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 from a phobia does everything possible to avoid that stimulus that causes discomfort, and this avoidant behavior can interfere with the normal functioning of their daily life. From fear of clowns to fear of the number 13, there are many strange and unexplained phobias.
Below we present a list of the 15 strangest phobias that existalthough it is possible that there are other phobias that have not yet been classified and that may have a smaller incidence in the population.
1. Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia: fear of the number 666
Those who suffer from hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia feel a irrational fear towards the number 666 and avoid things related to this number, such as a building on which the number is clearly displayed, a vehicle license plate, or public transportation with that number. 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.
Among the rarest phobias, xanthophobia is irrational fear of the color yellow. Anything that contains yellow produces great anxiety for 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 They cannot see or smell a simple piece of cheese. Whether it is mozzarella, cheddar or roquefort, cheese makes them feel intensely uncomfortable. This is due to a previously suffered traumatic experience, usually in childhood. Without a doubt, it is one of the rarest phobias known.
4. Crematophobia or Crometophobia: fear of money
This is one of the rare phobias that attracts the most attention. Crematophobia or chrometophobia is the irrational fear of money. For these people it is very difficult to go to the supermarket or buy a bus ticket. Some crematophobes are afraid of the corrupting power of money and others may have suffered trauma caused by money. We must 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 (mysophobia or germiphobia).
5. Somniphobia: fear of sleeping
This phobia causes a irrational and excessive fear of sleeping. People who suffer from it feel panic at the thought that while they are sleeping something terrible is going to happen to them, such as that they will stop breathing and die. The cause may also be the fear of having nightmares due to having suffered them repeatedly before. Obviously, this phobia is linked to insomnia.
The image of a clown produces panic, fear and anguish to the person who suffers 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 a phobia of clowns or coulrophobia can trigger significant anxiety attacks.
To read more about coulrophobia you can visit our article:
7. Ombrophobia: fear of rain
Like most of the rarer phobias that we have described, this phobia is very little known. People who suffer from ombrophobia have an uncontrollable fear of getting wet with rainwater. These people can become extremely obsessive about not getting wet, which leads them to idolize objects used to protect themselves from water such as umbrellas, raincoats or awnings.
8. Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia: fear of long words
It refers to irrational fear of pronouncing long, complicated wordsso 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 made a fool of. Due to the complexity of the word used to name this phobia, the words sesquipedaliophobia or largsophobia are currently used.
9. Omphalophobia: fear of navels
This phobia refers to fear of seeing or touching one’s own or others’ navel. 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 fury along with anger, as well as a feeling of total helplessness. Without a doubt, one of the strangest phobias.
It refers to fear of bushes, trees and forests. It usually develops in young children, as it is linked to the fear presented by movies about enchanted forests, where witches or evil monsters can be found.
11. Triscaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13
Triskaidekaphobia is the irrational fear of the 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 a relationship with him. Some experts think that it is part of the phobia of the sacred or of 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 who suffer from uranophobia feel fear of heaven and life after death. It can develop in believers who think they will be judged when they die. This is one of the rarest and most complex phobias to treat, since it is not possible to do habituation therapy.
14. Pogonophobia: fear of beards
This phobia was discovered in 1851, and refers to the irrational fear that many people have towards beardsespecially towards the longest and most populated ones. Although beards do not pose a danger to people’s health, pogonophobes feel fear and nausea when they see someone with facial hair.
15. Trypophobia: fear of holes
Those who suffer from this phobia express real panic, nausea and cold sweats when they see small, close-together holes or things that contain holes. For example, a honeycomb or holes in a brick.
