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[Phenom]

I've been watching Fear Factor lately. Well not really watching it. More like listening to it. Anyways... I thought I'd make a topic asking what everyone fears. (I can see someone saying they fear nothing.... guess there's nothing wrong with that either.)

1.) Mother Nature - Mainly tornado's because I tend to wonder where would I live if my house would ever be hit by a tornado. Can't stand the thought of being homeless.

2.) Diseases - Mice and rats... (haven't encountered a rat... don't plan to either) I hear they have rabies and such. When my cat catches one... and it touches my clothes, I don't touch them or I would throw them away. >_> (paranoia to the fullest)

3.) End of humanity - I normally don't think about it until I hear about all the hurricanes... That tends to make me think about that one movie that I haven't seen yet. (Day After Tomorrow) But yea, some nights I tend to go into a random thought about what would the world be like if humanity was taken out. (Armageddon I suppose)

4.) Death / Injuries of animals - This is my number 1 fear. (I hate seeing it) Because when I see it I get pissed off at it. In most of the so called "scary movies" when they have animal killing in it. I throw the remote at the tv and walk out. When people tell me they seen a dog / cat or whatever get hit by a car.... I'm ready to punch whoever in the face.

Think I'll stop right there. (Talkin about it anymore will do nothing but piss me off)

So yea, what do you fear?

[merylsilverburg]

Oh, I have many fears, hehe. But I dare not reveal them because I'm too paranoid people will use it against me. But, the one thing I fear which is very obvious for those who know me or have read my rants is:

Dun, dun, dunnnn: Spiders. Creepy-crawly, quick, little bastards...even the smallest one, I freeze and panic. All my attempts to kill spiders fail...I sometimes have to call my mother (I'm very ashamed) because I'm so damned scared. I don't know what triggered this fear; it's not like I've been bitten by one or anything...I guess they just look horrible and they can get in and out of places easily. *shivers*

[Infernal Mass]

mena's scary messages she leaves me.

[Pu the Owl]

I think I am a very coward type of person. Many things have the power to make me afraid or paranoid. Then later I realize most of the time they were silly or futile. But when I am scared I really go blank or sometimes I am totally unable to react (well, if you don't count such things as hyperventilation and blinking uncontrollably as reactions).

Apart from random daily fears, I have some constant ones.

Possibility of catastrophes happening to those I love, being them persons or animals. Accidents, illnesses, deceit... whatever may harm them in any way. Directly linked to this is the fear of loneliness.

Poverty. I am one of those vain people who seriously thinks as poverty as the end of most of the personal freedom. This is something I am very ashamed of, since I know having such idea of poverty is too materialistic and ignoble.

Stupidity. There's not much to do when facing it. When having to deal with stupids I feel helpless That's why I also despise the thought of being treated or considered as a stupid. That's the most humiliating thing one can do to me.

Impossibility of a mutual understanding. When I have no way to connect to others, to make my words and feelings clear to the person I'm talking to, I feel very scared. Especially because the impossibility to be in contact with another being often leaves behind rage, hostility, or cold indifference.

The idea of the passing of time. I think it's because you cannot do much against running out of time.

Gratuitous violence, against persons, animals or things. As many others of my fears, rationality can't be of any help in these cases.

Not being in control of the situation. Unexpected events are not funny or pleasant. Also, I want others to have a precise perception of what I am. If I am not sure of being in control or I feel people and things being out of touch, I can easily lose my temper or get confused or even petrified (yes, sort of like what happens in RPG's...).

Last but not least, I have a small list of phobias: spiders, wind, food that may be inedible, unappealing to the eye following my standards or deteriorated, school, bougies, the neighbor's dog chewing my Winnie the Pooh keychain etc. But the most idiotic phobia is the thought of dying or being abducted in an unconscious state to hospital when I am not perfectly showered and without hair in a decent condition

[Infernal Mass]

Originally Posted by Panuru

Last but not least, I have a small list of phobias: spiders

I remember i posted a picture of a hairy spider and Panuru almost banned off the internet.

[Pu the Owl]

Originally Posted by Infernal Mass

I remember i posted a picture of a hairy spider and Panuru almost banned off the internet.

I know, it seemed rude at that time to ask to remove the image so "vehemently", but that thing was bothering me and other people entering the thread. Really... If you are not an arachnophobic, you won't understand even if I try to explain for the next 5 weeks. Don't try to spread your spiders' love all over the place, because I guess it'll be a failure...

[Faile]

Hmm, fears. I have a number!

Number One Fear (post heavy eye injury over the summer): Losing any one of my senses. Lying in hospital with one eye broken made me realise how precious being able to see was, and how life was a beautiful thing to watch. Luckily, my eye healed enough so I can see pretty well from it again. As well at distance, a bit rubbish up close. Also my pupils are two different sizes. The jury is out on whether that is actually a cool thing or not.

The dark! I fear the dark, but in a strange way. If I'm outside then it is fine, if I'm within a room, I feel choked and surrounded by it. I tend to sleep with a light on if I'm in new surroundings.

Jellyfish. Arrgh.

Growing old and regretting my youth, having achieved nothing. Rather a personal one that. Also added here; Being lonely forever more. These are probably better left unexplained past that, lest I get rather introspective.

Needles! I fear all sorts of injections and scary sharp pointy things. Eek!

Being unable to change myself and my ways. I'm scared I'm too lazy to do anything.

Death sometimes has me more scared than anything, but I've stopped wondering how I'll die, where, when etc. It's just too dark a subject to consider I guess.

