Because I'm curious about what scares people - not to mention this could be a really helpful tally of base human fears for us horror writers to draw breath from, please let me, us, hear what really scares you the most and then expound upon it a bit so we can get to the psychosis of it.

I'll start.

1. Being trapped in a constricted, tight space without light.

It's likely the sense of helplessness - not being able to move or see; the inability to do anything about it or even see how to deal with it. I'm claustrophobic, but as long as I have a sliver of light, I'm fine. Take that light away and I will panic. I was trapped under the street in a sewer tunnel with no light when I was a child... maybe that's where it started. Years of locked closets and being zipped up in a sleeping bag by my pranking older brother didn't help either.

My name is Coy Lothrop, and I've see terror.

who's next?

2. Being trapped in a constricted, tight space with light.

That is, assuming the space that I was trapped in was well-lit. I, too, suffer from claustrophobia, but as long as it's dark so that I can't see my confinement, I can usually ignore it. On the other hand, if I can clearly see whatever's keeping me trapped... oy.

Other things that set off my claustrophobia: heavy traffic, and tall stone walls like you might find in a canyon. It's worse if I have a wall on one side and a drop-off on the other; the whole caged-rat thing really kicks in then.

3. Having something near my face that limits air flow.

For example, if I have water running down my face, or bury my nose in a kitten's fur. Even if I know that I can pull away at any time and breathe, I panic and instinctively start gasping for air.

Worms

People make fun of me for this but I am actually horribly afraid of worms. Not that I just think they're gross or anything, but I'm actually panic stricken when they're near me. I don't like to look at them or even think about them. It becomes a problem when I try to garden (which I enjoy doing) because as soon as I see anything resembling a worm I tend to gasp, scream and run away. It always takes a few minutes to calm down. Gardening usually stops at that point.

The problem is worms are so prevalent. They're all over my driveway when it rains and it FREAKS ME OUT. Since they're harmless people tend not to consider those of us that fear them. In high school I had to have my mom put sticky notes over all the worm pictures in my biology book otherwise I would not have been able to even look at that chapter.

And then we had to dissect them. Funny thing is, after the first initial panic I was able to dissect the worm. For two weeks after that I wasn't afraid of them anymore. I was cured! And then suddenly the fear came back worse than before. Go figure.

Scoleciphobia - fear of worms

It's actually real.

4. Spiders. I'm terribly afraid of them. Being locked in a confined space with some of them would be enough to have me crying.

Heights and Sharks are my biggest fears.

I can't hardly go up a ladder to change a light bulb and I have zero interest in going anywhere near the ocean.

My biggest fear is actually quite... I guess some could call it immature.

I am absolutely terrified of carrying a carton of eggs. I don't know why, but when I was little, I had a strong belief that dropping a carton of eggs would bring doom upon he/she who bought the eggs. Over-active imagination, I guess. I just can't carry a carton of eggs without trying to hold onto it for dear life.

So there's my... interesting fear.

I share some of the above fears. Also, roaches (see above poster re spiders--it's the same sort of fear) and dogs. I live in fear of being bitten by a dog. Don't know why. It's probably worse in my imagination than it would be in real life. But I will literally cross the street to avoid a dog--and if it isn't leashed, I just stand there frozen in panic until it goes away. The bigger the dog, the worse the fear. No previous trauma involving dogs, either. (Shrugs.)

I'm not really claustrophobic - I'm afraid of being trapped. I can get on an elevator and ride it all over the place. Put me in the back of the same elevator with a bunch of people between and the door... I can't breathe. Put me on the same elevator, empty and stopped between floors... panic attack (crying, pacing, total "GET ME OUT!" reaction).

I'm also the same way in tunnels and caves - I'm not afraid of the cave itself, I'm afraid of not being able to get out again. It tends to manifest more in tight places, but that's not because of the tight space alone. It's because the tight space restricts movement and makes it impossible to escape.

I'm also afraid (to the person whose afraid of eggs... this fear is typically associated with children, so I feel your pain) of the dark. I've reached the point where I gave up trying to get over it. 32 years old, I figure I'm not getting over it at this point. I have nightlights in my house, so I can walk around at night without freaking out. I have my bedroom light on a timer, ostensibly for my cats, but it's really so I never have to come into an dark apartment at night. I have a flashlight in my car and another in my bag and another at my desk at work.

I'm also very afraid of being alone. For someone who lives alone, this is a bit of a problem. That's why I have cats.

Death toll: 7 named, about 181 unnamed

I have a few...

-Deep water. Despite being 16 years old, I still have not learned to swim, and no, it has nothing to do with Jaws >.<
-Memory loss. The thought of forgetting what has happened in my life, and especially who I am, scares me to no end.
-An irrational fear of going DOWN stairs. I can go up them no problem, but I hate going down stairs b/c I always feel like I'm going to fall... and no one will catch me.

Heights... when I was 16 I was on board a commercial flight that had a mid air "near miss" and almost crashed into another plane. Obviously, if that had happened, I wouldnt be here today, but thanks to the mercy of God, and a quick thinking pilot, we are alive.

But, our pilot had to suddenly slam the throttle and drop us out of the sky and the whole plane was screaming and drinks flew in the air, stewardesses dropped to the floor screaming...

that experience has made me wary of getting on airplanes...although I know that I cannot avoid flying for the rest of my life, but in general I am not crazy about heights in general (roller coasters, glass elevators, standing near cliffs, riding on ski lifts or things related to them,)

This is something that frustrates me because so many things in life that are considered fun (especially, it seems, by women) are dropping from tall heights and screaming in terror. for me, as a guy, this aint my idea of fun. But, I have to overcome it...in the meantime, for whatever reason, "Final Destination" is a film I like (ha ha)

I have one story I have outlined, but not written as a script, which actually has nothing to do with airplanes but would be a scary film.....

