# What creates trypophobia? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 24, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017 "2015-07-24T03:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/1 "2015-07-24T03:03:52Z")
Whether it’s this: [Baby Toads Born from Mom's Back | World's Weirdest - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgROaJY6Xnk) or something as otherwise cute as this: [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](http://imgur.com/O9E2zr5) trypophobia is shared rather widely. Why is this so? What creates that repulsion/disgust/fear? Are there other phobias which function in analogous ways? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/2 "2015-07-24T04:55:39Z")
When asking about such an obscure term (it’s not listed in Merriam-Webster), it would be helpful to explain what it is. [Trypophobia[1] is a claimed pathological fear of objects with irregular patterns of holes. Thousands of people claim to have the condition,[2] but it is not recognized in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or other scientific literature.[3][2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypophobia) Given that the condition is not even generally considered to exist, an explanation not be needed. However, the Wiki article I linked to above does provide one hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/3 "2015-07-24T05:34:52Z")
Serious answer given. Miniature Golf courses? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/4 "2015-07-24T09:07:20Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > When asking about such an obscure term (it’s not listed in Merriam-Webster), it would be helpful to explain what it is. > > [Trypophobia[1] is a claimed pathological fear of objects with irregular patterns of holes. Thousands of people claim to have the condition,[2] but it is not recognized in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or other scientific literature.[3][2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trypophobia) > > Given that the condition is not even generally considered to exist, an explanation not be needed. However, the Wiki article I linked to above does provide one hypothesis. Not listed in the DSM isn’t the same thing as “not generally considered to exist”. In fact, is every single phobie listed in the DSM? Is there a “bird phobia” entry, a “statue phobia” entry, and so on? I’ve a mild form of this phobia, so I can state with certainty that it exists. There might be medical conditions whose existence is disputable, but I can’t see how it could be the case with phobias : “I’m afraid of spiders” “No, you aren’t”. Huh? :dubious: Also, for triptophobics reading the thread, there’s a picture you won’t like on the wikipedia article linked to. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/5 "2015-07-24T09:11:38Z")
I used the term because “being freaked out and squeaked out by hole-y surfaces, especially biological ones” is awkward. Titles gotta be short. Google image returns this: [https://www.google.ca/search?q=Trypophobia&num=20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ\_AUoAWoVChMI96KVrLbzxgIVCqweCh0RNgAl&biw=730&bih=553](https://www.google.ca/search?q=Trypophobia&num=20&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAWoVChMI96KVrLbzxgIVCqweCh0RNgAl&biw=730&bih=553) see if there isn’t a good number of people who find it particularly repulsive. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/6 "2015-07-24T09:29:38Z")
By the way, the wikipedia article states that the cause could be the association of clustered hole structures with danger, which frankly doesn’t explain much of anything. And besides, I don’t associate these structures with danger. I find them deeply disturbing and repulsive, skin crawling repulsive. I have an urge to completely destroy them. A closed structure is normal. An open structure is normal. Clustered holes in a structure is totally unatural and repulsive and must be burnt, crushed, reduced to fine powder, excised if on a living being, whatever. It’s sometimes said that it’s related to an instinctive fear of infestations and parasites (worms digging holes in flesh, for instance). It makes sense to me, especially since seeing it on a human body is the worst thing I can imagine wrt this phobia, even though I don’t like much clustered holes in a non organic structure, either (a pottery with holes intended to display flowers, for instance). ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/7 "2015-07-24T09:44:22Z")
Thinking of it (instinctual reaction linked to a potential danger), one such structure that one could encounter in nature and that could be considered an actual potential hazard is a wasp nest. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/8 "2015-07-24T09:44:35Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > even though I don’t like much clustered holes in a non organic structure, either (a pottery with holes intended to display flowers, for instance). Like this? [![](https://images.baklol.com/1_jpege08afbd7a52295fbdab5c29902836954.jpeg) ](https://images.baklol.com/1_jpege08afbd7a52295fbdab5c29902836954.jpeg) Could you link to a non-organic one? Something like this doesn’t bother me as much, even though it’s clustered holes too: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/93/bc/1d/93bc1dcc5774b6088dd38d8d1975b2b3.