12 Most Bizarre Phobias !

Are You Letting Your Fear Get The Best Of You?

You might have encountered someone who has a fear of flying – or it could be you who personally have a fear of flying. Basically, these phobias are something that people would have to deal with at one point or another.

By definition, a phobia is that irrational fear of a certain object, situation, person or activity. When you have a phobia of something, you will feel this anxiety because the thing that you are most fearful of is way beyond your control.
Another aspect of phobias which make it alarming is the fact that it can interfere with your daily life, which is exactly the reason why you do need to find an ‘antidote’ for such an anxiety disorder.

There’s an estimated 18% of the American adult population which is suffering from some kind of phobia. Now, there are actually three types of phobias which an individual may possess. First, there’s the simple phobia like fear of spiders or heights.

Second, there’s the social phobias wherein you are fearful of being in a social situation that may cause you humiliation. Third, there’s the agoraphobia which is defined as the fear of being away from some place safe.

In addition, there are the bizarre phobias which involve a person being fearful of something that is perfectly normal for other human beings. Nobody really knows the reason behind the development of phobias but they can be triggered by a traumatic experience.

The physical manifestations of a person suffering from a particular type of phobia include panic disorders, breathlessness and anxiety attacks.

A Look At The Top 12 Most Unusual Phobias That People Have

But what if you fear is something that is perfectly natural for most people? Here, we will take a look at the top 12 most bizarre phobias that people have.

1. Phobia: Arachibutyrophobia

Definition: Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth.

peanut butter

Yes, you heard it right. Although this fear may be worthy of a slot in a Saturday Night Live skit or an episode of “The Simpsons“, it is indeed a fear that actually exists.

For some people, the prospect of eating a peanut butter jelly sandwich may prove to be a challenging task.

This is because of the fear that they have of the peanut butter sticking to the roof of their mouth. One can only wonder what they would do in such a situation.

2. Phobia: Ephebiphobia

Definition: Fear of youth or teenagers.

teen girl

This is one bizarre fear which actually has a more complex background. According to sociologists, one’s fear of the youth or teenagers may be attributed to the generation gap.

This is especially true when it comes to the segregation of the young and adult group in the American society.

What a person with ephebiphobia is actually fearful of is being rejected by teenagers, which is why they usually cover their fear with a permissive attitude towards them.

3. Phobia: Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

Definition: Fear of long words.

hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia

The name of the phobia itself may battle the number of letters contained in the longest word – but it’s actually something that those who have a fear of long words would actually be wary of.

For one reason or another, there are individuals who have a fear of long words – the sight of which usually sends them into having a panic attack!

4. Phobia: Ithyphallophobia

Definition: Fear of erections.

erections

Based from the part of the word that says ‘phallo‘, you may already have an idea that this particular phobia has something to do with the penis. And it’s exactly right.

Ithyphallophobia is defined as an unwarranted yet persistent fear of an erect penis. What’s surprising is that it is a type of phobia which is quite common.

Just as it is with any other type of phobia, being exposed to the thing which you fear most is the usual therapy for patients with this condition. The physical manifestation of this quite bizarre phobia is the occurrence of panic attacks.

So if you’re in the middle of having sex and you find that the sight of an erect penis causes you to have an anxiety disorder, chances are you do have this condition.

5. Phobia: Koumpounophobia

Definition: Fear of buttons.

buttons

According to the National Phobic’s Society, one in every 75,000 people is affected by this really bizarre fear of buttons. This usually occurs during one’s childhood and may or may not persist into adulthood.

The physical manifestations of this fear include being afraid to actually touch a button, or experiencing panic attacks at seeing buttons grouped together.

6. Phobia: Nomophobia

Definition: Fear of being disconnected from the rest of the world if you don’t have contact through mobile phone.

talking on mobile

This is probably one common fear that the modern worker has – although the nature of the phobia itself is quite bizarre. Nomophobia refers to the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

If you’re the type of person who gets all panicky at the thought of being somewhere where there’s no mobile phone coverage – or if you obsessively check whether your phone still has a full charge of batteries for fear of being disconnected, then you might have nomophobia.

7. Phobia: Papaphobia

Definition: Fear of the Pope.

pope

Why someone would have a fear of a person who the Catholic Church deems to Holy, nobody really knows.

Papaphobia is definitely one of the most bizarre types of fear on our list – which is defined as fear of the pope or the papacy.