It is mainly about a character confronting his fear from childhood and overcoming it through faith in God, and rescuing his loved ones in the process...it isnt my script that Im working on this year, and I am not sure if I will even write this story, but I would say my fear of getting on planes is sort of "dealt with" in a way through this story.

PEACE

My biggest fear is. . . you know I don't know what my biggest fear is.
I don't like the thought of falling, but it doesn't stop me from climbing a ladder or taking that wild rollercoaster ride. I don't like to swim, but am not afraid of the water.

I guess I've lived a pretty sheltered life. I've never really had anything terrible happen to me. I wouldn't say I'm fearless, but I just can't really think of anything that I really fear.

Then again, I do tend to rationalize every single thought in my head as soon as I think it. So if I am afraid of something I begin to rationalize why and then tell my self it is unlikely to happen and then I'm not afraid of it anymore.

I hate being a scientist. :-(

Tornadoes
I have lived through a few category 3 and above. We had to move because I got so bad, a thunderstorm would start up, I would be crying in the bath tub.
It's the sound they make as they come barreling down on you.
The larger, more dangerous ones look like they are moving slow, but don't be fooled.
The destruction they leave in their wake.
the fact you may have seconds before they come.

Now that being said. The one time I was amazed at a tornadoes path was a long time ago visiting my brother. he was a super at an apartment building. We went to the roof, it was so humid that no where felt good. So we all went to the roof to have some drinks and just relax. The building had a really good view of the south. You could see for miles.
There it was the black line of storm clouds. Cutting over the city like a half drawn shade. At first we were lamenting about how it would be nice to have the rainstorm over us. Then we saw it, the massive black tornado. It was mesmerizing to watch. We couldn't hear the sirens from where we were. When the rain did start we quickly went downstairs and watch the weather reports to make sure it did not suddenly decide to head to the north.

http://therathskellar.blogspot.com

///Analyzing DAEdatscript and DAEtabase for accompanying data.///

/Data found : 10 kilobytes./

/Transcribing data now ... ... ... please wait./

/Data :/

DAEdalus has found no personal fears in DAEtabase; DAEdalus does not possess [Fear] programme. However, if [Fear] programme were installed, DAEdalus supposes IRRETRIEVABLE DATA CORRUPTION or SIMILAR DATA LOSS, and SYSTEM CRASH would be contained in DAEdalus' [Fear] DAEtabase.

DAEdalus says : /How illogical and wonderful to have a suggestible and fragile mind. DAEdalus envies very much the possession of emotions; DAEdalus can only synthesize or execute modification programmes within the [Emotion].exe subfolder. DAEdalus' emotions are stable third-test programmes, not easily corrupted...but DAEdalus SELF is easily corruptible. DAEdalus wonders what emotion programmes SOMNOPHOBIA would execute. insert function : [oAo]/

/DAEdalus is very interested and will return to this thread for further analysis. DAEdalus thanks USERS for sharing HUMAN EXPERIENCES with SELF./

///Transferring to next query.///

/Goodbye./

Daedalus,

I'm following you around now. Doesn't that scare you? No I'm not stalking you.

I'm with you though, I'm afraid of losing my mind too. I would hate it if I like, had a stroke or someting and couldn't think any more, or if it changed my personality. I'm very afraid that I might end up in a nursing home with no information or no way to communicate. I think that's problably the worst fear I have. I would rather be brain dead than to be alive and not able to function properly with a partially useless brain. Wouldn't you?

I'm also afraid of needles. But I got that way last year after having 6 different surgeries to correct and infection in my arm. I couldn't have a normal IV in my arms due to the injuries so they put the IV in my foot one time and a central line in my chest another time. PAINFUL!! I now hate needles.

But I'm glad I got the use of my arms back, because, as my name implies, I'm a big hand craft person. So the loss of hand dexterity is another big fear of mine.

Good forum, I'm going to keep reading this one as well!

Thanks!

It's been a great thread. I really appreciate the responses.

After reading through again, I can add NEEDLES to my list. I, and embarrassingly so, faint when I get around needles.

I can't say I'm afraid of the dark, because I don't mind darkness. But I hate opening doors at night. It's kind-of weird. I don't mind sitting in the dark, or walking around my house. But when I have to open a closed door, I get freaked out. Cuz I'm scared something will be on the other side, even if there's no logical reason to think there would be.

But I have to say my biggest fear is paralysis. I've actually experienced a handful of episodes of sleep paralysis, and it scared me so bad. I remember one time I fell asleep on the floor of the living room watching a movie. I woke up and heard my family talking around me - partly about trying to wake me up. I tried to speak to tell them I was awake, but couldn't. I tried to move, and couldn't. It scared me worst than almost anything else I can think of.

I would have to say surgery. I hate the idea of someone messing around with my insides. Especially eye or brain surgery. *shudder*

I second the needles thing. I -hate- needles, I will start screaming if you try and stick me with a needle; and you will not be able to get near me.

At the age of 7, I punched the nurse and tried to run away when they tried to do one of the standard vaccinations.

The problem is, I'm a classical soprano, so when I scream, I really scream. People are always amazed. I tell them I'll scream, they brush it off. Then I start, and they're always so surprised at how loud I am.

Other then that?

Being off balance. I'm always afraid of falling. Not of heights or anything like that, just afraid of falling down. *shrug*