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Rare Phobias

Auroraphobia – Fear of the Northern Lights

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Beautiful, Mystical and to Some, Scary: The Northern Lights

While most people love the northern lights, are you afraid of them? Does even thinking about the aurora borealis send a chill down your spine?

Would you do everything in your power to avoid seeing the northern lights, or even hearing about them? Does the possibility of seeing the northern lights give you panic attacks?

If so, you may have auroraphobia, the fear of northern lights. If you think this fear is silly, take a look at the irrational fears list to learn about different kinds of fears and phobias people face in their daily lives.

Living with fear is hard, and it can have a negative effect on your life. However, thanks to advancements in the medical field, most phobias are now treatable. You can reach out to friends, family, and even professionals for a helping hand to overcome your fear.

What Is Auroraphobia?

A phenomenon called the aurora frequently occurs at both the north and south poles. These light shows, which can be viewed overhead, are characterized by a display of bright, fluctuating colors. Auroraphobia is defined as the irrational fear of aurora. One may fear the northern lights (aurora borealis), the southern lights (aurora australis), or have a fear of aurora in general. We’ll focus on the northern lights for this article.

Northern lights are most commonly seen in Finland, Norway, Sweden, New Zealand, Greenland, and northern Canada. Auroras are often breathtaking to view and people travel long distances just to experience them. However, this light show can be a source of distress for some, sometimes even leading to panic attacks.

Like most phobics, auroraphobics try to avoid the source of their discomfort. Some may even make major life decisions, such as moving away from areas where the aurora occurs. This gives them a false belief they are safe; however, it often does more harm than good, because avoidance reinforces the fear.

Even after making life changes, seeing a photo or video, or hearing about auroras can still trigger symptoms. Hence, avoidance is not the solution. Treatment is the answer.

 

Everything You Need to Know about Auroraphobia

Auroraphobia is different from a mere dislike of northern lights, it is a straight-out fear of being harmed by the lights.

But why are people afraid of the northern lights?

Some people are afraid of the northern lights because they see it as a bridge—a bridge that connects heaven and Earth. They believe it opens a route for contact with those who have died.

Other are afraid because they think the lights can harm them. But, is that true? Can auroras harm humans?

Auroras happen when electrically charged particles collide with one another, so it’s natural for people to fear them. However, auroras are so high up in the sky that they don’t pose a threat to humans, although they may have negative effects on technology and infrastructure. Auroras are generally harmless. You can even view them with your naked eye.

What happens if you touch an aurora? You cannot touch the aurora. It is made up of primarily gasses and photons. Auroras also occur at the boundaries of space, too high for those of us on Earth to touch.

 

What Causes Auroraphobia?

Like most specific phobias, it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact time and cause of the onset of auroraphobia. However, there are some theories when it comes to the causes of phobias.

It could be genetic, as mental illnesses are known to run in families. Also, if a person has one phobia, the probability of acquiring another phobia is high.

Moreover, the environment in which we grow up, the stories we are told, and our beliefs play a role in the development of auroraphobia.

Many people refer to auroras as “dancing spirits,” and numerous scary tales revolve around this beautiful phenomenon. So, it’s no wonder that one may associate it with evil or bad spirits and develop a dislike or fear of them. Later, that dislike may develop into a phobia.

Also, if someone faces a traumatic event (not necessarily relating to auroras), it can affect them, making them more susceptible to anxiety or mental illnesses.

 

Symptoms of Auroraphobia

Symptoms vary from one individual to another. Depending on the severity and advancement of the phobia, symptoms can range from mild to severe.

While some individuals may be able to go about their daily lives by making small changes, others may find that the phobia disrupts their lives and struggle on a daily basis.

The symptoms can be either physical or psychological.

Physical Symptoms

  • Trembling
  • Sweating
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • High blood pressure
  • Ringing or buzzing in the ear
  • Dry mouth
  • Hyperventilation

Psychological Symptoms

  • Panic attacks
  • Anxiety at the mention of aurora
  • Fear of getting hurt
  • Fear of death
  • Confusion, irritability, and mood swings

 

Treatment for Auroraphobia

There is no definitive treatment for specific phobias, including auroraphobia. However, there is a list of therapies you can use to overcome the fear of the northern lights. Why not first begin with self-help methods?

Self-Help

Realizing and accepting your medical state is the first step toward helping yourself. You know what you’re going through, and it is you who can help yourself best.

