Trypophobia

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Terpsichore

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Trypophobia is the name for a fear of holes in an irregular pattern, like in a bee hive. A lot of the worst pictures relate to such holes in the skin, and some speculate that it's a fear of what might come out of these holes, but it's not been the subject of much study so far. Others say that the holes look like eyes, and this is what causes the worry in the viewer. It's considered to be an alleged phobia, as there is no particular research on proving/not proving it so it's considered to be just a psychological phobia, but more and more people are coming forwards and claiming to have it, or some form of it.

What does Iwaku think? Do any of you suffer from it? This was brought on by talking to a friend about her trypophobia, and she tells me that pictures of such holes can bring her out in a panic attack. For her, it's a very real condition. For me, it's not a phobia, but I do find the images unpleasant to look at, and sometimes I can feel a bit squeamish if I take a quick glance, but when I stop and study the image, I get past it. It's as there's a kind of one to five second period where it bothers me, and then I get over it, and that's all. That said, some of the images definitely make my skin crawl! Or it feels like there's something else crawling on my skin, either way... Yeah. Maybe I'm just a bit more squeamish than some?

Anyway, I'm going to post some trypophobic holes below, but they're in spoiler tags, just in case anyone here is a sufferer. Take a look, if you think you can stomach them!

frog%20eggs.jpg


sesamegirl.jpg

url

81154415.jpg

trypophobia.jpg
 
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Trypophobia is the name for a fear of holes in an irregular pattern, like in a bee hive. A lot of the worst pictures relate to such holes in the skin, and some speculate that it's a fear of what might come out of these holes, but it's not been the subject of much study so far. Others say that the holes look like eyes, and this is what causes the worry in the viewer. It's considered to be an alleged phobia, as there is no particular research on proving/not proving it so it's considered to be just a psychological phobia, but more and more people are coming forwards and claiming to have it, or some form of it.

What does Iwaku think? Do any of you suffer from it? This was brought on by talking to a friend about her trypophobia, and she tells me that pictures of such holes can bring her out in a panic attack. For her, it's a very real condition. For me, it's not a phobia, but I do find the images unpleasant to look at, and sometimes I can feel a bit squeamish if I take a quick glance, but when I stop and study the image, I get past it. It's as there's a kind of one to five second period where it bothers me, and then I get over it, and that's all. That said, some of the images definitely make my skin crawl! Or it feels like there's something else crawling on my skin, either way... Yeah. Maybe I'm just a bit more squeamish than some?

Anyway, I'm going to post some trypophobic holes below, but they're in spoiler tags, just in case anyone here is a sufferer. Take a look, if you think you can stomach them!

frog%20eggs.jpg


sesamegirl.jpg

url

81154415.jpg

trypophobia.jpg
tumblr_inline_mxqgktobEj1rxrn8b.png
 
The last image is totally Photoshopped and fake, While this is a real thing, it has been spreading around the internet, and when this condition is truly happening the skin around the affected area becomes inflamed, red and irritated, and not at all so silky smooth like in that last image...the truth is the second image from the top, and most suffers of this condition are in Africa and it happens to a lot of women there, mainly in the breast tissue because it is fatty and perfect for maggots to reproduce and thrive. The holes are created by the maggots burrowing there way to the surface for air because they need to breath oxygen to survive, this creates the odd pattern of holes you see the maggots periodically poke their heads from.

These women are usually sedated and a long surgery is undertaken to remove the maggots. not quite the same thing you are talking about but Close.

It does not bother me to see the pictures but watching the videos in which they remove these parasites is something straight out of a Lovecraft tale and is not for the faint of heart.
 
The last image is totally Photoshopped and fake, While this is a real thing, it has been spreading around the internet, and when this condition is truly happening the skin around the affected area becomes inflamed, red and irritated, and not at all so silky smooth like in that last image...the truth is the second image from the top, and most suffers of this condition are in Africa and it happens to a lot of women there, mainly in the breast tissue because it is fatty and perfect for maggots to reproduce and thrive. The holes are created by the maggots burrowing there way to the surface for air because they need to breath oxygen to survive, this creates the odd pattern of holes you see the maggots periodically poke their heads from.

These women are usually sedated and a long surgery is undertaken to remove the maggots. not quite the same thing you are talking about but Close.

It does not bother me to see the pictures but watching the videos in which they remove these parasites is something straight out of a Lovecraft tale and is not for the faint of heart.
I've seen some of those images (they're a bit too gross for me to post, in honesty) so I just grabbed a selection of things. I'm told that the frog one usually gives people problems, because the frogs are alive (like the maggots) and they crawl out of the holes on the adult's back and so on.

