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How I Conquered My Fear Of Heights
Heart Racing, Sweaty Forehead, Shaky Legs, Nausea... Wanting to run away, but not being able to move. The fear factory at full blast. Sounds familiair? Well, join me!
This picture was taken from Auckland's Sky Tower, December 2005. I spent a couple of weeks all over New Zealand and ran into vertigo on a regular base. Usually at home I avoided situations like that if I could.
But when traveling that's nearly impossible. This time I felt really fed up and ready to face the fear. |
| video-still, the only way to do it back then! |
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This was the view from my apartment-landing, yep, Auckland again; 15th floor with a stunning harbour-view. But for a week I had the challenge of reaching the elevator without my knees blocking. That was it! This had to stop!
Back in The Netherlands I started surfing The Net for a quick solution. No psychotherapy or anything like that for me; I just wanted a quick fix. I was lucky; the answer came from some wizzkids at Delft's Tech University. They'd just developed this Virtual Reality training. A 4x1,5hour session walking up emergency stairs near some Amsterdam canal. VIRTUAL REALITY. It seemed a good laugh going up some stairs, knowing it's not real...but at the second session my mind was ready to adjust to the virtual world and it became very real.
I eventually 'graduated': standing head high on the roof of some house in Amsterdam, enjoying the view 3D!
How it works is a bit of a story, so check out this website and judge for yourself.
Virtual-Reality & Phobias
All I had to do now was practise, practise, practise.
This is my story of a successful 2006! |
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Just a bridge! But look closely: this one has wooden stairs (slightly moving when stepping on it) that you can see through!
I walked slowly, feeling the fear rise, my knees slightly trembling.
I held onto the railing and stood there for some minutes. When I started to enjoy the view I knew I was back in reality and could move on. Heartbeat normal, but beating a tiny bit faster once I crossed this bridge.
I did it!
-Amsterdam 2006-
(see my Amsterdam Page 'Python Bridge' Tip) | | |
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I work in an old office building in the Port of Rotterdam. On the top floor are apartments and one of my collegues actually lives there. He was kind enough to take me upstairs and show me around, telling me all about the history of the building and its importance to the port.
It was great getting to know the place, but I was most curious what would happen if I stood on the roof! I didn't have to ask or explain: the roof holds the residents' gardens and my collegue was most eager to show me! Once again, here I was enjoying the view and getting used to the height. I even had the guts to take pictures. It felt great!
-Rotterdam 2006-
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I return to Paris again and again. This time to visit just one area: La Defense. And I was in for a treat! Quite a few opportunities to train my fear of heights.
The first one arose at shopping mall "Les4Temps": escalators of the worst kind. One after the other.
Before stepping on them I took some deep breaths and waited for my heartbeat to adjust. After a few minutes I went. The higher I got, the more I clung onto the railing and I couldn't wait to jump off at the end.
There I stood carefully looking at what I just did. I let myself adjust again, then went down and did it all over again!
This time without sweat, shivers, trembles or nausea!
-Paris 2006-
(see my Paris Page, Shopping Tips) | | |
| | Still in Paris. I opted for La Defense because I wanted to get to the roof of La Grande Arche. Little did I know! Arriving in the area, seeing this amazing structure I couldn't wait to get up there.
Until I saw the elevators: glass capsules, thank you very much!
I stood there for a while, watching them go up and come down. Then eventually picked up the courage and went. I was lucky: there was just me on it, so I had a bit of space and time to explore. There's a metal bar lining the glass and once it went up I held on for dear life!
Slowly relaxing I could then look up and down and around and laugh out loud. Look at me! It's only an elevator! By then I'd reached the top floor of the Grande Arche.
-Paris 2006-
(see my Paris Page "La Grande Arche" Tip) |
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After my battle with the escalators and the conquest of the capsule I was so ready to stand on top of The Arche and enjoy the view. And I wasn't disappointed; all clear to Arc de Triomph! I fully enjoyed being this high! What a triumph!
-Paris 2006-
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| | Another good practice to conquer heights are church towers. Not only for the usual great view, but mainly because you can never tell what to expect on the way up.
I went to Dordrecht lately and climbed the tower, which was quite easy. But just before entering the tower itself there was this spiralling metal see-through staircase that really freaked me out!
-Dordrecht 2006-
So being in the city of Bruges just this month (dec.'06) I couldn't resist the Belfry Tower. And for the first time this year I felt no fear, no trembles, no nothing: I just walked up!
In amazement I climbed higher and higher, taking pictures along the way.
366 Steps they say and all of them with a big smile on my face!
Due to the cold and the fog there wasn't much of a view, but for once I couldn't care less: I managed to get there and felt damn proud of myself!
-Bruges 2006-
(see my Bruge Page "Goodness Gracious!" Tip + Travelogue)
If You Really Want To, You Can Achieve Anything!
N.B. May 2007: I walked Madeira Island's levadas without fear!
...check out my MADEIRA Travel Page for the report!... |
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 Comments for 36waterfalls about World | | | | |
lindyz Mon Oct 19, 2009 07:13 UTC
Linda, Hi how are you! Just wanted to tell you that as of today I am officially a gold star member of vt!!! YAY!!! | Elena77 Sat Sep 12, 2009 21:13 UTC
Hi Linda, thanks for dropping by! I really enjoyed your non-travel photos. Infrared photography is simply amazing! I'll have to try this myself! :) | Dyesebel Sat Sep 12, 2009 18:51 UTC
Hi Linda!Oh there's a lot of stories to tell but i don't know where to start;);)hahaha!I'm stil tired because i only had 1day off since i got back from amsterdam:( | tiabunna Mon Aug 31, 2009 01:03 UTC
G'day Linda. Thank you for visiting my outside photo page and for your kind comment. Your photo page is truly superb - and, as you say, your photos are very different in style from mine! |
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