A fear of angels can affect everyday situations involving divine beings, religious imagery, angel figure and wings. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Seeing an angel statue, encountering angel imagery or hearing a story about angels.

Name origin

From Greek angelos (messenger) and -phobia.

Being tied up or physically restrained is the focus of this term. It is different from a general dislike of small spaces, and genuine threats to safety or consent should not be dismissed.

Possible triggers

Seeing a restraint being fastened, watching a scene in which someone is tied up, or anticipating being unable to move freely.

Name origin

The Greek component merinth refers to a cord, line or string. Phobia comes from Greek phobos, fear.

A fear of being buried alive can affect everyday situations involving buried alive, being unable to get out of a coffin, coffin and burial. It may lead to repeated rumination, reassurance-seeking, avoiding reminders or conversations, or finding it difficult to stay present because attention is pulled towards the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Seeing a coffin, discussing burial or encountering a story about someone being buried alive.

Name origin

From Greek taphos (grave) and -phobia.

Also known as

Taphephobia

A fear of cemeteries can affect everyday situations involving burial ground, cemetery, graveyard and tombstone. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Walking past a cemetery gate, attending a burial or visiting a grave.

Name origin

From Greek koimeterion (sleeping place) and -phobia.

This descriptive name concerns change itself. A familiar routine being altered may be the focus, rather than a particular new object or place.

Possible triggers

A timetable being rearranged, a change in responsibilities, or being told that an established routine will end.

Name origin

Metathesis is a Greek word associated with change or transposition. Phobia comes from Greek phobos, meaning fear.

A fear of churches can affect everyday situations involving religious service, church, cathedral and mass. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Entering a church, attending a service or being invited to an event held in a church.

Name origin

From Greek ekklēsia (assembly or church) and -phobia.

A fear of darkness can affect everyday situations involving dark room, lights off, pitch black and shadow. It may lead to delaying bedtime, staying alert when tired, changing sleep routines, needing reassurance, or avoiding situations associated with sleep or night-time.

Possible triggers

Examples include switching off the bedroom light, entering a dark cinema, noticing dusk approaching or preparing to sleep in a dark room.

Name origin

From Greek nyx (night) and -phobia.

Also known as

Achluphobia, Noctiphobia, Myctophobia, Scotophobia, Lygophobia

A fear of dead bodies or death imagery can affect everyday situations involving funeral home, seeing a dead person, dead body and corpse. It may lead to repeated rumination, reassurance-seeking, avoiding reminders or conversations, or finding it difficult to stay present because attention is pulled towards the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Seeing a body at a viewing, encountering death imagery or watching a scene involving a corpse.

Name origin

From Greek nekros (dead) and -phobia.

A fear of death can affect sleep, health decisions, relationships, future planning and situations that bring mortality to mind. It may lead to repeated rumination, reassurance-seeking, avoiding conversations or reminders, or finding it difficult to stay present because attention is pulled towards death.

Possible triggers

Attending a funeral, discussing mortality or hearing news of someone's death.

Name origin

From Greek Thanatos (personification of death) and -phobia.

A fear of demons or evil entities can affect everyday situations involving evil spirit, dark entity, possession and haunted. It may lead to avoiding certain places, images, stories or times of day, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance, or staying away from reminders of the feared idea.

Possible triggers

Watching a film involving demons, encountering demonic imagery or hearing a supernatural story.

Name origin

From Greek daimon (spirit) and -phobia.

Also known as

Daemonophobia