It is normal to feel scared On some occasions, this feeling is born from the survival instinct and its function is to keep us alert of any danger. However, when the fear we feel arises for no apparent reason and causes us too much discomfort, we may have a phobia. Phobias are described as irrational and exaggerated fears towards specific objects, situations or other stimuli.
There is a specific phobia that is characterized by repulsion and fear of holes and geometric figures very close together: trypophobia. This irrational fear went viral on social networks and, as a result, it was discovered that it affects more people than initially believed. In this Psychology-Online article, we will discover all the secrets of trypophobia or fear of holes, we offer you an extensive definition, its causes and a test.
What is trypophobia or fear of holes
This fear, classified as a fear, gained popularity a few years ago due to the publication of some images on the Internet. These images seemed to cause fear, repulsion and even an itchy sensation in certain people. At the same time that some photos like the ones we will see below spread throughout the world, so did the psychological explanation for this fear or phobia.
Definition of trypophobia
As we have mentioned previously, we define trypophobia as the fear, disgust and rejection of holes and the geometric figures very close together. Some of the figures that can cause us anxiety are found in nature and may be the following:
- A hive of bees
- a sea coral
- Holes in the skin
- Some plants like the Nile rose
Some people believe that trypophobia is a disease and requires specific treatment for it. However, it is difficult to diagnose it correctly since there is little research on it. Although it is true that they have been collected clinical cases who report symptoms of trypophobia. This fear is not included as psychopathology in the DSM-V.
Symptoms of trypophobia
The most characteristic symptoms of trypophobia are similar to those of the majority of phobias already studied and categorized:
- Avoidance behaviors to avoid exposure to stimuli with geometric figures very close together
- Sweats
- Tremors
- Feeling of disgust and repulsion
- Dizziness and nausea
- Itching sensation throughout the body (this specific symptom is more typical of trypophobia)
Causes of trypophobia
It is important to comment that, although many are irrational in nature or stem from personal traumatic experiences, trypophobia in particular has a justified and adaptive cause for our species.
Origin of hole phobia
Its origin is from genetic nature (that is, the fear of holes may come from generations before us) and may be explained by the fact that many of the most poisonous and dangerous animals on the planet have circular patterns on their skin to warn of their lethality.
It is possible that our ancestors would have had bad experiences related to poisonous animals or plants whose skin was covered with holes and, through hereditary learning, later generations would have learned to avoid and even feel repulsion towards these stimuli. Furthermore, holes in human skin are often a symptom of contagious diseases that we should stay away from. Therefore, this theory could explain, for example, the itching and repulsion that are more characteristic of trypophobia than any other type of irrational fear.
Despite having a adaptive originphobias and the resulting phobic responses tend to be quite disabling for us, this is because they limit our daily activities and produce repulsive responses to objects that, in reality, do not pose any danger to our survival.
Trypophobia test in humans
To conclude this article on trypophobia or fear of holes, we offer a test based on images of objects whose shapes can awaken the unconscious response so characteristic of trypophobia. According to many studies, it is normal to experience symptoms such as itching and repulsion in this trypophobia test, this is because there are many people who suffer from it at a low level but are not diagnosed.
In order to detect trypophobia in humans, the following test is quite simple as well as useful. To do this, we just have to view the images that we attach at the end of the article and classify the symptoms we experience when seeing the holes in each photo.
The images are ordered from least to most intense, so if we have little trypophobia, it is possible that the first photos do not cause any symptoms. However, if our level of phobia is higher, we will experience itching and a feeling of repulsion in the initial images. What is your trypophobia level?
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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