Researchers, through a recent study, suggest a new way that could help people with fear of spiders. The study researchers claim that this method can help to overcome the fear of spiders in just two minutes.

University of Amsterdam scientists, who presented their finding in Biological Psychiatry, said they developed the experiment from the idea of reconsolidation, which means that memories can be strengthened or weakened when activated, reports Treehugger.

Some previously conducted studies have shown that a fearful memory could be successfully forgotten if a drug is administered at the time when that particular memory gets activated, according to a release.

The researchers exposed around 45 arachnophobes to a tarantula for two minutes, and then gave each a dose of beta blocker propranolol, used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions, or a placebo.

The researchers noted that those who were given propranolol saw drastic reduction in avoidance behavior. It was also found that approach behavior in these participants increased over the next year.

Study author Merel Kindt, said, “Here we show for the first time that an amnesic drug given in conjunction with memory reactivation transformed avoidance behavior to approach behavior in people with a real-life spider fear”.

Study authors agreed that further research is needed to suggest whether the same technique could be used on patients suffering from anxiety disorders and PTSD.