a form of desensitization therapy in which an individual is helped to overcome a fear or anxiety by learning to relax while imagining an anxiety-producing stimulus. A hierarchy is devised with a sequence of items that range from the least to the most anxiety-producing aspects of the stimulus. The individual then uses relaxation techniques while progressively imagining items on the hierarchy until able to imagine the stimulus without feeling anxious. Compare in vivo desensitization. See also systematic desensitization.