The physical manifestations of the fear include shortness of breath, nausea, sweating and that unusual feeling of dread. Aside from the ‘main man’ of the Catholic Church, someone who has papaphobia may also be fearful of the Catholic Church itself.

8. Phobia: Peladophobia

Definition: Fear of bald people.

bald person

Don’t confuse this bizarre fear with the fear of going bald, which is actually called phalacrophobia. This particular phobia is feeling anxiety at the thought of, or actually seeing a bald person.

9. Phobia: Scopophobia

Definition: Fear of being looked at.

phobia

What if the condition that you instantly assumed to being an introvert is actually a fear of being looked at or scopophobia? Some people do have an intense, often irrational fear of being looked at.

As such, they try to avoid crowded places and they usually feel unsettled if they think that the person behind or beside them is staring.

10. Phobia: Triskaidekaphobia

Definition: Fear of the number 13.

number 13

Did you know that even Adolf Hitler was famed to have a fear of the number 13? This is probably associated with the myth behind Friday the 13th – although this particular phobia is called paraskavedekatriaphobia.

If you experience anxiety attacks upon seeing the number 13 printed or written somewhere, and you consciously avoid things which have something to do with the number 13, then this might be a fear that you have.

11. Phobia: Trichophobia

Definition: Fear of loose hairs.

hair loss

If you’re suffering from hair loss and a person freaks out once they see some loose strands on your shirt or even on the floor where you’re standing, don’t be offended. That person may be suffering from what is known as trichophobia or fear of loose hairs.

12. Phobia: Vomitophobia

Definition: Fear of vomiting.

fear of vomiting

Usually associated with eating disorders, vomitophobia is defined as the fear of vomiting. The fear can also be attributed with fear of being others who are vomiting, or being afraid of vomiting themselves.

The physical manifestation of this type of fear is that a person will stop going to parties, will avoid socializing and will steer clear of situations where they may encounter a person who is vomiting, or be in a situation where they themselves will vomit.

READ MORE - 12 Most Bizarre Phobias !

12 Of The Most Expensive Foods And Drinks

With all the talk about rising food costs, many of us find ourselves in the grocery aisles complaining about paying $4.50 for a gallon of milk. Well, you haven’t seen anything yet! We've compiled a list of ridiculously expensive foods and drinks—including a $250 chocolate truffle and a $700 bottle of wine—that will only have you saying “Bon appétit” if you can afford it.

Classic Grey Sevruga Caviar

This Russian caviar comes from the Caspian Sea and a mere 14-ounce jar will run you $2,520.

La Madeline au Truffe

Knipschildt Chocolatier packages this decadent sweet in its very own box, nestled on a bed of sugar pearls. Just one of these chocolate truffles costs $250.

Moose Milk Cheese

Called "The World's Most Expensive Cheese" for good reason, this cheese costs $500 per pound and comes from small, private moose cow farms in rural Sweden.

Red Iranian Saffron

This type of saffron is of a quality called Sargol grade, which means "top of the flower,” and costs $750 for 100 grams.

Kobe Wagyu Beef

Wagyu beef is known around the globe for its juicy tenderness and superb flavor, which may explain why it’s $285.95 for just four steaks.

Fresh Black Winter Truffles

These Italian truffles are among the most expensive in the world—a quarter pound will subtract $400 from your bank account!

Kopi Luwak Coffee

Made from coffee berries that have been—we are not lying—eaten by and passed through the digestive tract of a civet, a cat-sized mammal found in Southeast Asia(Indonesia), a pound costs $229.95.

Dom Perignon 1988 Vintage Champagne

This well-known Champagne maker is synonymous with expensive costs, but this particular vintage, at $700 a bottle, is still pretty outrageous.

Goose Foie Gras

Goose liver foie gras is known for its softer, creamier taste than its duck liver counterpart. However, at $115 for 10 ounces, it's certainly not soft on your wallet.

Golden Opulence Sundae

New York City eatery Serendipity 3 holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Expensive Sundae." This $1,000 dessert includes a 23-karat edible gold leaf, rare chocolates and ice cream, served in a crystal goblet with an 18-karat gold spoon.

Tieguanyin Tea

This premium variety of Chinese oolong tea is closely related to green tea, and one kilo of it can cost as much as $3,000.

Martini on the Rock

At Manhattan’s Algonquin Hotel, you can sit in the lap of luxury at the Blue Bar and for $10,000 you can purchase the hotel's famous martini, which includes the diamond of your choice as decoration in the bottom of your glass.

