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Phasmophobia (sometimes erroneously referred to as spectrophobia[citation needed]) is a type of specific phobia, being an abnormal and persistent fear of ghosts, spectres or phantasms.[1][2] It derives from the greek words "phasma" meaning "apparition" and "phobos" meaning "fear".[3] It is often bought about by experiences in early childhood and causes sufferers to experience panic attacks.
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Causes
Phasmophobia is similar to other specific phobia in that it is the result of the unconscious mind acting a defence mechanism to try and avoid a certain situation or object and is thus classified as a type of mental health disorder.[4] It is often brought about by a person believing they have had an encounter with a ghost, most often at an early age, but can also be caused by television and films. When brought about by the latter it is often temporary.[5] Although the actual existence of ghosts is debated, the fear of ghosts only requires a person to believe they have had an encounter.[6] For example, in an attempt to recall certain events pertaining to a possible encounter with a specter, a hypnotist might use hypnosis to retrieve the lost memories of the event. Research studies have found that these "hypnotically refreshed" memories typically combine fact with fiction, but would convince a patient of the realness of their encounter.[7] There is also the psychological factor of entering a premises in which one already possess prior information that it is suspected as being haunted or is similar to other supposedly haunted places, the psychological impact of this alone can cause the anxiety brought about by phasmophobia.[6]
Symptoms
Phasmophobia is categorized by a series of symptoms that the sufferer experiences when they think they have seen a ghost, or apparition. The sufferer usually experiences intense feelings of terror or dread and are often prone to panic or have panic attacks, these symptoms in turn result in an increased or rapid heart-beat.[8] Another common symptom, typical of a majority of specific phobia, is attempts by affected individuals to completely avoid a situation in which one may think they are prone to encountering what they perceive as a ghost.[9]
Nature
Due to the nature of the condition, sufferers are not necessarily afraid of ghosts or other apparitions but rather what they perceive to be a ghost, or to enter into a situation in which they feel they are likely to encounter a ghost. For example, a sufferer of cynophobia (an abnormal fear of dogs) is afraid specifically of canines, rather than a situation in which they could encounter a canine. The fear itself is also prone to inflame itself, in that due to the onset of panic caused by the phobia, a sufferer is severely impaired in terms of judgment, therefore when a sufferer sees or experiences what they think could be a ghost, their ability of rational thinking is eliminated and so the urge to find the true nature of the experience is lost and instead a fully fledged panic attack is often triggered.[10]
See also
References
- ^ "Phasmophobia. (n.d.). Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition". Lexico Publishing Group. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Phasmophobia. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
- ^ Urdang, Laurence (1986). -ologies & -isms. Gale Research Co.. ISBN 0810311968.
- ^ Clarkson, Michael (2004). Quick Fixes for Everyday Fears. Marlowe & Co.. p. 148. ISBN 1569244626.
- ^ Neighbors, Marianne (2005). Human Diseases. Delmar Learning. p. 419. ISBN 1401870880.
- ^ Temes, Roberta (2006). The Tapping Cure. Marlowe. p. 61. ISBN 1569243247.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Richard (0). "Research of Professor Richard Wiseman". Society for Psychical Research. http://www.richardwiseman.com/research/ghosts.html. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^ Myers, David (2005), Exploring Psychology (6 ed.), Worth, p. 205, ISBN 0716786222
- ^ Barlow, David (2004). Anxiety and Its Disorders. Guilford Press. p. 394. ISBN 159385028X.
- ^ "Specific phobias". Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders. http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Specific-phobias.html. Retrieved 2008-10-22.
- ^ Wolman, Benjamin (1973). Dictionary of Behavioral Science. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.. ISBN 0442295669.
External links
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