There are many weird phobias out there, including fear of bald men, fear of peanut butter, and fear of the moon! Discover more strange phobias and what causes them.
What constitutes a weird phobia? The most common phobias all have some kind of underlying logic. It would indeed inhibit our survival to be bitten by a poisonous snake, develop cancer, or fall from a cliff.
However, there are some very weird phobias out there, for instance, the fear of celery or baked beans. It is safe to say that celery never posed a threat in our evolutionary past.
What Causes Phobias?
The common specific phobias are thought to arise from several means. One theory is that they are ingrained in our genes through years of evolution. For instance, our ancestors may have lived among poisonous snakes – and the body’s physiological response to that was to run like hell. It’s a survival thing.
Alternatively, social trends in our culture may condition us to react to things in certain ways. For instance, on sighting a mouse, women should immediately hop up on the kitchen table and scream until a male is present to save them. It’s textbook Tom & Jerry.
Uncommon Phobias
Instead of an evolutionary or culture-led phobia, there may be a separate explanation for weird or strange phobias, such as the fear of cheese.
This group of phobias may be linked to deep-seated psychological trauma. For whatever reason, that inanimate object or non-threatening situation has become the focus of the fear, and acts as a trigger for stored feelings of anxiety.
The common specific phobias – such as the fear of spiders, or snakes, or being struck by lightening – are all understandable on some level. We may not understand the extreme fear response some people give them. But somewhere in there is a threat to survival.
Here is a list of uncommon phobias, which really do prove utterly terrifying and disgusting to a small part of the population.
Ambulophobia – the fear of walking
Anablephobia – the fear of looking up
Arachibutyrophobia – the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth
Aulophobia – the fear of flutes
Barophobia – the fear of gravity
Cataptrophobia – the fear of mirrors
Chionophobia – the fear of snow
Chromatophobia – the fear of colours
Chronomentrophobia – the fear of time
Cnidophobia – the fear of string
Cyberphobia – the fear of working with computers
Genuphobia – the fear of knees
Geumapobia – the fear of taste
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – the fear of long words
Hypnophobia – the fear of sleep
Kyphophobia – the fear of stooping
Levophobia – the fear of objects to the left
Metrophobia – the fear of poetry
Mnemophobia – the fear of memories
Octophobia – the fear of the figure eight
Ommetaphobia – the fear of eyes
Optophobia – the fear of opening one’s eyes
Peladophobia – the fear of bald people
Scuirophobia – the fear of squirrels
Siderophobia – the fear of stars
And finally, spare a thought for sufferers of Panophobia, who are continuously engaged in the fear of everything...
Further Reading
If you found Uncommon Phobias interesting, you may also like:
The copyright of the article Uncommon Phobias in Phobias/Anxiety is owned by Rebecca Turner. Permission to republish Uncommon Phobias in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
fear of long words?????? what is going on with these people..............
Jan 5, 2009 7:07 PM
Guest :
I am really afraid of squirels and squirels are on the uncommon list
Jan 12, 2009 1:26 AM
Guest :
ok thats a tiny bit strange but its very interesting to see how many
phobias there are.
Feb 11, 2009 9:01 AM
Guest :
i actually, genuinly have peladophobia. I am frightened of bald people,
does that make me odd?
Mar 25, 2009 8:50 AM
Guest :
wow this is very strange...how long is that word? and that HAS to be
the longest phobia doesnt it?
Mar 28, 2009 2:07 PM
Guest :
what is the name for fear of fireworks?
Apr 10, 2009 12:35 AM
Guest :
I think these phobias are pretty weird but , believe me ,my phobia is
weirder.You'd be really surprise if I told you.
Apr 16, 2009 2:21 PM
Guest :
I have a minor fear of mirrors. I'm afraid that someone might be behind me
:S
Apr 27, 2009 2:59 PM
Guest :
I lol'd at the fear of Colors. That just kinda screams emo people (No
offence, srsly.) I found that funny cause I'm emo. Chromatophobia~
May 20, 2009 8:30 AM
Guest :
peanut buttter? wow. this is weirder than the phobia OF phobias
Jun 18, 2009 2:00 PM
Guest :
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