Spiders, heights, crowds and hypodermic needles. I'm getting better with most of them, but crowds are still really hard to deal with. ( u﹏u ;;;)
Anybody heard of trypophobia? I am super grossed out by holes in certain patterns, like dried out lotus pods. The scene in Inglprious Basterds where they shot up the walls of the bar almost caused me to leave the theater. It ties into a flesh eating bacteria fear I used to have, I think. I also was TERRIFIED of becoming a zombie as a child. Slight germaphobe. Many anxieties all over everywhere.
lunchboxoven, June 25, 2016, 11:41:26 pm
Fun fact about trypophobia: it's actually a perfectly normal reaction! Trypophobia occurs when your brain has no frame of reference as to how an object feels, and you can't touch the thing to give it a frame of reference. It manifests as a sort of visceral reaction that can easily pass for fear. If you see glass, and can't touch it, your brain can simulate the feeling of the smooth, cold sensation on your fingers; if you see a very fluffy animal, you can imagine petting it, and how soft it would be. If you see a picture of lotus pods, or a wall riddled with bullet holes, your brain just can't figure it out, triggering that fear-like response.
When I experience it, I feel like I'm going to gag, or even throw up, and I have to look away. What helps me stop the feeling is getting my hands on something familiar that has a very distinct texture, like the fabric of my jeans, or the screen of my phone, and rubbing it.