Michael Stevens highlights the positive effect that fear can have on our personal health, but questions the reason for our fear of objects that might not be inherently dangerous. In essence, he asks – “Why are some things creepy?” Stevens stresses the importance of “vagueness” and “ambiguity” in giving someone “the creeps” and explains the fascinating concept of the “uncanny valley.”
Clinical psychology defines a phobia as a persistent and usually irrational fear of a specific object or scenario, often disproportional to the actual danger posed. People will go to great lengths to avoid their phobias, but when an encounter is unavoidable, sufferers typically endure the event with acute distress.
Some phobias are very common. For example, many people exhibit a fear of heights or a fear of small enclosed spaces. Other phobias though, might be a bit more….err….”unique.”
Consider our alphabetized list of weird phobias below: Continue reading