READ MORE - 12 Of The Most Expensive Foods And Drinks

The Most Expensive Books Ever Sold

In a world where everything is becoming increasingly digitized and where whole reams of information are readily accessible via the internet and electronic libraries, extreme value is still being placed on the humble book. People are willing to pay incredible sums of money just to own and hold a copy of one of these rare, antiquated gems.

$781,000 – Gerardus Mercator’s “Atlas”

A cartographer from France, Mercator was responsible for the first book to be called an “atlas”. His 1595 atlas sold at Sotheby’s auction for an astounding $781,000. Mercator was also famous for coming up with the Mercator projection method of depicting the spherical nature of the earth on a flat map and is a technique that is still used today.

$1.9 million – The 13th Amendment

Not much to say about this one, but it is an incredible piece of history for those lucky enough to see a copy of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution at auction. The document, which declares that all slaves shall be free and was effectively what brought an end to slavery, was even signed by one Abraham Lincoln. High-res here.

$3.9 million – Ptolemy’s “Geographia” (aka “Cosmographia”)

The world’s first printed atlas, printed in 1477 and authored by Ptolemy, this went for a large amount of money when it went up for auction in 2006 after the previous owner – a Lord Wardington – died.

$4.7 million – Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau’s “Traité des arbres fruitiers” (“Treatise on Fruit Trees”)

Exactly as it sounds, a five volume set written in the 18th century and entirely about fruit trees, although it does have some great illustrations by Pierre Antoine Poiteau and Pierre Jean François Turpin. This book went on auction in 2006 at Pierre Bergé in Brussels and fetched an incredible price, you have to agree. For your money, you would have gotten illustrations of 16 different species of fruit tree accompanied by detailed scientific text.

$5 million – William Shakespeare’s “Comedies, Histories & Tragedies” or “First Folio”

Most commonly referred to as the First Folio, this is essentially a comprehensive collection of 36 of Shakespeare’s plays and is also known as the “Actor’s Bible” when it comes to performing the works of Shakespeare, as many believe it to be the most accurate when it comes to information on how to perform the plays as the Bard intended. A complete copy was auctioned in 2006 for roughly $5 million, however in mid-2008 a copy was stolen from Durham University in England in 1998 resurfaced because the thief had asked a Shakespeare library in Washington D.C to value the work, with the estimate coming in at around $21.4 million. But as it was not sold for this much, it cannot be placed higher on this list.

$8.8 million – John James Audubon’s “Birds of America”

A collection containing scientific descriptions of birds native to the United States, along with paintings and drawings to accompany the descriptions, this was naturalist John James Audubon’s cultural masterpiece. A copy was sold at auction in 2000, fetching the princely sum of $8.8 million and as this book was made using prints fashioned from engraved plates, this book is technically a printed book and thus it still holds the records for the most paid for any single printed book (the top two in this list are hand written/drawn).

$20.1 million/$11.6 million – Gospels of Henry the Lion

Although sources seem to vary the price, it is still in the top two most expensive books ever to be sold. This work of art was commissioned by Henry the Lion, then Duke of Saxony, in around 1188. The work was to be completed by monks of the Benedictine Helmarshausen Abbey to be placed on the altar at Brunswick Cathedral. The gospel book itself contains 266 hand written pages, with 50 of them being full page illustrations (lavishly decorated with gold leaf and full color), an almost unheard of amount for hand written books at the time. The book went on auction in 1983 and a number of foundations and private donors pooled their resources to come up with the money to keep the treasure in Germany.

$30.8 million – Leonardo da Vinci’s “Codex Leicester”

The Codex is comprised of a collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s scientific writings and drawings and is arguably the most famous of all of da Vinci’s scientific journals. This most important of scientific and cultural treasures was previously owned by a wealthy collector by the name of Armand Hammer (when the Codex was named the Codex Hammer). However, in 1994, Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought it at a record price when it went to auction, making it the most expensive book/collection in the history of everything, ever. He then renamed it the Codex Leicester (presumably in honor of Thomas Coke, the later Earl of Leicester that purchased the Codex in 1717).

READ MORE - The Most Expensive Books Ever Sold

16 Most Horrific Human Growths of All Time

What’s the worst you’ve ever felt? After seeing what the people below have suffered and gone through, you might have a whole new perspective of what’s really bad. All of these people have had some sort of abnormal growth that became ridiculous and extreme. Some have had surgery to correct these anomalies, while there is no cure or help available for others.

