Unusual Halloween phobias

As Halloween approaches, you may find certain unusual phobias being triggered in a way that is less fun than Halloween is supposed to be. This article is a bit tongue-in-cheek (fear of tongues – touloungeaphobia) but to those with a phobia of any kind, it’s no joke. Of course, you may have a phobia of Halloween itself (Samhainophobia) but here are some examples of other unusual phobias that might be more noticeable at this time of year.

Mask phobia (masklophobia)

Werewolf and zombie masks can make anyone jump, but it’s possible to be afraid of even simple masquerade masks, or those made to look like something not scary at all. This fear may come from the fact that, when someone is wearing a mask, you can’t see what’s behind it. The wearer’s expressions are impossible to read. Although rationally you know it’s your friend wearing the mask, you can’t see their face, so you can’t be sure.

The Uncanny Valley reaction can also be an issue around masks. This is where something that looks almost like a person is more frightening than something that doesn’t look like a person at all.

Monster phobias (teraphobia)

In general, a fear of monsters is called “teraphobia”, but there are some more specific ones:

• Bogyphobia – fear of bogeymen,
• Kinemortophobia – fear of zombies,
• Lupophobia – fear of werewolves,
• Phasmophobia – fear of ghosts,
• Sanguivoriphobia – fear of vampires.

Of course, you might not think these are unusual phobias at all. We’d all be scared if we came across any of these beasties in real life, and quite rightly too. But for some people, even the mention of them, or the sight of an image, can trigger off a high level of fear. (I’ve picked a cartoony image for this blog on purpose, to try to avoid freaking you out. But even then, it might be too much.)

Fear of things which aren’t real might pose less of a problem than more common fears most of the time. But at this time of year, it’s hard to avoid them. (I’ve picked a cartoony image for this blog on purpose, to avoid freaking you out!) A monster movie might leave you anxious for a few hours but, if it doesn’t pass, you could have teraphobia.

These are unusual phobias in adults but are not unknown. Sufferers rely on folklore and rituals to fend off monsters. In 1972, a man named Demetrius Mykicura suffered from such a strong fear of vampires that he surrounded himself with crosses and salt, and slept with a clove of garlic in his mouth. Unfortunately, he passed away from asphyxiation because of this habit.

Darkness phobia

There are several different names for this, such as scotophobia, achluophobia, lygophobia, or nyctophobia, which more specifically means fear of night-time. It’s quite a common fear, which usually comes from the obvious fact that, in darkness, you can’t see potential dangers. It might also relate to a monster phobia, or a traumatic experience which happened at night or in darkness (for example, getting trapped in a dark cupboard). In children, it may also tie into separation anxiety, as night-time is when their parents have to leave them alone to sleep. In autumn, the nights get longer and it’s dark more of the time. Walking home in the evenings can pose a big problem for sufferers of nyctophobia.

Talking therapy for unusual phobias

The first thing most people try is to avoid the source of their phobia, but that may not always be possible. You can’t prevent night-time from coming, for example. Sometimes, gradual exposure to the source of the fear can help reduce it. For example, practising sitting in a darkened room or going outside at night for short periods of time. Or learn more about the folklore surrounding the type of monster that scared you. Using relaxation methods can also help; aromatherapy, meditation, self-hypnosis etc.

However, phobias can be persistent, whether they’re about Halloween-related fears or something else. And they are common and varied. People have phobias of holes, phobias of long words, and phobias of animals such as spiders, snakes, or dogs. Since phobias are generally learned through life experiences (see this article for more on that one) they can be about pretty much anything.

I find that whether you have one of the more unusual phobias or a relatively common one, most respond very well to a combination of EMDR and hypnotherapy. You can find out more about both on this site. So, if your phobophobia (fear of fear) is getting in the way of life, overcome any hints of hypnophobia (fear of hypnosis) or telephonophobia (fear of phones) and get in touch.