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This Online Group Posts Pics Of Massive Things That Are A Big ‘Nope’ For People With Megalophobia
People can be afraid of many things, from darkness to spiders, to you name it. Some of these fears are totally irrational, others come from our childhoods and creep in well into our adult lives. One of such bizarre fears is megalophobia.
Think of large objects like huge cruise ships, animals, skyscrapers, underwater structures, and even statues. Now imagine how’d they look if they were bigger. If the thought of it makes your hair stand on your arm, you may also have some traits of megalophobia.
And this subreddit named r/Megalophobia puts a test on your fear of large objects because it offers one hell of a collection. “A place to post images of all things large, particularly ones that are "triggers" for those with megalophobia,” says their description and 340k devoted members are nodding their heads. Scroll down and upvote the most triggering images below!
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#1
The Kelpies, Scotland, During Thunderstorm
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#2
This Underwater “Waterfall” Is Giving Me Anxiety
MustardLemon 3 years ago
that moment when you don't have megalophobia but you do have thalassophobia (fear of deep dark water). Lmao kinda awkward.
#3
Astronaut Bruce Mccandless II Floats Untethered Away From The Safety Of The Space Shuttle, With Nothing But His Manned Maneuvering Unit Keeping Him Alive. The First Person In History To Do So
To find out more about megalophobia, which is a fear of large objects, Bored Panda reached out to Francis Merson, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Paris Psychology Centre who happily shared his expertise on the phobia.
"Megalophobia is a fear of anything really, really big – from skyscrapers to jumbo jets,” Francis explained and added that “phobias generally have their roots in our evolutionary history, reflecting phenomena that posed a real danger to our ancestors.”
“The classic examples are phobias of heights, snakes, spiders, etc. And Megalophobia is no exception to this trend,” Francis explained.
#4
Redwood Trees
Serial pacifist 3 years ago
I love everything about it, the tree, the car, the lady chillin'..
#5
This Is Just One Picture
SentimentAndBadJokes 3 years ago
It took me a minute to realize it was not actually two photos, then another minute to process it.
#6
Mt Fuji As Seen From A Nearby Town
Francis argues that in a state of nature, “things that are larger are often more dangerous: insects are afraid of lizards, who are afraid of birds, who are afraid of humans, who are afraid of tigers. Large inanimate objects are also heavy and can crush you. In megalophobia, this primal fear of bigness is projected on the large objects of everyday life.”
The clinical psychologist said that if you find yourself “trembling and wanting to run away in the presence of an elephant at the zoo, or at the foot of a mountain, this could potentially be a sign you have megalophobia.”
#7
It Was Foggy In My Town The Other Day And I Captured This Terrifying Scene
#8
Iceberg Passing A House In Greenland
#9
A Full-Sized School Bus Next To Haul Trucks
Steve Barnett 3 years ago
Went to a mine in Moranbah, Australia. These things are IMMENSE, so are the mining cranes.
When asked how do we know if a person who feels uneasy next to large objects really has megalophobia, Francis said that it manifests as an “intense anxiety that is out of proportion to the actual danger over a period of at least six months.” This is because “megalophobia falls under the category of a Specific Phobia – an intense fear of a specific type of stimulus.” Only if it corresponds to the kind of disproportionate extreme anxiety which lasts for long periods, it can be qualified “as a full-blown mental disorder.”
#10
That Small Dot Is Mercury In Front Of Sun. Definitely Unsettling
Steve Barnett 3 years ago
It's not unsettling, we need that very large, hot, bright thing. Alas, In the UK we only get to see it a couple of times a year, if lucky.
#11
Anyone Going On Vacation To Japan Soon? Want To Visit The Godzilla Museum?
#12
A Bridge In Vietnam
Moreover, Francis added that in the case of megalophobia, “you would also have to either be avoiding large objects altogether or tolerating them with extreme distress. And this pattern would need to be causing interference in your everyday life.” Therefore, “feeling a bit queasy when gazing up at the Empire State Building is pretty normal. It’s when large objects freak you out so much that you can’t work, go on vacation, or otherwise function normally that we might begin talking about a Specific Phobia,” the clinical psychologist explained.