Here's the question, though. What if you're not aware of the burrowing maggots? I didn't discover that part until after I had been told about trypophobia and had begun to look at images of it. The more Photoshopped images don't do much for me, but I had originally believed that the skin photos were all fakes and it was just a case of some people being better at making fake images. Even the photos that I assumed to be fake made my skin crawl without knowing anything further about the reasoning behind. When I found that out, it just added a whole new layer of unpleasantness to the whole thing.
 
All I know is that it's not actually a recognized phobia and that I don't really understand it. However, half the internet claims to have it. Maybe more than half. I don't think it's a phobia so much as 'this looks alien and unpleasant and makes me itchy.' Kind of like when you see a bug and then you're itchy everywhere for an hour afterwards.
 
All I know is that it's not actually a recognized phobia and that I don't really understand it. However, half the internet claims to have it. Maybe more than half. I don't think it's a phobia so much as 'this looks alien and unpleasant and makes me itchy.' Kind of like when you see a bug and then you're itchy everywhere for an hour afterwards.
On that note...

jumpereyes101.jpg
 
I don't think I have it. Only the first two of those images bothered me even a little. The first one because I couldn't figure out what the heck it was (I'm still not sure? A jellyfish? Some cluster of eggs?) And the second one made me cringe because it appeared to be on someone's arm, so it looked painful. That's not a reaction to the holes itself, but to a feeling of empathy with the person.

The third image didn't show for me.

The beehive was regular and actually kind of beautiful, and whatever was going on with the hand in the last one looked cool, like a makeup effect.

That being said, I think I can understand how some people would find those images disturbing, but only when they relate them with certain things like disease or dangerous insects. It seems to me that people who would suffer from this would just assume the worst was going to happen when looking at an innocuous set of holes. It's irrational, so it's a phobia, as phobias are supposed to be irrational fears.
 
My sister in law has Trypophobia baaaaaaaaaad. Certain things with holes makes her scare the shit out of her and makes her want to vomit. O___O My husband and I are assholes so sometimes we send her the less disturbing images just to be dicks. XD


The ones with holes in peoples skin makes ME really uncomfortable and icky feeling. I think that's definitely because of the diseased/ill/unnaturalness of it. It's a horror that shouldn't be. D:
 
More like "Fear of seeing freaky holes in people's skin."

Also I don't normally think of beehives as irregular holes.
 
I don't think I have it. Only the first two of those images bothered me even a little. The first one because I couldn't figure out what the heck it was (I'm still not sure? A jellyfish? Some cluster of eggs?) And the second one made me cringe because it appeared to be on someone's arm, so it looked painful. That's not a reaction to the holes itself, but to a feeling of empathy with the person.

The third image didn't show for me.

The beehive was regular and actually kind of beautiful, and whatever was going on with the hand in the last one looked cool, like a makeup effect.

That being said, I think I can understand how some people would find those images disturbing, but only when they relate them with certain things like disease or dangerous insects. It seems to me that people who would suffer from this would just assume the worst was going to happen when looking at an innocuous set of holes. It's irrational, so it's a phobia, as phobias are supposed to be irrational fears.
Photo number one is of frogspawn.

And I agree entirely on the beehive image, but to my trypophobic friend, that's as bad as any of the others. Even those porous "natural" sponges can set off the phobia with her, as it's got a similar appearance. Like you said... it's supposed to be irrational.
 
I once had a dream where I accidentally spilled salt on my arm and it created sink holes similar to the last image. They were slightly tough on the outer rim but otherwise pliable. All over the world people were suddenly having this happen in my dream and there were even people going around throwing salt at people. Particularly their faces. Crazy stuff.
 
I would be one of those people throwing salt in your dreams.
 
Is it wrong to want to stick my finger in all of the things?

For research.
 
I have a realllll problem with this.

I had to leave the work place cause I was about to cry--and I don't cry. Someone was making holes in a cardboard box because they were bored and it looked so terrifyingly repulsively gross I really really really ew.

I have thrown away loofahs, sponges, and partially cooked pancakes. I have thrown away fresh cups of coffee because the bubbles formed that disgusting beehive shape, I can't eat honey with a honeycomb in it, and don't you dare make me eat lotus seed pods again, MOM. I nearly had a panic attack at work when someone's shoe print left a weird pattern after someone had stepped through flour on the kitchen floor.

I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate my eczema because when I unconsciously scratch it at night and I wake up in the morning it looks like somethings been eating my skin.

It's gross and absolutely disgusting and terrifying and scary. I dun even WANT to try to look at the pictures. I literally had trouble writing all this down cause I keep imagining it.
 
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