Siderophobia (fear of the stars): symptoms, causes and treatment
The image of the starry sky could be attractive to many people. Sensations of calm and a romantic atmosphere are just some of the experiences that the dark sky filled with luminous points can easily transmit to us.
However, not all people react positively to such a stimulus. Far from infecting romanticism, the starry sky can trigger panic in some people. We will see below what this is about fear of the stars, which we know as siderophobia .
- Related article: "Types of phobias: exploring the disorders of fear"
What is siderophobia?
The word "sidereal" comes from the Latin "sidus", which means celestial body. As such, "sidereal" is a term that refers to everything related to the stars. In this sense, siderophobia is about an excessive fear of the celestial bodies, specifically it is an exacerbated fear of the stars .
Although it is not a clinical category described by specialists in psychology or psychiatry, the term "siderophobia" has recently been used to refer to an important fear of exposure to the starry sky, as well as to some of the stimuli associated with it.
In other words, siderophobia itself is not considered a disorder, but in any case, it is an experience associated with a more complex symptomatology. Since the starry sky is a very difficult stimulus to avoid, the siderophobia is not only related to the stars, but with other elements that accompany darkness and open spaces .
For the same reason, siderophobia can be considered as one of the experiences that are added to broader spectrums of phobias that are considered by specialists as a specific clinical situation. Among these spectra could be, for example, agoraphobia.
- Maybe you're interested: "Agoraphobia: what it is, causes, symptoms and treatment"
Other phobias to the stars
Stars are not the only celestial bodies that can cause excessive fear in some people. Being a fear enhanced by the elements that surround the celestial bodies, Other related phobias are fear of darkness , known as scotophobia or nictofobia; Astrophobia, which includes the fear of any celestial body; or meteorophobia, which is the specific fear of meteors.
Are the stars harmless?
A star is a luminous sphere composed mainly of hydrogen converted to helium, and maintained in the cosmos by the action of gravity. Very broadly, it is from the reactions occurring inside the stars, as the main chemical elements that, in turn, give rise to different particles. Subsequently, these particles allow the development of the different life forms that exist on our planet.
Therefore, the stars are not in themselves dangerous but quite the opposite, they are part of the chemical activity that has allowed the existence of the universe . So, what can be some of the causes why we might fear these luminous spheres?
Possible causes
As with other phobias, siderophobia may be caused by a series of learning and individual perceptions that, when in contact with certain external stimuli; they trigger important discomforts.
So, fear of the stars can be generated by the individual meanings that are attributed to both such celestial bodies , like the dark sky and the elements that surround it. In turn, these elements can be darkness, open spaces, the feeling of loneliness or danger, or a fear caused by the knowledge we have acquired about the characteristics of the cosmos.
The knowledge mentioned above may be linked, as well, with the idea of immensity, with the unknown, with the lack of control , or, with some dangers related to the largest celestial bodies.
All this strongly fueled both by a lack of deep learning about the functioning of the cosmos, and by some types of science fiction present in film or literature. Likewise, a person can develop an irrational fear of the stars by some previous unpleasant experience, which has had a determined relationship with these stimuli and perceptions.
symptom
As happens in other types of phobias, siderophobia can cause Physiological responses related to anxiety , such as nausea, sweating, dizziness, hyperventilation, cardiac agitation, choking sensation, dry mouth, and so on.All this before the exhibition, or the possibility of exposing oneself, to the starry sky.
Treatment
As long as a specific clinical picture is not considered, there is also no special treatment for siderophobia. Broadly speaking, the way to accompany or diminish the fear of the stars can follow the procedure used for other phobias. In the beginning it is important to determine if it is a specific fear, or related to a more extensive and complex symptomatology, such as the one that characterizes anxiety disorders.
The latter allows us to work with the deepest emotional responses that may be affecting the person's day-to-day life, beyond the exposure to the starry sky . It also allows exploring the meanings and learning related to the stimulus that causes fear, and in this sense, generate strategies for coping and relearning the stimulus.
Bibliographic references:
- Etymology of Sideral (2018). Etymological Spanish Dictionary Online. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Available in //etimologias.dechile.net/?sideral.
- Isan, A. (2018). Why is it said that we are stardust? UNCOMO. Recovered August 27, 2018. Available in //ocio.uncomo.com/articulo/por-que-se-dice-que-somos-polvo-de-estrellas-47701.html.
- Siderophobia (2017). Common Phobias. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Available at //common-phobias.com/sidero/phobia.htm.
- Siderophobia-Fear of stars (S / A). Phobia Source. Retrieved August 27, 2018. Available at //www.phobiasource.com/siderophobia-fear-of-stars/.