I also fear shame and giving too much of myself away to strangers or people who may throw it back at me. Oui.

xx

[merylsilverburg]

Originally Posted by Panuru

Really... If you are not an arachnophobic, you won't understand even if I try to explain for the next 5 weeks. Don't try to spread your spiders' love all over the place, because I guess it'll be a failure...

How true, how true. Luckily, I didn't see that hairy spider that you presented, Infernal, but if I did, I seriously would've had nightmares. Hairy spiders are just the worst...and I don't want to think about it right now because, just yesterday, my sister was watching this stupid show on the Animal Planet channel called "Flying Spiders of Australia" and there were just these people on there who collect spiders to keep as pets, a hobby, and they devote entire basements just to collect or breed these giant dinner-plate sized spiders! They're nuts! Ohhhh...the show made me so dizzy...

EDIT: By the way, Happy Halloween peoples.

[Hylas]

Originally Posted by Infernal Mass

I remember i posted a picture of a hairy spider and Panuru almost banned off the internet.

I remember the pic of the "fuzzy thing". It was ugly. Indeed.

But it was just a pic not the real thing, so having nightmares because of it! C'mon!

[merylsilverburg]

Originally Posted by Hylas

But it was just a pic not the real thing, so having nightmares because of it! C'mon!

First off, I said that I luckily did not see the pic, so I did not know if it was a photo or just a drawing/cartoon.

And second, please do not be inconsiderate towards people who are arachnophobic or have an extreme phobia/fear. Even if the picture was indeed a drawing or anything, I might still be scared of it because I even get scared of a CG spider in an of ad of magazines. And yes, it is very likely to have nightmares even through seeing a mere photo or drawing of what you fear; people who are coulrophobic (afraid of clowns) cannot even stand seeing a cheerful sketch of a clown because they'll burst into tears or start having a fit. So, if you don't understand how this feels, I would not be so quick to criticize.

[Pu the Owl]

Originally Posted by Hylas

But it was just a pic not the real thing, so having nightmares because of it! C'mon!

I found difficult opening my Biology book in high school because there were so many images of spiders in it. It's impossible that I can play a videogame with giant spiders as enemies. Harry Potter's second movie was a kids flick, but I kept my eyes closed in every single scene with a spider in it (giant ones there were...). Same goes for the last LOTR movie. I also found really bothering the fact in Lilo & Stitch there was this pink (was it pink?) tv broadcasting live action footage from the old horror Earth vs the Spider. I can even feel a natural hostility towards people who pick nicknames as "spider-something" etc. Because the name itself contains the idea of the animal. No other animal has the same effect on me. I can be disgusted by worms, I can say I don't like flies, bugs are something I wouldn't want to see around, but I'm not upset in front of any of them. I can touch them when needed, I can get rid of them when others don't want to. On the contrary, that I can get rid of a spider is out of the question.
To me the idea of a spider is terrifying in any case, so even if a spider isn't real, being it a photo, a cartoon, a pixelated creature or a completely unrealistic toy, I get the same impression and I experience the same fear. Phobias are not so easy to explain. Their roots are strong and go a lot deeper inside a person's self than you could imagine. Many phobias are said to be archetypal, meaning they are beyond a single person's reasons, likes or dislikes.

[Hylas]

I was not criticizing. I was only saying some people's reactions are excessive IMO. Ok, you can fear various things, but after the initial fear, if you stop and think and ask yourself questions like "why am I so afraid of this" or if you try to really understand why you can't bear the thought of something, you'll maybe realize some fears are not as bad as they seem. I know nothing of phobias, I just find some of them for many people are not completely sincere. You start fearing something then you make your fear bigger just because you make it appear worse than it actually is and you sort of force yourself.

[merylsilverburg]

Originally Posted by Panuru

It's impossible that I can play a videogame with giant spiders as enemies.

Good grief, then you should not play "Devil May Cry"...there were these horrendous and frightfully realistic-looking giant tarantulas (2 of them) as enemies in one section of the game. Oh man, I didn't know if I was able to get through it...

[Pu the Owl]

Ohhh yes... there were horrible looking spiders in RE 2 too, if I'm not wrong. Nasty creatures. Spiders are always nasty in videogames...

[Redpyramidhead]

The Dark- I am afraid of being alone in the dark...which is odd because I also very much love the dark. I find it peaceful. But I am very much afraid of dealing with (and this is where I seguey into the next couple ones...

Ghosts- Anything involving the fear of seeing or experiencing the presence of a ghost... which is also odd because I have gone with people to haunted places such as graveyards, houses, wooded areas, etc, all known to be occupied by lots of supernatural activity... call me one to face my fears I guess... or to even find adventure or exhileration in facing them...

Alien abduction- OK... do I really need to explain why the thought of being abducted by aliens is so scary? well... I should explain where it started... I was 9 years old and I was very much already interested in the paranormal. Anybody who has ever read Whitley Strieber's Communion at such a young age probably went through the same sleepless nights I went through. To top that off... on the books cover was a drawing of what his abductors looked like... today they are referred to as the infamous (or famous depending on what kind of strange person you are) "greys" with the large slanted eyes and the proportionately large heads. It's strange how it is such a pop culture icon now... the likeness of the grey alien's head. Guitar picks, lunchboxes, hip hop album covers, you name it... luckily I don't freak out everytime I see this image. It doesnt seem to bring back any repressed memories of being abducted by creatures with similar features, thankfully. Unlike ghosts, I don't have much desire in actually seeing or communicating with an alien (well atleast not alone!!! haha!), as this idea scares me way too much.

Spiders- Yes, I too do not like the creepy 8-legged things. Tarantulas scare me the least, possibly because they are so big and you can keep better track of them. The smaller ones bother me more. Atleast, I am able to kill them myself if need be.

_RED_ stuff