Test to see if you have Thalassaphobia has viewers ‘breathing heavy’ in fear

There are any number of fears out there, with some making more sense than others.

However, one fear is very common and does make a lot of sense. This is Thalassophobia, and while not everyone will have it severely enough for it to be a major concern, the object of this phobia is certainly something which is worthy of fear.

Pictures that might evoke thalassophobia are always eerie. Now, a video posted online shows a montage of different videos and images which have been selected specifically because they may invoke a thalassaphobic reaction in the viewer.

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The name is derived from the Ancient Greek 'thalassa', meaning the ocean, and the suffix -phobia meaning the fear of something.

If you hadn't guessed yet from the name, it means a fear of the ocean or bodies of water.

While it is most commonly used to refer to a fear of the ocean, and let's face it, the ocean is very scary, it can also be used to refer to any dark, deep, and gloomy body of water. If you've ever seen the pictures of deep water online you'll probably be familiar with it.

It's worth pointing out that thalassaphobia is more severe than simply being unsettled by images of the sea. The images here are eerie, especially if they include seeing someone's feet dangling down over a cavernous abyss of water below them.

However, if someone has a more pronounced reaction to them, that might be an indication that there's something more going on.

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There are five different types of phobias, these are animal, blood injection, natural environment, and situational. Animal could be having a phobia of dogs for example, while a situational phobia could be flying or riding in a car.

Thalassaphobia falls under the category of a natural environment phobia. It's distinct from aquaphobia, the fear of water, in that it is specifically about deep or gloomy bodies of water.

It's like the fear isn't directed so much at the water itself as the immense emptiness or sense of exposure and vulnerability that floating in it could evoke. The vast emptiness of it stretches out, and there's nowhere to hide.

Videos like this can be useful in indicating whether you have Thalassaphobia if you have a particularly strong reaction to the images presented to you.

However, if you are worried you might have it, it is better to speak to a psychiatrist if it is becoming so bad that it impacts on your day-to-day life.

In extreme cases, even just the thought, image, or word 'ocean' can be enough to trigger a response.

Thalassaphobia or not though, the ocean must always be treated with the utmost respect.