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/93/bc/1d/93bc1dcc5774b6088dd38d8d1975b2b3.jpg) and this doesn’t bother me at all: [![](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/02/08/beeframe-cc_slide-becbe0aa69fd6b274aecc8814a3d9ebb76e268ed-s800-c15.jpg) ](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/02/08/beeframe-cc_slide-becbe0aa69fd6b274aecc8814a3d9ebb76e268ed-s800-c15.jpg) And for some reason, that freaks me out just as much: [[trigger] Camel's mouth - Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/mBmIVxi.jpg) imagining my hand in there is…unpleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/9 "2015-07-24T10:03:00Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Thinking of it (instinctual reaction linked to a potential danger), one such structure that one could encounter in nature and that could be considered an actual potential hazard is a wasp nest. That was my first thought too, but I thought I’d remembered reading (perhaps here on this board) that there were no strong cases for any kind of specific instinct in humans that survives into adulthood. This seems quite specific - I wonder if it’s learned, rather than inbuilt. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/10 "2015-07-24T10:09:30Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Not listed in the DSM isn’t the same thing as “not generally considered to exist”. > > In fact, is every single phobie listed in the DSM? Is there a “bird phobia” entry, a “statue phobia” entry, and so on? No. There is only “agoraphobia” and “specific phobia.” I do not know if any examples are listed of the latter, but they would not in any way be exhaustive. As far as I know, it’s not really possible to say it doesn’t exist, seeing as it just describes a reaction, and we have studies and case reports and just anecdotes supporting those reactions. What you can say is that it’s generally not really a phobia, as it doens’t cause the severe inability to cope with life. But a lot of what we call \_\_\_\_phobia isn’t really a phobia, by the DSM-V standards. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/11 "2015-07-24T10:38:46Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What you can say is that it’s generally not really a phobia, as it doens’t cause the severe inability to cope with life. But a lot of what we call \_\_\_\_phobia isn’t really a phobia, by the DSM-V standards. In the same way as so many people confuse a mild, or even severe, reaction to something with an allergy. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/12 "2015-07-24T11:40:16Z")
FWIW Snopes had [an article related to this years ago…](http://www.snopes.com/photos/medical/breastrash.asp) (creepy pictures of course) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/13 "2015-07-24T16:01:11Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#): > > And for some reason, that freaks me out just as much: [[trigger] Camel's mouth - Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/mBmIVxi.jpg) > imagining my hand in there is…unpleasant. What… what is that? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/14 "2015-07-24T16:04:50Z")
Hence the lack of tourism to Blackburn, Lancashire. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/15 "2015-07-24T16:14:06Z")
I know OCD types who would be freaked out from the irregularity of anything. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/16 "2015-07-24T16:15:27Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Not listed in the DSM isn’t the same thing as “not generally considered to exist”. It’s considered to exist by only a small number of doctors and others, which means it is not generally considered to exist. (This doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; however, it also suggests there’s not a lot of compelling evidence for it.) ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/17 "2015-07-24T16:23:40Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Thinking of it (instinctual reaction linked to a potential danger), one such structure that one could encounter in nature and that could be considered an actual potential hazard is a wasp nest. Even if it’s not instinctual, it would be very easy to link honeycomb and wasp nests with danger, and from there generalize into anything with lots of holes. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/18 "2015-07-24T16:58:13Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > It’s considered to exist by only a small number of doctors and others, which means it is not generally considered to exist. (This doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist; however, it also suggests there’s not a lot of compelling evidence for it.) Ok. Then : -Can you give examples of phobias that are generally considered to exist And : -What is compelling evidence that a phobia exists besides people stating : “I’m irrationally afraid of X”? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/19 "2015-07-24T17:28:08Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Ok. Then : > > -Can you give examples of phobias that are generally considered to exist > > And : > > -What is compelling evidence that a phobia exists besides people stating : “I’m irrationally afraid of X”? I think he’s trying to distinguish mental disorders that exhibit as an irrational fear of something but are actually rooted in some other problem. Such a person may exhibit trypophobia but actually be suffering from a vitamin deficiency or brain tumor. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017/20 "2015-07-24T18:09:12Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Ok. Then : > > -Can you give examples of phobias that are generally considered to exist As has been noted, [Agoraphobia](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/basics/definition/con-20029996) is widely recognized. > [@](#): > > -What is compelling evidence that a phobia exists besides people stating : “I’m irrationally afraid of X”? Published studies in peer-reviewed journals, like [this one](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/basics/definition/con-20029996) of agoraphobia. Again, I am not saying that the condition doesn’t exist, just that it is obscure and not generally recognized. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-creates-trypophobia/726017.md?page=2)