Fear of Flying: A Case Report Using Virtual Reality Therapy with Physiological Monitoring

Abstract

Virtual reality therapy has been used to successfully treat specific phobias. To illustrate the physiological differences between a person suffering from a fear of flying and a person without a fear of flying, heart rate, peripheral skin temperature, respiration rate, sweat gland activity, and brain wave activity were measured during a five-minute eyes closed baseline period, a twenty-minute virtual reality flight, and a five-minute eyes closed recovery period. Clear differences were found between the two participants' physiological responses. Four sessions of virtual reality exposure therapy were successsful in reducing physiological arousal for a person with a fear of flying. Self-report measures related to fear and avoidance of flying, as well as absorption ability, hypnotizability, and stress were also given to both participants and scores reflected distinct differences.