Weird phobias: the 10 most unusual and least known fears in the world
C "is who is afraid of spiders (arachnophobia) and who of clowns (coulrophobia). C" is who is afraid of the dark (nictofobia) and who of ghosts (phasmophobia). These are quite common and widespread fears. However, less known but still relevant, there are also phobias involving objects and situations that you would never have thought of associating with the concept of terror. A color, an action, a rather unlikely scenario. As surprising as it is, these are the very things that frighten some human beings. Sometimes it is a simple annoyance, other times, however, a fear can turn into a real psychological discomfort. for which the intervention of a specialist is urgent. If you are curious to find out which are the strangest phobias you can suffer from, you just have to read our list. What are you afraid of?
Before going into reading, watch this video and find out what philophobia is, or the fear of loving.
1. Pselaphobia
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One fear that you have most likely never heard of is pselaphobia. The term, which derives from ancient Greek and whose etymology consists of the verb "pselaphao" ("I touch") and "phobia" ("fear"), indicates the fear of touching a certain object. Depending on the object in question, pselaphobia is divided into three different sub-categories:
- acmophobia: this expression refers to the fear of touching sharp objects;
- metallophobia: as the name suggests, it is the phobia of contact with metals;
- trichophobia: or the terror of touching hair and hair;
2. Xanthophobia
It may seem impossible to you, but there are people who harbor a real terror of the color yellow. This fear exists in all respects and even has a name: xanthophobia, from the Greek "xantu", meaning yellow, and "phobia". When xanthophobics see any yellow colored object, including the sun, they begin to feel a sense of anxiety and malaise, eventually experiencing panic attacks. In some cases it is a purely irrational phobia, in others, however, it could be the consequence of certain traumatic experiences. It must also be considered that in certain cultures the color yellow is associated with bad luck or mourning. There is even a theory that links the fear of yellow to the French author Moliére. The latter, in fact, had chosen to wear a yellow dress on the occasion of the premiere of his show “The imaginary patient” and then suddenly died a few days after the event.
3. Arachibutyrophobia
Among the strangest and most bizarre phobias there is undoubtedly arachibutyrophobia. This term, coined by Charles Schultz, cartoonist and inventor of the Peanuts, refers to the fear of peanut butter. More precisely, those who suffer from arachibutyrophobia feel a sometimes irrational terror at the idea that this cream can stick to the palate and cause the person to suffocate.
4. Hexakosioihexekontahexafobia
A fear that can hyperventilate even just saying it? The hexakosioihexekontahexafobia. What is it about? It is easier to explain than to write. Those who suffer from hexakosioihexekontahexafobia are terrified of the number 666. At the mere sight of the number six hundred and sixty-six, the individual who has this phobia begins to sweat and feel an anxiety that is in some ways uncontrollable. Probably, hexakosioihexekontahexafobia owes its origins to the Catholic heritage with which many people were raised and educated. In the Bible, in fact, this number is linked to Satan and the Antichrist.
5. Omphalophobia
The return of the navel to the wind can be traumatic for some of us. Yes, because there are some people suffering from omphalophobia, or the fear of the navel. Those who suffer from this phobia cannot keep their eyes on this part of the body, much less touch it. And it does not only concern the navel of others, but also one's own. Being on the beach can turn into a real nightmare for those with one of the strangest phobias ever recognized. Sometimes it is more a form of disgust due to certain aesthetic tastes, other times, however, this fear has its roots in the unresolved traumas that a person may have experienced in the course of his life.
6. Trypophobia
In the list of the most unusual and bizarre fears, trypophobia could not be missing, or the phobia of holes and cavities. Whether they are round or irregular, small or large, it does not matter, those suffering from trypophobia will not be able to help but feel annoyance and disgust in front of their sight. Trypophobics can even experience unpleasant sensations such as chills and nausea in front of objects such as a pitted cheese or a beehive.
7. Nomophobia
Those suffering from nomophobia (from "no mobile" + "phobia"), also known as disconnection syndrome, struggle to separate from the smartphone in the constant fear of losing control over everything that happens on the web (information, notifications more or less important , content shared by others on social networks). This phobia is so distressing that it pushes the individual to make even more obsessive and reckless use of the technology at their disposal, seriously endangering their physical and mental health.
8. Somniphobia
Do you think sleeping is fantastic? Know that not everyone thinks so. Somniphobia is one of the strangest phobias you can learn about. This term refers precisely to the fear of falling asleep. This fear is due to the anxiety that something bad and unpleasant may happen during our sleep, while we are unconscious. The very thought of not having control over what is happening around us makes us restless and, of course, forcibly keeps us awake. Another reason why some people suffer from somniphobia is due to the uncontrollable fear of having terrible nightmares during the night.
9. Taphophobia
Tapophobia is another name to add to our list of the rarest and most bizarre phobias. The term tafophobia indicates the fear of being considered dead and, for this reason, buried alive. It is a fear born and fomented as a result of reading books or watching films in which this phenomenon is represented. Edgar Allan Poe himself was affected by it and had found in his horror stories a useful expedient to exorcise fear. For some, it is a more irrational form of claustrophobia.
10. Hipopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Hipopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia, also called sesquipedaliophobia, is the irrational fear of words that are too long. More than a phobia, in this case we can speak of performance anxiety due to the difficulty of pronouncing a certain word and the risk of being humiliated, in the event of a mistake, by those who listen to us. Thus, we can say that the name attributed to this fear is entirely pertinent to its object.
