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Bored Panda

Entertainment

Greta Jaruševičiūtė

78 Images Shares On The ‘Megalophobia’ Group That Are Scarily Big (New Pics)

Bored Panda

It would be almost impossible to find a person who isn’t afraid of anything. Many of us are scared of something—even if we don’t readily admit it—whether those fears are completely rational or not. If you have megalophobia, for example, then you have an irrational fear of big objects, from ships and skyscrapers to mountains, giant animals, sculptures, and more!

The ‘Megalophobia’ subreddit is a well-known, sprawling community of 1 million people who share photos of incredibly large things. We’ve collected some of the most powerful, awe-inspiring recent photos they’ve shared that are impressive and even frightening, whether you’ve got that particular phobia or not. Scroll down for some truly amazing photography.

Bored Panda reached out to Glenn Geher, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at New Paltz and a published author, for his thoughts about the fear of big things from an evolutionary perspective. He was kind enough to shed some light on the topic, and you'll find his insights as you read on.

Warning: if you have megalophobia, looking at these photos may make you feel uncomfortable.

#1 Clouds Called Undulatus Asperatus, Spotted In Gorham, New Hampshire

Image credits: EvilSeaPro

"In evolutionary science, we talk about 'super-natural stimuli'—these are stimuli—often created by humans—that exaggerate stimuli that we evolved to respond to in certain ways," Dr. Geher explained to Bored Panda in an email.

"For instance, we evolved to be grossed out by things like blood and guts (as they could carry dangerous pathogens). Horror movies take advantage of this evolved tendency by providing more blood and guts in a span of 10 minutes than a normal human would have experienced in a lifetime under ancestral conditions," he said.

"Large entities often can be thought of similarly. If a small wild carnivore might be a little scary, then how about, through the magic of Hollywood and the like, we create Godzilla—hundreds of thousands of times the size of an actual reptile. Godzilla is a lot of things—one of them being a super-normal stimulus. Large carnivores tend be scarier than small carnivores. And this effect is simply amplified with gigantic carnivores. Super-normal stimuli mess with our minds and emotions this way."

#2 150ft Icebergs Drifting Past Towns In "Iceberg Alley", Newfoundland

Image credits: PineappleRelevant778

#3 Elephant Foot Glacier Located In Greenland

Image credits: Specific-Milk4629

Dr. Geher noted that if you're afraid of abnormally large things, you're not alone, and it's not unnatural. "If you’re not scared of that large grizzly bear coming at you, then you’re likely to die a Darwinian death," he pointed out that being afraid of some things can be advantageous.

"We evolved to be sensitive to important details of stimuli in our environments. Stimuli that stand out—especially those that strike us as larger than normal—tap into our evolved tendency to survey our environments carefully. After all, big things, all factors considered, are more likely to threaten our safety relative to small things," Dr. Geher said.

"So if you’re afraid of big things, no need to consider your fear as abnormal. Quite to the contrary, in many cases, this fear may well be evolutionarily adaptive—and it just may save your life one day."

#4 Chinese Apartment Buildings

Image credits: BulletBerg

#5 Noisy-Le-Grand, A Suburb Located Ten Miles East Of Paris, France

Image credits: Acolytical

#6 USS Midway In Drydock

Image credits: mansfield619

Specific phobias—such as megalophobia—are intense and irrational fears of something that poses little or no actual danger, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

Here’s the thing, though: even if you know that your fear of big things is irrational, you can still get anxious and scared when you’re around them. Even just thinking about them, in some cases, can trigger those feelings.

#7 Ship Out Of Water

Image credits: Amona-saleh1

#8 Mir Mine - Russia

Open diamond pit located in Mirny, Sakha Republic. The mine is 525 m deep and has a diameter of 1200 m.

Image credits: decahexatrix

#9 Human Compared To The Pyramid Of Giza

Image credits: Extension_Bit4323

According to Verywell Mind, some of the things that people with megalophobia are scared of include:

Airplanes;
Blimps;
Buildings;
Buses;
Construction equipment;
Elephants;
Enormous trees, like sequoias or redwoods.

#10 A Spine?!?

Image credits: Silly_girlyboi6429

#11 Giant Squid Found Near Wellington

Image credits: fairplay309

#12 Frozen Waterfall vs. Human

Image credits: KalopsiaMinds

Other things that can potentially scare people who have a phobia of large things include:

Hills and mountains;
Large bodies of water;
Ships;
Sculptures;
Statues;
Trains;
Whales.

#13 Elephant Seals

Image credits: Mrburns_exellent

#14 A Giant Wood Moth, The Heaviest Of All Known Moths, Found In A School In Australia

Image credits: Soft_Ambassador_7848

#15 Who Would Kayak This Close To A Ship This Large

Image credits: No-Tumbleweed5694

Some individuals can be frightened by a very wide range of massive things. However, others can be scared of very specific objects.

Generally, aside from intense feelings of fear and increased anxiety, people with megalophobia can also get dizzy, lightheaded, feel nauseous, have an increased heart rate, feel short of breath, and want to run away when they’re around very large things.