#13
Whale Spine
#15
It Is The Tallest Statue Of Nyoirin Kannon In The World, And The Tallest Statue Of A Goddess In Japan
When asked whether there are treatments for megalophobia, Francis said that “specific phobias generally respond well to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and particularly to a component called Graduated Exposure.” He added that “in the case of Megalophobia, this would involve gradually confronting larger and larger objects, and learning that you can cope at each step along the way.”
We also wondered whether exposure therapy is successful in treating megalophobia. Francis explained that it’s definitely considered as a first-line of treatment for phobias. “This means it’s the treatment with the strongest evidence to suggest it works, with some exposure studies reporting an 80-90% response rate (which is really high).”
#16
Visually, Japanese Spider Crabs Really Are The Stuff Of Nightmares
Steve Barnett 3 years ago (edited)
'Fortunately facehuggers evolved longer legs, thereby making it harder to be impregnated with a xenomorph.'
#17
This One Is Very Unsettling
#18
Sequoia In A Coniferous Forest
Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
Some giant sequoias in California forests/parks have just had their trunks wrapped with fire resistant blankets to try to save them from the wildfires here.
“However, because exposure involves getting people to do precisely the things that scare the crap out of them, there can be a fairly high drop-out rate,” he said. Therefore having a therapist you can trust to guide you through the process is key and can really help, according to Francis. “And if you stick with exposure, it’s the most powerful way there is to conquer your fears,” he added.
“So you might start with looking at pictures of tall buildings, then standing outside a large shopping mall, and gradually moving up the scale to mountains or skyscrapers. It’s like learning to swim by starting at the shallow end and very gradually going deeper.”
Francis concluded that if it feels like megalophobia is a problem for you, there’s no need to let it mess with your life. “Effective treatments are out there,” he assured.
#19
This Is How Big Anchor Chains Are. It Makes Sense But Dang
#20
Mola Mola: The World's Largest Bony Fish
#21
This Saltwater Crocodile
Anna McHugh 3 years ago
To me, this is human hubris in a snapshot: instead of respecting the croc and leaving it alone, we treat it as a sideshow and get our kicks out of how close we are to danger, but apparently protected. What's really hurting us is our own massive arrogance.
#22
Lochaber, Scotland 2021 By Mhg Photography
#23
Italian Sculptor Lorenzo Quinn’s Massive New Sculpture
#24
Trees Occasionally Beach Themselves In The Search For Food
Linda McGuigan 3 years ago
I snort laughed at this one oh step into my parlour said the driftwood to the tiny man. LOL 🤣. )0(
#25
The Size Of This Tornado Compared To The Wind Turbines
#26
The Dragon's Eye Stone Mine In The UK
#27
Saturn Rising Behind The Moon
#28
King Albert's Tower. Person At The Base For Scale
#29
A Waterspout In Florida
#30
Always Forget How Massive These Supercarriers That America Builds Actually Are
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
On my device, the paddler looks a little like Bea Arthur from The Golden Girls.
#31
Abandoned Movie Prop In A Mausoleum. Poland
#32
Tokyo Flood Tunnels
#33
Had To Search Up If It Was Real
Laura Mende (Human) 3 years ago
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!! Australia, put that thing back where it came from or so help me!! (Oh, it's from Australia... than... have a nice day down there.)
#34
Well Yes, But Actually No *shiver*
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
What I would pay to be able to read the minds of other drivers as you drove that down the highway.
#35
The View From This Apartment In Dubai
#36
Terrifying
Curry on... 3 years ago
At first I was thinking, "squids don't fly." Then I realized it's late, I'm a little loopy, and I really need to get off BP and go to bed.
Arlen Bello Ramos 2 years ago
yo imagine seeing that fly on a picnic . yep the worlds ending. and ye it does look like a dementor lol
Katherine Heasley 2 years ago
Yeah, I was once down at the Oregon Coast during a kite festival, and it was a foggy day, and there were literally dozens of these bastards emerging from the fog over the beach. Looked like an invasion of Lovecraftian dimensions.
Boaz Krebs 3 years ago
i've seen that image multiple times before... exept it never had a good zoomed in picture with it, and neither an explanation of what it was.... the images i saw this in were just these "creepy creatures spotted"-like things...
#37
So I Herd U Like Salt Mines...
