I'm surprised by how many people have phobias of serial killers...I mean it's just not something one encounters everyday. In fact I think one has a bigger chance of walking near an active volcano than a serial killer. Methinks there's some folks watching waaaay too much Silence of the Lambs here.

ROFL I was noticing that too. But at least it's understandable. What I don't get is how many people have mentioned caterpillers! I think they are really cute

I'm surprised by how many people have phobias of serial killers...I mean it's just not something one encounters everyday. In fact I think one has a bigger chance of walking near an active volcano than a serial killer. Methinks there's some folks watching waaaay too much Silence of the Lambs here.

I think parents go on about it so much that they scare their kids and the fear stays with them for life. Mum just goes on and on and says the same thing all the time. when i use to ride my bike to school. Every morning for 3 years she was like don't get run over, don't stop and talk to strangers. I was like you have only told me 754 times.

Death is my greatest fear, everything about it, how will it happen, will it hurt, fast so I barely know it happened or slow and extremely painful???

Same here Ginny, I know exactly what you mean. Also I wonder when will it happen, will my family be with me or will I be alone, and so many other things. It worries me a lot!

What I don't get is how many people have mentioned caterpillers! I think they are really cute

I know! Caterpillars are adorable in my opinion! I don't see many anymore, but when my and my sis were younger and we were still living in Virginia and then Minnesota, there were caterpillars everywhere on nice days! So, me and my sis would pick them up, name them, and try to have them race eachother.... didn't work so well. I especially love Wooly bears (sp?). I love petting them!

I don't have much time right now to list more fears but I just added a new one to the list today. Surgery. And not like little toe surgery's/procedures with only a numb toe like i've been having for the past three years, but actual ones.

I'm surprised by how many people have phobias of serial killers...I mean it's just not something one encounters everyday. In fact I think one has a bigger chance of walking near an active volcano than a serial killer. Methinks there's some folks watching waaaay too much Silence of the Lambs here.

Shadowlander, I understand why you might think it's irrational for people to be afraid of something unlikely to happen. But you see, phobias involve a person being afraid of what they believe, not what is actual or real. If a person believes there is a serial killer outside waiting for them, no rational talk is going to get through to them. I've never had a fear of serial killers, but I do somewhat understand why people are afraid. I have a major phobia of being kidnapped, raped, or otherwise hurt by a man. This phobia has had a major influence on my life. In my rational state of mind, I know perfectly well the likelyhood of me being kidnapped or raped by somebody. But when I believe there is a threat, my body triggers certain sensations that lead my mind into a vicious cycle of fear. I've never been kidnapped or raped or anything, but recently I wrote down a list of possible contributors to my fear from my childhood and life experiences... the list was over two pages long! While the individual things weren't bad enough alone to do any damage, everything added up to cause my phobia. So while watching too much serial killer movies might not do the trick, a lot of other stuff would have. Just saying.

Spiders. Just the way they move creeps me out. It's the only 'bug' I'm afraid of.

Ditto, ditto. I'm probably scared of spiders more than any other bug, save one (warning, somewhat frightening pic ): centipedes. *shivers and shakes* They move soooooo fast! And when you hit them with a fly swatter, their legs fly off and jitter and shake for the longest time afterwards. Really creeeepy. One was lying very still one hot summer's evening a few years ago, and our middle son counted its legs: 68. Lovely.

As for spiders, they're just so ... ugh. They come out of nowhere and can scuttle pretty quickly, as well, though not as fast as a centipede (at least, the spiders in our area of Canada). I know without spiders our world would be over-run with other bugs. *considers this* Actually, I think I'd really prefer that.

I've had ranidaphobia for as long as I can remember.

But Digs,

Some people have mentioned being afraid of rats, snakes, and roaches. I actually love all of these. I used to be terrified of snakes and mice, but I got over it. Actually I've been wanting a rat for a pet... but my parents won't let it happen, ... I'd just suggest... actually I'd suggest this for everyone including myself... that we all try to learn about the things we're afraid of.

