Ss were 32 female students who had reported Terror or Very much of snakes. After 5 hr. of deprivation (darkness, silence, lying on a bed) 16 deprived Ss could request to see slides of snakes during nine 5-min. periods, 20 min. apart, each slide exposed for 2 sec. The set of 9 slides covered a range of verisimilitude from an abstract curved shape to a color photo of a striking cobra. In the Hierarchy Order condition, these were arranged in increasing order of verisimilimde, the same slide being shown on request throughout each period; in Random Order, the presentations were randomized across periods. Each nonconfined control S was yoked to one deprived S in the same order condition on number of slides shown. Measures were the number of requests of deprived Ss to see the sl~des, and 3 pre- and post-treatment fear indices: the Subjective Stress Scale (SSS; Kerle 81 B~alek, 1958), approach to a caged boa constrictor, scored from 24 (20 ft.) to 1 (hold snake), and self-ratings of fear (0 to 100%) at 20 fc. and then at 5-ft. intervals during the approach. M slide requests = 207 in random and 88 in hierarchical order (Fisher, p = .06). Each of the 4 subgroups was then split at the median request score, and changes in the fear measures were analyzed. A rho of .31 (N =32, p < .O5) showed significant relationship between number of stimuli seen and pre- to post-treatment increase in approach to the live snake. Changes toward closer approach were greater for hierarchical than random order (M = -.79 vs .22, df = 1/24, F = 4.46, p < .05) and for high than for low requesters (M = -.94 vs .40, F = 6.44, p < .05). There were no other significant changes. In this preliminary study, slides of normally aversive stimuli took on positive incentive value after brief sensory deprivation. The number of slides seen was positively related to subsequent closer approach to the feared object itself. Also, while a random order led to more requests to see the slides, a standard hierarchy led to greater reduction of fear. One important question is why the deprivation which resulted in S's requesting the stimuli did not reduce fear more than the yoked-control treatment; possible answers involve the brief duration of deprivation and the autonomic arousal caused by it (Zubek, 1969), which may have been interpreted by Ss as a response to the snake. Further research on the environmental, behavioural, and physiological parameters involved in using sensory deprivation in the treatment of phobias is in progress.