A fear of heaven or eternity can affect everyday situations involving life after death, eternal existence, afterlife and heaven. 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

Discussing an eternal afterlife, hearing descriptions of heaven or reflecting on existence without an end.

Name origin

From Greek ouranos (sky or heaven) and -phobia.

Also known as

Uranophobia

A fear of hell or eternal punishment can affect everyday situations involving eternal punishment, afterlife punishment, damnation and underworld. 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

Hearing descriptions of hell, encountering religious punishment imagery or discussing eternal punishment.

Name origin

From Greek Styx (mythological river of the underworld) and -phobia.

Also known as

Hadephobia

A fear of horses can affect everyday situations involving being kicked by a horse, horse riding, galloping and horse. It may lead to scanning surroundings, avoiding places where the animal might appear, asking other people to check or deal with it, or leaving suddenly when one is seen.

Possible triggers

Passing a horse on a path, visiting stables or being invited to approach a horse.

Name origin

From Latin equus (horse) and -phobia.

Also known as

Hippophobia

A fear of hospitals can affect everyday situations involving operating theatre, being admitted, hospital and A&E. It may lead to postponing appointments or treatment, worrying for days beforehand, seeking repeated reassurance, or avoiding healthcare that would otherwise be straightforward.

Possible triggers

Approaching a hospital entrance, visiting someone on a ward or anticipating a hospital appointment.

Name origin

From Greek nosokomeion (hospital) and -phobia.

Houses and the experience of being inside a building are the focus of this fear.

Possible triggers

Entering a house, crossing into an unfamiliar building or anticipating spending time indoors.

Name origin

From Greek doma (house), with the stem domat-, and phobos (fear).

Also known as

Oikophobia

A fear of human-animal transformation can affect everyday situations involving turning into an animal, human animal hybrid, werewolf and transformation fear. 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 transformation scene in a film or reading a story in which a person becomes an animal.

Name origin

From Greek zōon (animal) and anthrōpos (human) with -phobia.

A fear of human-like figures can affect shops, museums, theme parks and displays containing mannequins, wax figures, robots or animatronics. It may lead to avoiding particular venues, keeping distance from figures or leaving when something looks or moves too much like a person.

Possible triggers

Walking past shop mannequins, visiting a wax museum or encountering a lifelike mechanical figure.

Name origin

From Greek automatos (self-moving) and -phobia.

A fear of ice can affect everyday situations involving slipping on ice, icy surface, frozen lake and black ice.

Possible triggers

Noticing ice on a path, handling ice cubes or seeing a frozen surface.

Name origin

From Greek pagos (ice) and -phobia.

A fear of ideas or concepts can affect everyday situations involving new ideas, belief system, intellectual debate and philosophy. It may lead to monitoring thoughts and mental sensations, seeking reassurance, avoiding information or situations that trigger the fear, or trying hard to suppress particular thoughts.

Possible triggers

Being asked to consider an unfamiliar idea, joining an abstract discussion or encountering a challenging concept.

Name origin

From Greek idea (concept) and -phobia.

A fear of immobility can affect everyday situations involving being stuck, feeling unable to move, paralysis fear and stiffness. It may lead to monitoring thoughts and mental sensations, seeking reassurance, avoiding information or situations that trigger the fear, or trying hard to suppress particular thoughts.

Possible triggers

Anticipating being unable to move, discussing a restrictive cast or being asked to remain motionless.

Name origin

From Greek ankylos (stiff) and -phobia.