7 More Extremely Bizarre Phobias

7

Deipnophobia

Fear of Dinner Conversation

Now admittedly some dinner conversations can be very awkward, but some people are so terrified of the idea of speaking to another person over dinner that they avoid dining out situations. In times gone by there were strict rules of etiquette that helped a person to deal with these situations – but they are (sadly) mostly forgotten. In today’s society in which rules and formality are out the window, it is possible that the more controlled nature of a dinner party may lie partly behind this phobia. For those amongst us who are interested in some tips for coping with fine dining, read our Top 10 Tips for Fine Dining (number eight is specifically about dinner conversation).

6

Eisoptrophobia

Fear of Mirrors

Eisoptrophobia is a fear of mirrors in the broad sense, or more specifically the fear of being put into contact with the spiritual world through a mirror. Sufferers experience undue anxiety even though they realize their fear is irrational. Because their fear often is grounded in superstitions, they may worry that breaking a mirror will bring bad luck or that looking into a mirror will put them in contact with a supernatural world inside the glass. After writing this list I realized that I suffer from a minor form of this disorder in that I don’t like to look into a mirror in the evening when I am alone for fear of seeing someone (or something) behind me.

5

Demonophobia

Fear of Demons

Demonophobia is an abnormal and persistent fear of evil supernatural beings in persons who believe such beings exist and roam freely to cause harm. Those who suffer from this phobia realize their fear is excessive or irrational. Nevertheless, they become unduly anxious when discussing demons, when venturing alone into woods or a dark house, or when watching films about demonic possession and exorcism. Sufferers are most likely to be recognized by the strings of garlic around their neck, crucifixes, wooden stakes they carry, and gun loaded with silver bullets. Okay – I made that last part up.

4

Pentheraphobia

Fear of Mother-in-Law

Of all the phobias on this list, pentheraphobia is probably the most common. It is, as stated above, the fear of one’s mother-in-law. I am sure that most married people have, at one time or another, suffered from this terrible fear. This fear is one that is so common in Western society that it frequently appears in movies and other forms of entertainment. Of the many available therapies for this illness of the mind, divorce seems to be the most popular. A related phobia to pentheraphobia is novercaphobia which is a fear of your stepmother – the most famous sufferer of which is Cinderella.

3

Arachibutyrophobia

Fear of Peanut Butter Sticking to the Roof of your Mouth

I must say that finding information on this disorder is extremely difficult – which does make me wonder if it is perhaps the figment of an over-active imagination, but it is definitely bizarre and fairly well known so it seems to deserve a place here. This disorder seems to be a fear that is quite easily worked around: don’t buy peanut butter. However, for a child who is forced to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day, one can see how it might cause severe trauma in later life. Here is the testimony of one alleged sufferer: “Whenever I’m around peanut butter I start to sweat excessively and my body starts convulsing. The roof of my mouth becomes coarse and itchy. I can’t live with this fear anymore. My thirst for peanut butter must be quenched without me going into a full blown panic attack.”

2

Cathisophobia

Fear of Sitting

Cathisophobia (sometimes spelled with a ‘k’) is a terror of sitting down. This disorder can be sparked off by a particularly nasty case of hemorrhoids but in some serious cases it can be due to physical abuse relating to sitting on sharp or painful objects. Sometimes, the sitting fear is due to some punishment in the school days, or it may be an indication of some other phobia like sitting in front of elite and influential people. Cathisophobia is characterized by sweating, heavy or short breathe, and anxiety.

1

Automatonophobia

Fear of a Ventriloquist’s Dummy

I think we can all see the merit in this disorder – the very act of ventriloquism seems particularly nasty to me. It involves a man with his hand up a dolls butt which he then proceeds to talk to. Sufferers of automatonophobia need not seek treatment – it is a perfectly valid reaction to a perfectly revolting concept. I think that is enough said on this topic.

7 most haunted places in India

1. Dow Hill, Kurseong, West Bengal

Kurseong is a hill station located in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Kurseong lies 30 km from Darjeeling. Dow Hill in Kurseong is often reported to be a centre of paranormal activities and several accidents have taken place in the vicinity of the town as per the locals. The locals rumor that they can hear sounds of footstep emanating in the corridor of the Victoria Boys Higher Secondary School during long holidays of December to March. A number of murders have been committed in the woods near the school and that has left a sense of eerie feeling in the air. There have even been reports of a headless boy between the stretch of Dow Hill road and Forest Office, who later disappears into the woods. The locals say that anyone who has seen him is not even spared by his apparition in their dreams.

