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Ophidiophobia (/ ə ˌ f ɪ d i oʊ ˈ f oʊ b i ə /), or ophiophobia (/ ˌ oʊ f i oʊ ˈ f oʊ b i ə /), is fear of snakes. It is sometimes called by the more general term herpetophobia, fear of reptiles. The word comes from the Greek words "ophis" (ὄφις), snake, and "phobia" (φοβία) meaning fear. [1]
The concept of snakes being a special threat to humans has been confirmed by population-based studies. Ophidiophobia (phobia of snakes) is one of the most common and intense phobias among the general population. Furthermore, a study reported that around 50% of people experience dreams about snakes. [5] [dead link ]
The anthropologist Lynne Isbell has argued that, as primates, the serpent as a symbol of death is built into our unconscious minds because of our evolutionary history.. Isbell argues that for millions of years snakes were the only significant predators of primates, and that this explains why fear of snakes is one of the most common phobias worldwide and why the symbol of the serpent is so ...
One famous snake that was able to transform back and forth between a snake and a human being was Madam White Snake in the Legend of the White Snake. Other snakes or snake-like beings sometimes include deities, such as Fuxi and Nüwa and Gong Gong. Sometimes, Fuxi and Nuwa are described as snakes with human heads and sometimes as humans with ...
The Buddha, represented by the Bodhi tree, attended by animals, Sanchi vihara. The position and treatment of animals in Buddhism is important for the light it sheds on Buddhists' perception of their own relation to the natural world, on Buddhist humanitarian concerns in general, and on the relationship between Buddhist theory and Buddhist practice.
Mammals living in the African savannah are far more afraid of hearing a human voice than a lion’s growl, according to a new study that may lead to better strategies to steer animals away from ...
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 15 January 2025. Fear or disgust of objects with repetitive patterns of small holes or protrusions. Not to be confused with Trypanophobia. The holes in lotus seed heads elicit feelings of discomfort or repulsion in some people. Trypophobia is an aversion to the sight of repetitive patterns or clusters of ...
Cultural attitudes to reptiles include a widespread fear, sometimes extending to phobia, especially of snakes; [2] Carl Sagan suggested that the fear may be ancestral, [85] [2] and it is indeed shared by other primates. [2] In the US, 12% of men and 38% of women feared snakes; along with spiders, this is the most common phobia in Western societies.