Snakes, folks.
Yes, those big ol’ fat, rat’s tails with teeth.
Not for me, serpent lovers… my apologies.
A shade over ten years’ ago, when I originally wrote this
blog, me... and a couple of friends (one now sadly passed) visited ‘Phobophobia’ on
Tooley Street (great name) in the heart of London Bridge. We all had a raucous time in a
terror-walkthrough that distilled our deepest fears in a touchy-feely, real-time
setting. Because I’d previously attended (and my pals hadn’t), the ‘zombie’
staff locked me away in a dungeon. I had no choice, but to listen to my
friend’s screaming to a chainsaw serenade from afar (while standing next to a
very life-like corpse). Ah, joyous times.
But it wasn’t quite over. As soon as you left the horror installation,
and entered the shop, THEY were there waiting… with their snakes… coiled around
their shoulders.
I guess this is very similar to a psychological therapy technique
known as Flooding. By being exposed to a sudden tsunami of overwhelming fears, in
an instant, and then – in a protracted, form of bombardment – your fears are
reset. This is the intended outcome.
Controversial. The juries out. Does it even work? (I have my
opinions.)
I don’t suffer with ophidiophobia, I just don’t like snakes
that much. In truth, I’d happily hold a metre long yellow Boa, and any slinky
version of a non-venomous kind, but that’s my limit. (Even the corn snake, that
was “planted” on me, took an unhealthy, and decidedly intimidating interest in
my beard.)
This occasion happened about three months after I released
the first Shelly Clover novel. It was one of the warmest Halloween’s on record
in the UK. 23+ degrees. (Hence, inspiration for the climate in Shelly Clover in
the Theatre Mind Macabre.) It was a lovely evening – a true treasure of a
memory - set close to the River Thames. After the walk-through, we stopped over
at the16thC pub opposite. It was a great evening with good ol’ south-east
London friends.
Glad I did it. Certainly, an absolute fab memory, looking
back. Snakes though… never my thing.
No comments:
Post a Comment