Keeping track of your triggers, symptoms, and panic episodes will help you track your progress. Additionally, you can keep track of the steps you take and the degree of improvement you see.

You can try relaxation techniques, such as breathing, yoga, meditation, counting from 100 to 1, and so on. These relaxation techniques help you calm down and rationalize your thoughts.

Exposure therapy is a professional therapy practice, but you are also free to try it. Begin by browsing photos of the northern lights and looking at them for a few seconds at a time. Encourage yourself to look at photos a little longer each session. If at the end of the session you still feel safe and calm, try watching a video of the aurora. If at any time you begin to feel anxious, pause the activity and try again another day.

 

Professional Therapy

If the self-help methods you’re relying on aren’t doing the trick, consider seeking professional help.

Mental health professionals are experts in the field. They carefully evaluate your state and define the best course of treatment.

A professional will help you get to the root of your phobia and desensitize you to the triggers using one or more of the following therapies:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
  • Exposure therapy
  • Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)

Medication

In severe cases, therapists may prescribe medication for a brief time.

Medication is taken alongside other therapy methods and tapered once the client starts responding to treatment. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs are generally used to help with the symptoms of the phobia.

 

How to Cope with Auroraphobia

Living with a phobia is not easy, and even after treatment, there is no guarantee you’ll completely overcome your phobia. However, you will feel better and be able to better manage your fear and symptoms.

Talk to someone you trust, try self-help methods, or seek professional treatment to lessen your fears.

 

Conclusion

Auroraphobia, the fear of the northern lights, can limit your life. However, you can take simple steps to manage your symptoms and lead a more normal life.

FearAZ.com is looking for personal stories of any 'fear of' or phobia. If you have an interesting story you'd like to share, we welcome your submission. If the story fits with our content and guidelines, we'll add it to our site.
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Your Fear Goes Up and Down

Are you someone who would rather climb the stairs than take the elevator? You call it squeezing in a workout after being sedentary the whole morning. Or perhaps you claim it's a faster route. These are both typical, normal, and acceptable reasons. But what if you need to be in the conference room on the eleventh floor in five minutes, and you're wearing your business suit and wingtips? Would you still prefer to take the stairs? If your answer is yes, then maybe it's time to take a closer look at your reasons for avoiding elevators. Elevators stir all sorts of emotions in passengers. From the discomfort of closeness to strangers to the sensations in our gut, elevators can be a source of the heebie-jeebies for many, but for some, they can also be a source of terror. Let's dig a little deeper into the latter, and see what this terror is all about and what can be done to manage it. To begin with, does being inside an elevator give you chills or the sweats? Or does it trigger an unpleasant memory? Perhaps you remember movies you've watched where something terrible happens inside an elevator. From Silence of the Lambs, The Shining, Final Destination 2, or the king of all elevator horror films, 2010’s Devil, the elevator becomes witness to something sinister and horrible. And you want nothing to do with any of it. You know that you're not claustrophobic. You can deal with heights just fine, too. And you know that you're not going to be trapped inside. All of these contribute to a fear of elevators—but they don't apply to you. Yet being inside one does something to you. It's hard to explain.

What is the Fear of Elevators Called?

What you have is a fear of elevators, which is called elevatophobia. It is most commonly triggered by an experience of getting stuck inside either due to a power outage or technical maintenance. Hearing about other people's experiences or watching a movie about similar circumstances can prompt a fear of elevators getting stuck with you inside. Usually, claustrophobics and agoraphobics may also develop elevatophobia because the triggers and objects of these fears are related. Claustrophobia is the fear of closed and cramped spaces, while agoraphobia is the fear of being trapped without any means of escape. Put the two together, and the elevator becomes the perfect combination of both phobias. The space is limited and closed, with only one means of entry and exit. You can add another point of access if you consider climbing the cables like they do in the movies, but that certainly isn't ideal.

Symptoms of Elevatophobia

If for some reason an elevator stops due to an outage or some technical difficulty, passengers with elevatophobia may go into full panic mode. Even if the maintenance team advises that it will just be a matter of minutes, by then, the person's mind has become irrational with the fear of the elevator falling, being stuck for hours, or other unpleasant thoughts. You would expect a person to exhibit the following physical symptoms: Additionally, you would be filled with that overwhelming anxiety where you feel that you have zero control over the situation. You start fearing the unknown and are filled with negative thoughts about death and imminent doom. You become irrational and unresponsive.