#38
Mt. St Helens Eruption, 1980
#39
Creeping Up
#40
A Mountain Of Timber. All Stacked & Unstacked By Hand
#41
Massive Building
#42
The Sheer Scale Of An Open Pit Diamond Mine Compared To The Surrounding Town
Andy Acceber 3 years ago
Diamonds as ornamentation need to be a thing of the past. I know diamonds are still needed for machinery, but the process is so destructive, they should at least be phased out of the jewelry industry.
#43
Girl Poses Next To A F1 Tornado A Mile Away
#44
Big Sand Dune
#45
2000+ Metre Tsunami Looking Mountain In Kazbeghi
#46
This Huge Road
Ian Reynolds 3 years ago
Imagine the stress of moving from the outside lane to the inside lane.
#47
This Abandoned Power Plant
#48
This Picture Of The Empire State Building From Nj Gives Me A Weird Feeling
#49
It Really Gives It A Sense Of Its Scale. Look At Those Itty Bitty People. (Statue Of Unity, If You Haven't Seen It. Nearly 600' Tall)
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Anna McHugh 3 years ago
Most of these are perfect examples of why we've completely effed up the planet.
PossumMom 3 years ago
I knew I got a weird feeling in my stomach when I would see things like this but I never realized there was a name for it. I'm more fascinated than phobic by most of those images but it doesn't erase the almost sick feeling,
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Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
I never had any problems with gigantic objects or structures. Houston, we have a problem.
Josy Bannon 3 years ago (edited)
I loved those. Sometimes could have been more info about where they were taken thou?
Clara 2 years ago
I have this phobia. But I'm okay with looking at half of these pictures. I know if I was there in Japan with that giant statue, I would past out!! I cannot look at spider crabs. Anything I perceive to be bigger than it should be, I can't handle. I KNOW ships are big. And I know skyscrapers are big. But it's the other stuff that freaks me out!
wifeofweasley 3 years ago
I don't get phobia feelings but it made me realise how small and unimportent we are looking at the huge thing nature (and universe) created without us involved - beautiful yet so terrifying
HooowlAtTheMoon 3 years ago
I already knew I had a little bit of megalophobia but i didn't know it was that bad :)
Katie Leonard 3 years ago
I have this and it's really bad, at first I just thought I was scared of giant teddies.
Lovin' Life 3 years ago
I think my stomach is in my feet now and my anxiety is running rampant. So I too must have Megalophobia. Yikes!!!!
Kiwii Stone 3 years ago
I always just thought it was because I'm short but I had goose pimples all through looking at this!
FrankStellar 3 years ago (edited)
It's Art, even the Buddha. Not your thing I guess.
Load More Replies... Anna McHugh 3 years ago
Most of these are perfect examples of why we've completely effed up the planet.
PossumMom 3 years ago
I knew I got a weird feeling in my stomach when I would see things like this but I never realized there was a name for it. I'm more fascinated than phobic by most of those images but it doesn't erase the almost sick feeling,
Load More Replies... Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
I never had any problems with gigantic objects or structures. Houston, we have a problem.
Josy Bannon 3 years ago (edited)
I loved those. Sometimes could have been more info about where they were taken thou?
Clara 2 years ago
I have this phobia. But I'm okay with looking at half of these pictures. I know if I was there in Japan with that giant statue, I would past out!! I cannot look at spider crabs. Anything I perceive to be bigger than it should be, I can't handle. I KNOW ships are big. And I know skyscrapers are big. But it's the other stuff that freaks me out!
wifeofweasley 3 years ago
I don't get phobia feelings but it made me realise how small and unimportent we are looking at the huge thing nature (and universe) created without us involved - beautiful yet so terrifying
HooowlAtTheMoon 3 years ago
I already knew I had a little bit of megalophobia but i didn't know it was that bad :)
Katie Leonard 3 years ago
I have this and it's really bad, at first I just thought I was scared of giant teddies.
Lovin' Life 3 years ago
I think my stomach is in my feet now and my anxiety is running rampant. So I too must have Megalophobia. Yikes!!!!
Kiwii Stone 3 years ago
I always just thought it was because I'm short but I had goose pimples all through looking at this!
FrankStellar 3 years ago (edited)
It's Art, even the Buddha. Not your thing I guess.
Load More Replies...
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