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2. Delhi Cantonment, Delhi

Delhi Cantt is one of the three statutory towns that make up the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Cantt area which is full of lush green vegetation is one of the most haunted area in Delhi. A pure white sari clad woman spectre is seen gliding around with a candle is one of the most popular sightings in this area. Possibly the lady was hitchhiker while she was alive, and hence she waves at lonely passengers and if denied is said to run swiftly alongside the car at high speeds and suddenly disappears. Mostly the sightings have been reported near the metro station of Dwarka.

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3. Lambi Dehar Mines, Uttarakhand

The Lambi Dehar mines are located on the outskirts of Mussoorie. There used to be strip mine and lime quarries that have long been shut because of irregularities with a lot of safety regulations and a number of incidents of trucks veering off the roads and falling down the hills. The town was inhabited by nearly 50,000 workers in the 1990s, a lot of whom died a very painful death, coughing blood, due to lung diseases caused by improper mining. Today the town is very sparsely populated and has been a ghost town for 20 years. Trees have grown in the houses and there have been reports of strange sounds at night. With reports of cars and trucks going off the road and a reported incident of a helicopter crash, it leaves little to the imagination. Legend has it that there’s also a witch that walks down the mountains screaming. It is also a scary place due to its remoteness from any civilization and with its record of deaths.

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4. Tunnel no 103, Shimla-Kalka Railway Line, Himachal Pradesh

Shimla has its share of ghost stories associated with it. One of the more famous one is Tunnel no 103 on Shimla-Kalka railway line where there have been reported apparitions of a British Colonel, Col. Barog and other Englishmen. Though much is not known about him, one fact for sure is that he was the person assigned with the task of constructing the tunnel. After work started on digging the tunnel, on reaching the center, he found out that both ends did not align properly and therefore was heavily penalized. He was so ashamed of his error that he shot himself. Mostly, it is the spirit of Col. Barog mounted on his horse that is reported. It is also surprising due to the fact that on confrontation, the Englishman responds to humans and people are said to have had long conversations with it. There have also been reports of a woman apparition, who jumps into a well screaming and a man walking lighting his cigarette. These are reported mostly by people venturing into the tunnel on foot and there have hardly been reports of these apparitions when travelling by train.

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5. Brijraj Bhavan Palace, Rajasthan

The Brij Raj Bhawan Palace Hotel, a heritage hotel, set in beautiful gardens stands on the banks of the Chambal river, near the city of Kota in Rajasthan in India. It has the only ghost of the Sepoy Mutiny still “active”, the ghost of Major Charles Burton, killed by Indians in the 1857 armed revolt against the British. In 1857, the building was the British Residency and the home of the resident posted to Kota, Major Charles Burton. Abandoned by all their servants, except one camel-driver, Major Burton and his two sons took refuge in an upper room with the few arms that they had been able to snatch and waited for help to arrive from the Maharaja. Mutineers ascended to the terrace and Major Burton and his two sons, who had retreated to the room below, were murdered. The former maharani of Kota told British journalists in 1980 that she used to see Major Burton frequently, as the room in which he was killed, was being used as her drawing room then. An elderly man with a cane in his hand, ghost of Major Burton does not harm anybody, but during his night visit, if any of the guards are sleeping or dozing, Major Burton gives them a slap.

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6. Dumas Beach, Gujarat

Dumas Beach is an urban beach located 21 km south west of Surat. Famous for its black sand, it is a very popular tourist spot in south Gujrat. It stands 2nd in Asia for the most haunted place. This stretch of beach has been notorious for paranormal activities. One of the main reasons being pointed out is that Hindus burn their deceased on the beach. The locals complain of hearing weird noises and screams during nights. People also report hearing strange whispers on Dumas Beach. Dogs are reported to behave weird around the ocean and cry at night. There have been many instances of tourists, who venture out to walk the beach during nights going missing.

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7. Bhangarh Fort, Rajasthan

Bhangarh is a ghost town in India that is famous for its historical ruins. It is in the Rajgarh municipality of the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan. It is now mostly a deserted town supposedly after it was cursed by a tantrik (person practicing black magic). It is infamous for its fort that is believed to be haunted. There are many legends as to its history and reasons why the fort still is haunted. According to legend, the city of Bhangarh was cursed by the Guru Balu Nath, who sanctioned the construction of the town on one condition, “The moment the shadows of your palaces touch me, the city shall be no more!” When a descendant prince, Ajab Singh raised the palace to a height that cast a shadow on Balu Nath’s forbidden retreat, he cursed the town. Balu Nath is said to be buried there to this day in a small samadhi. Local villagers say that anything constructed there collapses and no one has returned, who has spent a night in the fort. The board put up by the Archeological Survey of India that read, “Entering the borders of Bhangarh before sunrise and after sunset is strictly prohibited,” was later modified due to controversial reasons. The ASI has still not taken steps to explore the tehkhana (basement) of the fort. The people even do not speak of the fort due to fear. It has been tagged due to various experiences by many people over years as, “The Most Haunted Place in India.”