Possible Complications of Elevatophobia

When the panic sets in, the possibility of emergencies related to pre-existing conditions may make themselves known. This might include serious health crises like heart attacks or asthma attacks. When this happens, fear becomes a medical emergency. Elevator rides do not last long; it's just a matter of minutes or even less. But the fact that a person can escalate from panic to a near fatal medical situation classifies the fear of elevators as a 'hard phobia.'

Trying Some Self-Help Methods

Your fear of elevators can likely interfere with your social and work life and relationships. Not everyone understands that elevatophobia, like most phobias, can be crippling. But don't be disheartened. Depending on the level of your fear and level of control, you can gradually face and manage your phobia. Here are some recommendations you can try:
  1. Make a List of Everything that Entails Riding in an Elevator This is a systematic approach to getting over your anxiety. By following a step-by-step process, you can identify where the fear kicks in at its strongest. You can write a list of steps like pressing the topmost button and waiting to arrive on that floor, watching as the door closes and opens, being alone inside the elevator, or having delays with the doors opening. Now try doing the opposite. For example, face away from the door or occupy yourself with your phone so that you are distracted.
  2. Create Your Fear Ladder Although the name says fear of elevators, it is not the whole process that scares you. There are just phases and parts of the elevator riding experience that cause you to panic. So go back to the list you initially created and label the fear level you feel. You can do it numerically, too, like ten being 'really scary,' six, 'manageable scary,' and one, 'not scary at all.' You can put the corresponding fear levels so you can focus more time and effort into activities that are more scary to you.
  3. Face Your Fear By now, you have identified what scares you the most. You can try repetitive action to minimize your fear and increase your sense of ‘normalcy’. Remember that the longer you expose yourself to your fear, the better you get at handling your emotions. If you are feeling overwhelmed, stop. Pushing yourself too fast and too soon can backfire. Modify your pace and go slower instead.
  4. Talk About Your Fear People by nature, unfortunately, are not quick to offer understanding and support. You need to tell them what's wrong before they can empathize. Talk to someone who you trust and ask for their support, especially in the initial phase of overcoming your fear. If you are too afraid to ride the elevator alone, you can ask them to go with you, and before you realize it, you are on your floor, and there was no indication of panic.
  5. Learn To Be Patient Be patient with yourself and your predicament. This is, after all, your fight against fear. It might take hundreds of elevator ride practices before the fear gets under control. Even then, there might be some hesitations and episodes of nervousness. These are acceptable and expected, so cut yourself some slack and congratulate yourself for every progress.

Seeking Professional Help

Along with self-help, you can always enlist a medical professional's aid to support you with your elevatophobia. Talking to someone who has experience with similar cases can be comforting, because you know that you are not alone, and this situation can get better. Talk to your doctor about the severity of your fears and the symptoms that you experience. Explain how you deal with it in an attempt to control it. An exam and a health history are made to ensure that there are no unrelated or underlying problems that your symptoms might mask. Usually, phobias like this are approached with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. Your doctor will talk about these options with you, and it's entirely up to you, with your doctor's recommendation, what you want to pursue. For psychotherapy, the most common type is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which aims to help you find different ways of behaving, thinking, and reacting when about to step inside an elevator or when already inside it. With medications, there are beta blockers and benzodiazepines, but note that these can have side effects. Whatever these side effects are, you should promptly share it with your doctor.

Simple Tips to Overcome Elevatophobia

Elevators are not perfect, but their likelihood to malfunction, fall, or get stuck is very low. If you are not fully confident with this information, you can help overcome your elevatophobia by learning common elevator safety tips and basic elevator operations. These should help curb your mild fear until you become more self-assured. In addition to that, here are some of the things that you can do to gradually overcome your fear of elevators—both in getting on and riding one.

Conclusion

Yes, elevatophobia can be a challenge in today's world, but don't allow the elevator to win. Don't let it stop you from taking a job on the top floor or attending a social gathering on the rooftop. Sure, you can take the stairs if you insist and arrive winded and sweaty, with the party about to wrap up. But is this the quality of life you seek? Elevators are designed to make life easier. There are guaranteed ways to help you overcome elevatophobia. Take the first step and seek help. Soon, you’ll see yourself breezing through the floors with those arduous stair climbs little more than a memory.
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