A few comments to this, wolf:

1) I'm with you in that snakes, rats, roaches—things like that—just don't bother me. I'm fascinated by snakes; rats we've had for pets; roaches, we really don't see a lot of here, but when I was in Nigeria years ago, there were some huge ones, so maybe I just got used to them.

2) I hope you can get rats for a pet someday. We've had a number of rodents over the years and rats beat 'em all by a long shot. Extremely personable, active, smart, friendly, fun ... we love 'em! (And their squishy ratty bellies are just so cute to poke, lol.) But make sure you don't just get one: they're very social with each other, as well as with humans. Wups, this is getting quite off topic. *mods herself*

3) Good point: I agree that knowledge could help our more ungrounded fears, such as mine of spiders.

I have a real bad phobia of sharks(Great Whites) because they look so fierce and machine like to me.Their souless eyes and sharp teeth...ugh!

^^^What about whale sharks, they're the largest fish in the ocean, but they only eat plankton. Personally I love sharks. You know you're more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head than a shark.

-coconuts falling on my head

I'm scared of venomous snakes, and giant spiders, and killer bees, and things of that nature (especially the killer bees...)
Though I don't mind rats, and I think roaches are disgusting but not that scary.

Hm, let's see...

Probably one of my biggest fears is Claustrophobia. I'm not too claustrophobic; for the most part, I don't mind being in a small space so long as I know I can get out. But if you shut me in a small place and just 'for fun' hold the door shut... I'll most likely get upset. Reason: when I was about eleven or twelve, I volunteered to be shut into the trunk of a car that couldn't be opened from the intside, while my sister and brother waited outside to let me out when I wanted it. However, the car locked by itself, and then my brother and sister went into laughing fits and couldn't unlock it... finally they both abandoned me to find the keys. I was yelling and screaming When I think back about it, it's sorta funny. Still, ever since then I've always hated the idea of being trapped. Gives me shivers
I have gotten a little better in recent years, though.

Don't think I have posted in this thread yet...

1) Crowds. By far.
2) Fire
3) Tight spaces
4) Becoming deformed/paralytic
5) Being chased by an alligator
6) Losing my job. I had a hard time finding the right career, hence this means so much to me.

^^^You know you're more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head than a shark.

-coconuts falling on my head

Funny thing to say.
I'm only scared of Great Whites, that's it. I'm also scared of spiders but not as much as sharks, being stalked by a man(it has happened before), and hights(though not to the point where i can't fly) just scared of hights if i have to go up a tower or something. And that's it.

What am I afraid of?
1. The dark. I sleep with my lamp on.
2. Loud noises. Ick, I hate loud noises!
3. Blushing. I believe the term for this is ereuthrophobia! I hate how I can just blush involuntarily, even if I'm not embarrassed, then when I do blush, someone notices and I end up embarrassing myself anyways. (Maybe this is fear of being embarrassed?)
4. Heights. Ick, I hate going up stairs. OH! And I hate it when I'm up on a balcony and there's a nothing but a sheet of glass to keep you from falling... ugh! just thinking about it gives me the jitters.
5. Spiders, beetles, and all flying bugs.
6. Failure. I hate the feeling you get in your stomach when you fail.

You know you're more likely to be killed by a coconut falling on your head than a shark.

-coconuts falling on my head

Lol, I love that statistic. I always bring it up when I'm near coconut palms. One time I got the shark attack part confused with lightning, and my friends were like, "No, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a shark attack..." So now there's a running joke between me and my friends where we intentionally say it wrong; we'll say stuff like, "You know you're more likely to get struck by lightning while drinking coconut milk than you are to be killed during a hurricane in Montana..." Yes, I am quite wacky.

Here's something else I'm afraid of (or wary of, rather): Statistics that people just make up (Did you know that ninety-eight percent of all statistics are made up on the spot??? )

my other worst fear is this: I hate candles. the thought of lighting a flame on purpose freaks me out! I hate open flames that could get bumped over and catch things on fire! I won't ever light matches because it freaks me out to have a flame that close to my fingers! I don't have any real reason for this I guess.....it's just something that frightens me!

^^lol I'm kinda the opposite. I'm a little bit of a pyromaniac . I like lighting things on fire