619