<p>The NLP technique known as the "Fast Phobia Cure" works by dissociaton.  The practitioner would have the client imagine themselves in a large movie theatre, watching a movie of themselves having the phobic experience.   Watching it in fast motion, forward, then backward, etc.   This is the first dissociation -- They are watching themselves on that screen.</p>

<p>Next, the client is asked to go into the projection room, and look down at themselves in the theatre, watching the movie.   Same thing, watching it in fast motion, forward then backward.   This is the second dissociation  (watching themselves in the seat watching the movie)</p>

<p>Finally, the client is asked to visualize the movie theatre, watching it from a distance, watching themselves in the projection booth watching themsevles in the seat, watching themselves on the screen.   This is the third dissociation.</p>

<p>This is all happening subconsciously, and disssociates themselves from the reaction to the phobic event.</p>

<p>Source:  I am a hypnotherapist, and NLP practitioner, and I use this technique in my practice.  It </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-13T11:00:08.977Z
2012-10-13T11:00:08.977Z
Jonathan S. Nowak C.Ht.
<p>The Reverse Movie Technique (RMT) is a particular form of what is sometimes called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_therapy" rel="nofollow">exposure therapy</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolonged_exposure_therapy" rel="nofollow">prolonged exposure therapy</a> or imaginal exposure therapy. It seems like "Reverse Memory Technique" is a niche term that isn't used in the scientific literature (e.g., <a href="http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&amp;q=%22reverse%20movie%20technique%22&amp;btnG=Search&amp;as_sdt=0,5&amp;as_ylo=&amp;as_vis=0" rel="nofollow">0 hits on Google Scholar</a>). So, if you are wanting to get a scientific answer to your question, I'd check out the literature on <a href="http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=imaginal+exposure+therapy+&amp;hl=en&amp;btnG=Search&amp;as_sdt=1%2C5&amp;as_sdtp=on" rel="nofollow">"imaginal exposure therapy"</a> (195 hits at time of posting) or <a href="http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&amp;q=imaginal+exposure+therapy+&amp;btnG=Search&amp;as_sdt=0%2C5&amp;as_ylo=&amp;as_vis=0" rel="nofollow">imaginal exposure therapy</a> without quotations.</p>

<p>More generally, there are a few links in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder#Psychotherapeutic_interventions" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia PTSD article to evaluations of psychotherapeutic interventions</a>. </p>

<p>To take one example of evaluation research, Taylor et al (2003) compared the efficacy of exposure therapy, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing" rel="nofollow">EMDR</a> and relaxation training on 60 participants with long term PTSD. They found all three techniques were effective when comparing pre- and post- intervention scores, although for some symptoms (i.e., reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms) exposure therapy was more effective.
You might also find the literature review in the article useful.</p>

<h3>References</h3>

<ul>
<li>Taylor, S., Thordarson, D., Maxfield, L., Fedoroff, I., Lovell, K., and
Ogrodniczuk, J. (2003). Comparative efficacy, speed, and adverse effects
of three ptsd treatments: Exposure therapy, emdr, and relaxation
training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(2):330.
<a href="http://digilib.bc.edu/reserves/sw856/taylor856.pdf" rel="nofollow">FREE PDF</a></li>
</ul>

<p><em>Note that this is not my area of expertise, so anyone reading this, don't see it as clinical advice.</em></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-02-03T06:35:16.197Z
2012-02-09T00:15:16.347Z
2012-02-09T00:15:16.347Z
Jeromy Anglim
<p>The <a href="http://www.dynamicresources.net/reverse_movie.htm" rel="nofollow">Reverse Movie Technique</a> (also konwn as <a href="http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/archive/phobia.html" rel="nofollow">The NLP Fast Phobia/Trauma Cure</a>)  is named as such because it involves playing a traumatic event backwards through your head.</p>

<ol>
<li>Is the technique effective at dealing with traumatic events?</li>
<li>In particular, is it more effective than playing the event forward through your head?</li>
</ol>

<psychiatry><ptsd><neuro-linguistic-prog>
How effective is the  NLP Reverse Movie Technique in dealing with traumatic experiences?
Casebash
# How effective is the  NLP Reverse Movie Technique in dealing with traumatic experiences?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-02)

The [Reverse Movie Technique](http://www.dynamicresources.net/reverse_movie.htm) (also konwn as [The NLP Fast Phobia/Trauma Cure](http://www2.hawaii.edu/~lady/archive/phobia.html)) is named as such because it involves playing a traumatic event backwards through your head.

1. Is the technique effective at dealing with traumatic events?
2. In particular, is it more effective than playing the event forward through your head?

**Tags:** psychiatry, ptsd, neuro-linguistic-prog


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-02-03. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

The Reverse Movie Technique (RMT) is a particular form of what is sometimes called [exposure therapy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposure_therapy), or [prolonged exposure therapy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolonged_exposure_therapy) or imaginal exposure therapy. It seems like "Reverse Memory Technique" is a niche term that isn't used in the scientific literature (e.g., [0 hits on Google Scholar](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=%22reverse%20movie%20technique%22&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0,5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0)). So, if you are wanting to get a scientific answer to your question, I'd check out the literature on ["imaginal exposure therapy"](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=imaginal+exposure+therapy+&hl=en&btnG=Search&as_sdt=1%2C5&as_sdtp=on) (195 hits at time of posting) or [imaginal exposure therapy](http://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?hl=en&q=imaginal+exposure+therapy+&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_ylo=&as_vis=0) without quotations.

More generally, there are a few links in the [Wikipedia PTSD article to evaluations of psychotherapeutic interventions](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_stress_disorder#Psychotherapeutic_interventions).

To take one example of evaluation research, Taylor et al (2003) compared the efficacy of exposure therapy, [EMDR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing) and relaxation training on 60 participants with long term PTSD. They found all three techniques were effective when comparing pre- and post- intervention scores, although for some symptoms (i.e., reexperiencing and avoidance symptoms) exposure therapy was more effective.
You might also find the literature review in the article useful.

### References

* Taylor, S., Thordarson, D., Maxfield, L., Fedoroff, I., Lovell, K., and
  Ogrodniczuk, J. (2003). Comparative efficacy, speed, and adverse effects
  of three ptsd treatments: Exposure therapy, emdr, and relaxation
  training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(2):330.
  [FREE PDF](http://digilib.bc.edu/reserves/sw856/taylor856.pdf)

*Note that this is not my area of expertise, so anyone reading this, don't see it as clinical advice.*


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### Answer by username_1 on 2012-10-13. Score: -2

The NLP technique known as the "Fast Phobia Cure" works by dissociaton. The practitioner would have the client imagine themselves in a large movie theatre, watching a movie of themselves having the phobic experience. Watching it in fast motion, forward, then backward, etc. This is the first dissociation -- They are watching themselves on that screen.

Next, the client is asked to go into the projection room, and look down at themselves in the theatre, watching the movie. Same thing, watching it in fast motion, forward then backward. This is the second dissociation (watching themselves in the seat watching the movie)

Finally, the client is asked to visualize the movie theatre, watching it from a distance, watching themselves in the projection booth watching themsevles in the seat, watching themselves on the screen. This is the third dissociation.

This is all happening subconsciously, and disssociates themselves from the reaction to the phobic event.

Source: I am a hypnotherapist, and NLP practitioner, and I use this technique in my practice. It


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