Man with No Face

Jose Mestre suffers from haemangioma, a condition that causes abnormalities in the capillaries and veins in his face. Blood pools in his face, which has caused him to develop a huge weeping facial tumor. He is commonly called “The Man with No Face.” He has refused medical treatment because he is a Jehovah’s Witness.

Massive Hand

The man with the largest hand in the world underwent a seven-hour surgery in Shanghai to reduce it and make it functional. Before the surgery, his left thumb was 10.2 inches long and his index finger measured close to 12 inches.

Dede The ‘Tree Man’ - Warts

This Indonesian man’s condition is the worst case scenario for those with from HPV. Of course, Dede also suffered from a genetic condition, which cause his immune system to not be able to combat the spread of this diseases’ symptoms - which in most cases are warts. Interestingly, specialists claim that his condition could have been abetted by high dosages of Vitamin B. Long-referred to as “tree man” because his resemblence to a tree, he has recently undergone a series of surgeries to remove the tree-like growths from his body, and is already on a road to recovery.

Human Werewolf

Hypertrichosis is a medical condition characterized by the excessive growth of hair on places on the body where hair usually does not grow. Congenital Hypertrichosis is extremely rare and those who suffer from it are often called human werewolves. Reminds us of Teen Wolf a little bit…

Fibroma

Fibroma is a skin disease involving connective-tissue new growth. It appears on the body as one or many pea to egg-sized or larger, soft or firm, round or flattened, painless tumors located beneath the skin. In the worst cases, these growths can cover the entire body.

Humans with Horns

Once thought to be a myth, the incidence of human being growing “horns” is now documented. These cutaneous horns, also called cornu cutaneum are actually skin lesions, which cone-shaped protuberances grow from, creating the appearance of a horn.

Massive Face Tumor

Huang Chuncai suffers from a rare genetic disorder of the nervous system called Neurofibromatosis. The disease caused the disabling growths on his face, which began when he was four years old He has had surgery to remove a 25-pound tumor and another to remove a 33-pound tumor.

Foot Growing in the Brain

Doctors say they have never seen anything like what they found inside Sam Esquibel’s head. When he was just three months old, Sam underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor that contained a tiny foot and other partially formed body parts.

Gigantic Kidney Stone

Passing a kidney stone can be excruciatingly painful. Generally if they become too large to pass, surgery is required to remove them. Surgeons in Hungary were in for a surprise when they found their patient had developed a 2.5 pound kidney stone, which was roughly the size of a coconut. Most kidney stones, at their worst, are no larger than a golf ball.

Tremendous Leg Tumor

Chen Zongtao has a tumor on his right leg that weighs 154 pounds. He has suffered with the tumor for years because he is unable to afford surgery to remove it.

Huge Neck Tumor

Huang Liqian, 58, first discovered a bizarre growth on the back of his neck in 1990. He ignored for 17 years it and it developed into a 33 pound tumor. He finally had surgery to remove it in 2007.

Spruce Tree Growing In Lung

A Russian man who was coughing up blood and complaining of chest pains was found to have this 5 centimeter spruce tree growing inside his lung. Since the tree was too large to have been accidentally inhaled, doctors believe the man must have inhaled a bud which grew inside the lung.

Baby with 16 Toes

A baby boy with 16 toes was born in China in November 2008. He also has five fingers on each hand, but does not have any thumbs. The child suffers from a genetic condition called Polydactylism, and his family says they will have the extra digits surgically removed.

People with Tails

Mostly thought to be a myth, there are stories about people who have tails. While evolution has eliminated that trait for most of us, these rare pictures show that some are still born with small tails, which are an extension of the spine.

Overwhelming Lower Lip Tumor

This 8-year-old girl from China suffers from a large tumor in her lower lip. She was born with the tumor and her family has been unable to afford the surgery to remove it.

16 Pound Face Tumor

In 2005, a Haitian teen in Miami underwent surgery to remove most of a 16-pound tumor from her face. The surgery took 16 hours and she required many follow-up reconstructive surgeries. The abnormal growth had become so large it was obstructing her airways and had to be removed in order for her to survive. The girl suffers from rare form of Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia; a nonhereditary, genetic disease that causes bone to become “like a big a bowl of jelly with some bone inside,” said Dr. Jesus Gomez of University of Miami School of Medicine.

READ MORE - 16 Most Horrific Human Growths of All Time

Original Pearl Harbor Picture Being Attacked !

READ MORE - Original Pearl Harbor Picture Being Attacked !