Any suggestions?

[Scorpion1030]

I'm fairly tolerant to all kind of animals. For example snakes are my favourite animals and I also like scorpions. Insects arent problem too.
But I have fear of spiders. It's not on phobia level but it's not so small too. If I see a lot of spider webs somwhere I wont go there and I wouldn't like if I see spider on myself, I would try to yell silenty.

Now my question is have you got any advice about overcoming fears like that. Any tips or suggestions? I am aware most of the spiders cant hurt me. I wouldnt go so far and buy a spider as a pet though.

 

[The Snark]

Simple. Your fears are in your mind. Synaptic clompers handing out instructions like how you feel with X sensory input. So it's not the animal you fear but how your brain is programmed. The more familiar you become with the animal reduces it from this mental glop of thoughts and images into a reality. IE, reprograms your brain with additional more inclusive data. Let a jumper walk on you. Tactile and visual reprogramming input. Get up close and personal with a spider and discover what they really look like, filling in the mental info SPIDER with real: palps, segments of the legs, sensory hairs and so on. Your data bank fills out, no longer this vague monster but a real complex animal with all sorts of traits and habits.
Eventually your brain will have a talk with itself. SPIDER HORROR! Oh hush.. It's an Argiope. Let me watch it spin an orb web in peace. Fear resolves into respect and appreciation.

Actually, I think the fastest possible way to lose spider fear would be to sit on the floor in an empty escape proof room and plop out a mature healthy H. Venatoria. A huge straight-from-arachnophobe-nightmares monster. Then just sit there and watch. After a while, when you get bored watching the spider do everything but fly to get away from you, try to touch it. Poke it with a finger. Good luck. This really drives home the point, spiders, even the huge hairy monsters, are much much much much more terrified of you. In their terror they may even run right over you. But all they want is to get away. LEAVE ME ALONE! It would take very serious effort to get it to bite. Probably more effort and practice than the average person could put together.
Eventually your brain gets overwhelmed with 'what's the big deal? This is ridiculous. I have absolutely nothing to be afraid of.'

 

[Scorpion1030]

Thank you so much for a long answer. Looked up for a h venatoria, it really looks scary. Your suggestion was helpful, now I need to find a way to get h venatoria hahah.
I hope facing big spider will also be helpful to face small spiders too.

 

[The Snark]

I introduced a spiderphobe to one of our Venatoria. I think it was Carportdog. Together we tried to get up close and personal: Cut him off. Go around the jeep! He'll jump off that wall if you push it...
Frustrated, she exclaimed, 'This is like my kid on a sugar rush!'
Spider cornered, her fear converted to frustration and she started talking to it. 'Calm down! You need a time out! Oh no you don't. Get back in that corner.'

Carportdog

Ethelred the Unready. Took 20 minutes to round him up and get him into that box. Then he refused to leave for the wide open spaces.