Calming fear during sleep
Sunday, September 22, 2013 - 16:00
in Psychology & Sociology
A fear memory was reduced in people by exposing them to the memory over and over again while they slept. It's the first time that emotional memory has been manipulated during sleep, report scientists. The finding potentially offers a new way to enhance the typical daytime treatment of phobias through exposure therapy by adding a nighttime component. A common treatment for phobias is gradual exposure to the feared object until the fear is extinguished.