A fear of Satan or demonic forces can affect religious settings, media, darkness and situations containing demonic imagery or references. It may lead to avoiding certain places or stories, checking surroundings, seeking reassurance or changing routines because something feels connected with evil.

Possible triggers

Encountering demonic imagery, hearing a story involving Satan or watching a supernatural film.

Name origin

From Hebrew satan (adversary) and -phobia.

A fear of shadows can affect everyday situations involving shadow on wall, moving shadow, dark silhouette and shadows. 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

Seeing a moving shadow, noticing a silhouette on a wall or entering a dimly lit space with strong shadows.

Name origin

From Greek skia (shadow) and -phobia.

A fear of sin or wrongdoing can affect everyday decisions, relationships, religious practice and situations involving moral uncertainty. It may lead to repeated checking, reassurance-seeking, confession, avoidance or difficulty moving on from ordinary mistakes because they feel unusually significant.

Possible triggers

Making a moral decision, recalling something you regard as wrong or hearing a discussion of sin.

Name origin

From Greek hamartia (error or sin) and -phobia.

Also known as

Enosiophobia, Peccatiphobia

A fear of sleep can affect everyday situations involving going to bed, falling asleep, sleeping alone and bedtime. 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 approaching bedtime, trying to fall asleep or anticipating another nightmare or episode of sleep paralysis.

Name origin

From Latin somnus (sleep) and -phobia.

Also known as

Hypnophobia

A fear of spirits or ghosts can affect everyday situations involving supernatural presence, haunting, apparition and ghosts. 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

Hearing a ghost story, visiting a place described as haunted or seeing spirit imagery in a film.

Name origin

From Greek pneuma (spirit or breath) and -phobia.

Also known as

Phasmophobia, Pneumatiphobia

Symbolism is the focus of this fear.

Possible triggers

Encountering a symbolic image, discussing what a sign represents or noticing a symbol with personal significance.

Name origin

Combines symbol with -phobia (fear). Symbol comes through Latin from Greek symbolon, meaning a sign or token.

The number eight is the focus, rather than numbers in general.

Possible triggers

Seeing the number eight on a ticket, being assigned room 8 or encountering it in a calculation.

Name origin

Combines octo- (eight), from Latin octo or Greek okto, with -phobia (fear).

This long descriptive name concerns the number 666 and the troubling significance someone may attach to it. Encountering the number does not itself predict harm.

Possible triggers

Seeing 666 on a receipt, being assigned it as a number, or noticing it within an address or reference code.

Name origin

The Greek components hexakosioi, hexekonta and hex mean six hundred, sixty and six. Phobia adds the meaning of fear.

Thinking itself is the focus of this fear.

Possible triggers

Being asked to reflect deeply, noticing a difficult train of thought or anticipating time alone with your thoughts.

Name origin

Combines Greek-derived phronemo- (thought or thinking) with -phobia (fear).

A fear of vampires or blood-drinking creatures can affect everyday situations involving blood drinking creature, night monster, vampire story and vampire imagery. 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 vampire film, seeing a vampire costume or reading a story about blood-drinking creatures.

Name origin

From Latin sanguis (blood) and vorare (to devour) with -phobia.