Many fears we have are innate and almost seem programmed into us. Many come from our ancestors who learned long ago to stay away from certain animals or certain situations because they would cause harm to them.
• Spiders: People do have good reason to fear spiders. They are creepy and crawling creatures that can be poisonous and bite you while you sleep. They can sneak up on you and crawl on you and you may not even realize it. Spiders scare people because they can be deadly; not only that but they give off the creepy vibe with eight legs and hairy bodies.
• Heights/Falling: Many people are afraid of being up very high or falling a long way down, hence they are afraid of heights because the thought of being up so high could mean that you are taking a risk with your life or you could possibly injure yourself if you slip and fall.
• The Dark: Lots of kids are afraid of the dark. Most people grow out of it, but some people are always afraid of the dark. They may have good reason to. The dark and unknown has always been scary to people. The thought is that what you can’t see might hurt you. You can’t prepare or fight back in the dark if you can’t see your enemy or whatever is hurting you.
• Closed-in spaces: Many people are afraid of closed-in spaces because they feel there may not be enough room for the amount of people in the room or that possibly there isn’t enough oxygen in the room for them to breathe. Sometimes people have no rationale for it, they just can’t stand to be in tight, enclosed or small spaces. Small spaces like being underground in a cave or in a mine and being afraid is understandable, you may feel trapped, like you can’t get out or that the cave or mine could trap you in. Closed-in spaces make people feel trapped and caged in and no one likes to feel that way.
• Crossing bridges or tunnels: Crossing bridges or tunnels can be scary for some people because they are afraid of the possibilities of a bridge collapsing and cars and people falling or a tunnel collapsing in on them. Crossing bridges and tunnels can make you feel apprehensive because you have to trust that the bridge and/or tunnel can withstand the weight and pressure that is being put on it for you to cross. This could relate to being afraid of being trapped in the case of a tunnel collapsing or being afraid of heights and falling in the case of a bridge collapsing.
• Snakes: Snakes represent evil to some people. Snakes are slimy, slippery and some are dangerous because they are poisonous or could squeeze you to death. Snakes are quick and can sneak up on you too. Many people are afraid of them because they don’t want to be bitten and potentially poisoned.
• Public Speaking: Doing anything in public can be intimidating to most people, especially speaking in front of a large group. Most people are afraid of looking stupid or making a fool of themselves. Most people do not want to be judged by others and may feel a sense of judgment coming on them when all eyes are staring at them. Most people are not comfortable with that kind of attention from mass amounts of people.
• Water: Some people are afraid of water because they never learned how to swim or they may fear that they will drown. Some may fear swimming in large bodies of water or deep water because they are not good swimmers or they fear being attacked by an animal in the water.
• Storms: People fear storms because of the damage they cause and the potential they have to be life threatening and cause harm. Storms can wreak havoc on property and kill people.
• Crowds: Large crowds of people scare people because they may be afraid of being trampled to death, attacked or mobbed by the crowd, they may feel suffocated being around so many people at once. Many people report anxiousness and panic attacks around large groups of people; they have symptoms like heart racing, adrenaline rushes, having a hard time breathing or gasping for air, suffocating, feeling faint and dizzy. Perhaps being around large groups of people can be dangerous, even more so in small, enclosed areas, and this is why people are scared.
• Ghosts / The Paranormal: The afterlife or anything about death or paranormal activities usually tends to scare most people. Ghosts and the paranormal make some curious and others very frightened. Strange things being seen or going on have freaked out many around the world. Many wonder if what they see, hear or experience is real or if it’s just their mind and imagination playing tricks on them. No one knows with certainty what exactly happens after death and that’s what scares people the most, not knowing. If you’ve ever seen a ghost or had any kind of paranormal experience I’m sure it’s filled you with fear and terror of the unknown, and leaves you questioning what is going on? Some people fear that ghosts or other beings could possibly harm us if we invite them into our lives.
