The 15 weirdest phobias that exist

There are many rare phobias that some people suffer from. A phobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of a stimulus (a situation, an object, a place, an insect, etc.).

The person who suffers a phobia He does everything possible to avoid that stimulus that causes him discomfort, and this avoidance behavior can interfere with the normal functioning of his daily life. From the fear of clowns to the fear of the number 13, there are many strange and inexplicable phobias.

Know the rarest phobias that exist

Here is a list of the 15 weirdest phobias that exist, although it is possible that there are other phobias that have not yet been typified and that may have a smaller incidence in the population.

1. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: fear of the number 666

Those with hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia feel a irrational fear of angel number 666 and they avoid things related to this number, such as a building in which the number is clearly displayed, a license plate of a vehicle or a public transport with that numbering. The origin of this phobia is linked to Satan or the Antichrist, therefore it is more common for people who have grown up in Christian families to suffer from it.

2. Xanthophobia: fear of the color yellow

Among the rarest phobias, xanthophobia is irrational fear of the color yellow. Anything that contains yellow produces great anxiety to people who suffer from this type of phobia. The sun, yellow paint or even the word 'yellow', generate anxiety symptoms in the xanthophobic.

3. Turophobia: fear of cheese

People who suffer from Turophobia can't see or smell a single piece of cheese. Whether it's mozzarella, cheddar or roquefort, the cheese gives them a feeling of intense discomfort. This is due to a previous traumatic experience, usually in childhood. Without a doubt, it is one of the rarest phobias known.

4. Crematophobia or Chometophobia: fear of money

This is one of the rare phobias that attracts the most attention. Crematophobia or cromethophobia is the irrational fear of money. For these people it is very difficult to go to the supermarket or buy a bus ticket. Some chrematophobes are afraid of the corrupting power of money and others may have suffered a trauma caused by money. Do not confuse the fear that some people feel about touching bills or coins that other people have touched, since in this case it would be fear of germs (misophobia or germiphobia).

5. Somniphobia: fear of sleep

This phobia causes a irrational and excessive fear of the act of sleeping. People who suffer from it panic to think that while they are sleeping something terrible is going to happen to them, such as, for example, that they will stop breathing and die. The cause may also be the fear of having nightmares due to having suffered them repeatedly in the past. Obviously, this phobia is linked to the insomnia.

6. Coulrophobia: fear of clowns

The image of a clown produces panic, fear and anguish to the person suffering from coulrophobia. Although it is common for this phobia to be perceived as something funny by people who do not have this fear, the subject who experiences clown phobia or coulrophobia can trigger major attacks of anxiety.

To read more about coulrophobia you can visit our article:

• Article to deepen: "Coulrophobia (fear of clowns): causes, symptoms and treatment”

7. Ombrophobia: fear of rain

Like most of the rarer phobias we've described, this phobia is very little known. People who suffer from ombrophobia feel an uncontrollable fear of getting wet from rainwater. These people can become extremely obsessive in order not to get wet, which leads them to idolize the objects that are used to protect themselves from the water such as umbrellas, raincoats or awnings.

8. Hypopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: fear of long words

Refers to irrational fear of pronouncing long, complicated words, so the person who suffers from this phobia will avoid mentioning these types of terms. Many times, this phobia is accompanied by social shyness and fear of being ridiculed. Due to the complexity of the word used to describe this phobia, the words sesquipedaliophobia or longsophobia are currently used.

9. Omphalophobia: fear of belly buttons

This phobia refers to fear of seeing or touching your own belly button or that of others. These people have serious conflicts when bathing because they cannot look at their navel or touch it. The physiological symptoms that occur range from irritability, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, a feeling of rage along with anger, as well as a feeling of total helplessness. Without a doubt, one of the rarest phobias.

10. Hylophobia: fear of trees

It refers to fear of bushes, trees, and forests. It usually develops in young children, as it is linked to the fear that movies present about enchanted forests, in which witches or evil monsters can be found.

11. Triscaidecaphobia: fear of number 13

Triscaidecaphobia is the irrational fear of number 13. Those who suffer from this anxiety disorder avoid any object or thing that contains the number 13. On the other hand, the phobia of Friday the 13th is called parascevedecatriaphobia.

12. Papaphobia: fear of the Pope

Papaphobia is the fear or fear of the Pope (to the Holy Father of the Vatican, head of the Catholic Church) or to everything that has to do with him. Some experts think that it is part of the phobia of the sacred or the saints. In any case, it is enough to stay away from the Holy See to avoid reaching worrying levels of anxiety.

13. Uranophobia: fear of the sky

People with uranophobia feel fear of heaven and life after death. It can develop in believers who think they will be judged upon death. This is one of the rarest and most complex phobias to treat, since it is not possible to do a therapy of habituation.

14. Pogonophobia: fear of beards

This phobia was discovered in 1851, and refers to the irrational fear that many people feel towards beards, especially towards the longest and most populated. Despite the fact that beards do not pose a danger to people's health, pogonophobes feel fear and nauseous when they see someone with facial hair.

15. Trypophobia: fear of holes

Those who suffer from this phobia manifest real panic, nausea and cold sweats when they see small holes close together or things that contain holes. For example, a honeycomb or the holes in a brick.

Bibliographic references:

• André, C. (2006). Psychology of fear. Fears, anxieties and phobias. Barcelona. Editorial Kairós.
• Bourne, E. J. (2005). The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook, 4th ed. New Harbinger Publications.