When we learn something, we can usually recall it in any new context: If someone passes their driving test in France, they can also drive a car in Germany. However, the context plays a role when it comes to getting rid of something we have learned, such as a phobic fear. "Someone with a fear of spiders is afraid of them no matter where they encounter them. People who have successfully overcome their fear of spiders in psychotherapy are often terrified again when they encounter a spider in their own basement," explains Professor Nikolai Axmacher, neuropsychologist at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. ...