Verywell Mind notes that, actually, it’s quite normal to have “some level of fear or apprehension” when you’re around things that are so big that they seem threatening or overwhelming.

The difference for individuals suffering from megalophobia, however, is that the fear they feel is much more severe. What’s more, they might not feel the awe that large things evoke that the average person might.

#16 Mt Taranaki In New Zealand. The Large Dark Green Circle Is A National Park

Image credits: Dick_Guillotine_9000

#17 Fog Makes The Stadium Look Like A Spaceship

Image credits: nitroguy2

#18 Megalohydrothalassophobia - The Fear Of Large Things In The Water. Does This Qualify?

Image credits: Amona-saleh1

One factor that may lead to this fear might be the abnormal size of animals or sculptures, for example. If the size is atypical, it can make the person scared. Another factor is that legends or stories in the media can make individuals scared of large things, such as giant squid, sharks, big snakes, etc.

Living with a phobia such as this can be incredibly restrictive because it means that you miss out on potentially great opportunities to travel, see incredible things, and meet new people. Typically, psychotherapy is the preferred method of treatment for megalophobia, specifically, cognitive behavioral therapy (aka CBT) and exposure therapy.

#19 The ‘Statue Of Unity’ In India - Currently The World’s Largest Statue (182 Meters)

Image credits: The-sof-lifestyle

#20 Disaster

Image credits: hunorssz

#21 There's A Lighthouse In Iceland That Sits On The Highest Of Three Rocks Six Miles Off The Icelandic Coastline, Built In 1939 On Top Of An Extremely Steep And Dangerous Rocky Cliff. It's The The Þrídrangar Lighthouse

Image credits: Soft_Ambassador_7848

During CBT, mental health specialists help people replace phobic thoughts with healthier ones, thus shifting their perspective. This type of therapy can also teach individuals the skills they need, so they cope with their stress and anxiety better when around the things they fear.

Meanwhile, exposure therapy does exactly what it says on the tin: you expose the person to their fear, bit by bit, making them more resilient to the stress they feel. There’s no actual danger involved.

#22 This Image Of The Ryugyong Hotel Is Crazy

Image credits: Vast099

#23 The Pacific Ocean

Image credits: MrMeritocracy

#24 The Difference Between The Size Of The Largest Aircraft In The World And That Of Other Regular Aircrafts

Image credits: Zeitgeistt

Created way back in April 2014, the ‘Megalophobia’ online group has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. Currently, the community is absolutely massive, with 1 million members from around the globe. The photos they share are fascinating, and they show you the huge scale of both nature and human-made projects.

During a previous interview with u/Hoogs, the head moderator of ‘Megalophobia’ told Bored Panda that "the sub has continued to grow over the years because it attracts both people who have an interest in unique and awe-inspiring images and people with megalophobia."

He continued: “The latter may seem counterintuitive since you would expect people to avoid things they fear, but think of it like a horror movie. You watch it for the thrill. It provides a unique sensation that's a break from the mundanities of everyday life while allowing you to explore your fears in a safe environment.”

#25 The Highest Sand Dune In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia 223 M

Image credits: illHaveTwoNumbers9s

#26 Supertanker In The 1970s

Image credits: vascoFT

#27 The Eye Of The Earth, Cetina River, Croatia

Image credits: Royal-Abies2962

"I also suspect that even people who don't classify themselves as having megalophobia still get that little touch of vertigo when seeing some of the sub's content,” the head moderator shared with Bored Panda earlier.

"Megalophobia might impact a person's daily life negatively if they are regularly exposed to things like large buildings, structures, statues, vehicles, and even geographical features like mountains and canyons. It might prevent them from doing certain things they'd like, having unique experiences, or even just living their life in a world with so many things that are larger than us. Humans are small, and I think this phobia cuts right to the heart of that fact we all know to be true."

#28 The Vastness Of Fishermen‘S Nets

Image credits: grandeluua

#29 Mount Fuji From A Nearby Village

Image credits: Super_Steve117

#30 Soviet Era Radio Telescope

Image credits: Comfortable_Mountain

Which of these photos did you find the most overwhelming, impressive, and spectacular? Were there any images that genuinely made you feel a bit anxious, dear Pandas?

If you happen to have megalophobia and you made your way down here (congrats!), how does it affect your daily life? Do you have any other phobias? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

#31 Genghis Khan Statue On The Mongolian Steepes

Image credits: practical334

#32 A Comparison Of Rosetta’s Comet With Los Angeles

Image credits: Jsia_kalo

#33 Viaduc De Millau, Tallest Bridge In The World

Image credits: TubbyPiglet

#34 An Open Air Spiral Staircase In Brazil

Image credits: RoOoOoOoOoBerT

#35 Giant Lumberyard

Image credits: wiseman104

#36 The Residential Units Of Hong Kong

Image credits: DesperateAsk7091

#37 The Tallest Skyscraper In Europe

A photo of the Lakhta Center and the Bloody Moon above it was included in the list of the best works of the international 35AWARDS award. Author: Ira Petersburg.