KUDOS Halloween 2016 | Page 20

Creepy Dolls

Are you one of those people who has a fear of dolls, puppets, marionettes, or other human-like toys? Does just the thought of being in a dark room with one of these objects make your skin crawl? Does it unsettle you? Do you feel the need to turn them so they don ' t " look " at you, stick them in a closet, or completely remove them from the room?
Where does this fear come from? Is it due to a bad childhood experience? Is it because of the influence of television, movies and books? Are old myths and legends of " the Little People " at the root of this fear? Or is it due to a deeper, more ancient genetic fear, now lost in the mists of time?
Phobias associated with dolls and similar toys...
• Pediophobia- fear of dolls
• Pupaphobia- fear of puppets and marionettes
• Automatonophobia- fear of ventriloquist dummies, mannequins, wax figures
• Teletubbiephobia- yes, believe it or not, peole have coined this phrase!
• Achondroplasiaphobia, also called Nanosophobia or Lollypopguildophobia- fear of midgets or little people. Included because for some people this seems to be tied to a fear of dolls.
The word Pediophobia comes from the Greek words‘ Paidion’ which means‘ little child.' and‘ Phobos,’ which means fear or dread. Many adult who sufferer from Pediophobia are also known to fear little children.
Some people with this phobia have been known to experience a full blown anxiety attack when in the presence of dolls, puppets, mannequins and other human-like figures. The long term effects of this embarrassing reaction, especially in public, can be devastating.
The following physical and psychological symptoms may also occur:
• Rapid breathing
• Elevated heartbeat
• Dry mouth. Feeling like being choked to death
• Shivering, trembling
• Freezing on the spot
• Crying, screaming, trying to flee etc.
Paranormal Journeys, a television talk show about paranormal topics, devoted an entire segment discussing creepy dolls and people ' s fear of them. The show is almost an hour long and well worth watching if you are interested in learning more about this fascinating topic.
http:// cmac. tv / show /? id = 1537
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