Fear of Public Speaking

Fear of public speaking is so prevalent that it gets its own category.

They say that the fear of public speaking is up there with the fear of death. And this actually makes perfect sense because fear of public speaking IS fear of death.

Let me explain.

Check out the following diagram:

This is humans' hierarchy of needs. The most important needs are at the bottom of the pyramid, and getting those needs met will always be a priority. Once a lower level (lower on the hierarchy, i.e. more important) of needs is met, then our attention turns to the next higher level, and so on.

So the most important needis our physiological needs, i.e. food, water, clothing and shelter. This makes sense of course - they are the most basic needs.

Safety needs come next. We will, if necessary, compromise on our safety to get food, but once we have enough food, then we look after our safety.

And the very next need, the next most important need, is the need to belong and to be loved.

It's the need to belong which is important here.

Humans are a herd animal. We're physically weak and slow. Our only safety is in numbers. We need to be members of the tribe in order to get our other needs, e.g. food and safety, met. Rejection by the tribe meant certain death.

And so, the need to belong is as much a safety and survival need as the two lower needs.

Nowadays, of course, we don't depend on a tribe, as such, to get food and shelter. No matter how unpopular somebody is, they'll be able to buy food, and call on the authorities such as police to help them.

But our primitive brain doesn't realise that. To it, there is still an exact relationship between rejection and death. Rationally we know that's not so, of course. But this fear isn't rational - it's much deeper than that.

So, rejection by any one person is terrifying. But rejection by many is the ultimate fear. And if you're speaking to a group, all of whom might reject you - well I hope you can see how this would trigger all your fears.

It makes sense, doesn't it?

Of course, there are flaws in that logic. Even if, for argument's sake, you messed up a speech totally, and everybody laughed out loud at you, it wouldn't mean rejection and death.

And what we need to do to get over the fear of public speaking is to break that connection between possible rejection and the fear of death. And EFT is the tool to do that as it's the perfect way to speak directly to the subconsious. So contact me if you'd like to become a confident and serene public speaker.

Note that this will not give you any skills and techniques. It will just give you confidence. But if you would like to learn the skills and techniques I can recommend resources for you - just ask.

Here's what one satisified customer (who would prefer to remain anonymous) had to say about her experience: