I don't believe I've never seen a phobia like mine anywhere.

[greyelf]

My illogical fear makes absolutely no sense to me and I haven't a clue where it came from. Back when I was about 7 or 8 years old, I developed a phobia of looking into a telescope or binoculars at any celestial bodies. I can, however, look through a telescope or binoculars at something down the street without fear. But then pointing it skyward raises heart rate and I break out in a sweat. I am not quite as bad with a microscope, but I still have anxiety bringing myself to look. (I had to force myself to since I wanted an "A" in my honors biology class.) This phobia sucks too, since I love anything to do with astronomy.

I noticed today one little flaw though. I like to take a lot of outside pictures. I realized I have NO problem looking up to take a picture of the sun. Yet, I'd never be able to look at the sun through a telescope or binoculars. To confound things even more, while I find the sun safe to take pictures of, I have a very difficult time with taking any kind of zoomed in picture of the moon. It's even difficult for me to look into the old "View Masters" toys.

Before anyone asks, I have no problem with eye tests at an ophthalmologist when they put that contraption over your eyes and then ask is this one better than the last one?

My mother even tried once when I was 9, I think, to bribe me with a brand new bike just to take 1 look and I couldn't do it. Not even for a brand new bike ("NEW" was pretty much unheard of in our family.) So, because the bribe didn't work, she grabbed my hand and started dragging me outside to my dad's telescope. Well, you can imagine what followed - full blown panic attack.

So. What's the diagnosis and treatment plan docs?

 

[Nack]

Seems like one of those pickle, cotton, mustard phobias... me thinks. No offense, but it is just unexplainable why people fear those things...

 

[hippiechild]

I wonder if someone like this might feel isolated, insignificant and hopeless while viewing things so far outside of our normal perception. Looking through a telescope or microscope makes me feel secluded and incidental, like a single chemical molecule in an impossibly complex reaction spanning all of time. Seeing how infinitely vast our universe is can be frightening. Overwhelmingly alone and unimportant maybe...

I'm sure there's a decent official name for it, but I couldn't find one... maybe ouranophobia, just based off of the Greek word for heavens? Though, your phobia doesn't seem specific to space, but the dissociation associated with viewing space..

of course, this is more of an inquiry than an assessment... I won't pretend that I know what the hell your experience is made up of. I have no idea

 

[cosmosis]

When I was about 10, thoughts of the universe, its depth and infinite type of nature put me into a state of utter shock and panic. My brain would dissociate because thoughts of the universe being infinite were too shocking. Maybe it's related in someway. Maybe a similar type thoughts scared you when you were younger and your brain still remembers and fears it.

 

[Hellhound]

I don't know diagnosis or anything... but, as i always say, you should talk with a psychologist or a psychiatrist about it, they might have more knowledge about such phobias and how to treat them.

 

[Awkward Annie]

greyelf, I have (or had) the very same phobia! I think it is a fear of falling into the black unknown that is the universe! I used to hate lying on my back and looking at the sky with the other kids because I felt like I might fall into it. I'm ok looking at photos of stars and planets etc but if I look through binoculars and or a telescope I feel sick. It feels like I'm actually up there near the stars and I get pretty anxious!

 

[greyelf]

Thank you all for your responses. While I'm sorry that anyone else has a fear that is anything like mine, it is somewhat reassuring that my fear isn't that isolated.

 

[mia9511]

Omg.
Finally, someone else with a fear/phobia similar to mine.
I'm too tired right now to type anything else out xD but maybe later.

 

[Oscelot]

I have these dreams where I see massive planets in our sky, as if they were closer than the moon. Like I'll see Saturn so huge that it takes up most of the sky.

For some reason these have always terrified me.

 

[Kustamogen]

When I was about 10, thoughts of the universe, its depth and infinite type of nature put me into a state of utter shock and panic. My brain would dissociate because thoughts of the universe being infinite were too shocking. Maybe it's related in someway. Maybe a similar type thoughts scared you when you were younger and your brain still remembers and fears it.

Im like that even now....if I think about the universe and death....like "wheres the universe end? it makes no sense!"....and death "once Im dead Im just gone...gone for good....forever and ever and ever"

anytime I think about either I get a horrible feeling in my gut