While I don’t personally have megalophobia myself, I can certainly understand why others might. It’s not exactly pleasant to imagine myself as a tiny ant next to a massive ship, building, mountain or whale. And clearly, lots of people around the world either have this phobia or are captivated by images of it, as the Megalophobia subreddit has amassed over 949K members.

This community is a great place to be exposed to images and videos of massive things if you’re trying to conquer your own fear. Or, if you just want to learn more about some of the huge objects out there in the world, you’ll certainly find plenty of interesting pics! In fact, we’re big fans of this group at Bored Panda and have covered it several times in the past. It seems like they’ll never run out of colossal content!

If you’ve never heard of megalophobia before today, that’s completely understandable. After all, it’s not a word that most people are throwing around in daily conversation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this phobia is “a type of anxiety disorder in which a person experiences intense fear of large objects.”

Things that typically trigger megalophobia might be tall buildings, large statues and monuments, huge or vast formations in nature (for example, mountains, lakes, oceans or volcanoes), massive ships, large vehicles such as buses or trains, vast spaces like stadiums and massive animals. And while it’s impossible to know exactly how many people struggle with megalophobia, the Cleveland Clinic notes that between 7 to 10% of the population has a specific phobia.

Now, you may be wondering if you have megalophobia yourself but just never knew there was a name for it. If you feel intense fear and have anxiety around large objects, it’s possible that you’re a megalophobe. You might also have a rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath when you see something massive. Other symptoms include feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling nauseous or having a strong desire to get away from the huge object as soon as you can. 

When it comes to what causes megalophobia to develop, Medical News Today notes that it’s not always easy to pinpoint the root cause. It could have been past trauma involving a huge object or a vast space, or it could just be learned behavior from seeing how others react to massive objects. For example, if your parents were always terrified of huge things, they might have unintentionally passed that fear onto you. Genetic factors and cultural influences can also be at play. 

Like any phobia, megalophobia certainly isn’t pleasant to have. But with some hard work and therapy, it may be possible to overcome. Verywell Mind recommends cognitive behavioral therapy as one approach to conquering this phobia. This is where a patient is encouraged to replace their fearful thoughts with healthier ones. The goal is to change their perspective and view the huge objects through a less scary lens. 

Exposure therapy can also be helpful for some megalophobes. This is when patients expose themselves to the objects that are causing them fear repeatedly until they become desensitized to them. For example, scrolling through this list full of massive objects might be the perfect way to expose yourself to some megalophobia-triggering content! You’re in a safe environment, where you know these items can’t actually harm you, and you have the chance to see them for what they are.    

Thriveworks also recommends grounding techniques to help combat megalophobia. This can involve naming physical objects in your surroundings, identifying calming sensory experiences and listing items. For example, you might help ground yourself by listing all of your favorite films or albums alphabetically. Distracting your brain can help anxiety dissipate. And of course, getting in touch with your body by taking deep breaths or doing breathing exercises can make a huge difference too.  

Are you enjoying these photos, pandas? Or have we unlocked a new fear within you? Keep upvoting the pics that give you the heebie-jeebies, and feel free to share which large objects you fear in the comments below. Or if you have a different phobia, let us know what really freaks you out! Then, if you’d like to check out even more photos that megalophobes hate, we recommend reading this Bored Panda piece next!