Fear related disorders affect around one in 14 people and place considerable pressure on mental health services. Strong irrational fear or Common specific phobias include those centered around animals or insects, germs, heights, open spaces or flying. Treatment options for these are inherently unpleasant, and many choose not to pursue it.

A team comprising of researchers from UK, Japan, and the U.S. may have discovered a way to unconsciously remove specific fear memories. The team used a new technique called 'Decoded Neurofeedback' to read and identify fear memories. The technique uses brain scanning to monitor brain activity and identify complex patterns of activity that indicate a fear memory.