Arachnophobia

[communard resolution]

When I was a kid, I had no problem seeking out the biggest and fattest spiders with the longest legs, touching them, letting them crawl over my hand, and if I was in a nasty mood pulling out their legs. They could never defend themselves in any way.

Today I wouldn't do any of that anymore - I'm mildly arachnophobic. Since I can't remember ever being bitten by a spider, this would indicate that arachnophobia is cultural rather than a natural defense mechanism. Any thoughts?

[Jazzratt]

Today I wouldn't do any of that anymore - I'm mildly arachnophobic. Since I can't remember ever being bitten by a spider, this would indicate that arachnophobia is cultural rather than a natural defense mechanism. Any thoughts?

Well, I don't know about cultural but it could be considered some sort of psychological defect. It could be caused by some forgotten trauma too - I'm absolutely terrified of spiders but I wasn't always - I used to collect plastic spiders (which are now my absolute top fear) and apparently I started doing so after a shelf full of them fell on me - but I don't recall the event at all.

The fact people can and do recover from various phobias (and by extension arachnophobia), to me, is strong evidence that they are psychological defects rather than either in built defence mechanisms or cultural phenomena. Also, most of them are poor defence mechanisms because they can and do make people act in a way that endangers or immobilises them, not all that useful.

Those are my thoughts anyway.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

The cultural/psychological explanation sounds about right.

Having never been arachnophobic, I find it really hard to understand. The vast majority of the world's spiders are completely harmless - the small ones can't even penetrate human skin, let alone deliver venom that endangers life. Yeah, they look and move in an utterly inhuman manner, but then so do most arthropods. A general phobia of arthropods I could understand, but the specific fear of spiders alone baffles me.

I don't know if this counts as a phobia, but maggots and similar creatures induce strong feelings of revulsion and nausea within me. I don't want those fuckers anywhere near me.

[Dean]

I believe I read of a study before that showed that infants were frightened of snakes and spiders.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I believe I read of a study before that showed that infants were frightened of snakes and spiders.

I suspect that could be something one grows out of rather than actual arachnophobia.

[Dean]

I suspect that could be something one grows out of rather than actual arachnophobia.

Right, it doesn't qualify as a pathology yet.

[communard resolution]

Hey! I just checked arachnophobia on Wiki. It says that


For example, there are no deadly spiders native to central and northern Europe that could exert an evolutionary pressure, yet that is where the strongest fear for spiders began[citation needed (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)], suggesting cultural learning. In contrast, many non-European cultures generally do not fear spiders, and for some communities such as in Papua New Guinea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papua_New_Guinea) and South America (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America) (except Chile (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chile)), spiders are included in traditional foods

[Holden Caulfield]

un-conscious immatation of the reactions of others perhaps,

[Sentinel]

I'm not afraid of spiders, but am utterly disgusted by them and other insects as well. I think most humans have somehow instictively difficult to like what we don't understand -- the more different a species is from us, the harder it is to feel empathy towards it.

I am however fascinated by the complexity of the societies of some eusocial insects. The only insects I do fear are wasps and ticks, but that has at least partly rational reasons; wasps are aggressive and venomous, while ticks around here spread diseases such as borelia.

This has been a really bad wasp summer, they're everywhere. Really annoying when the weather is nice and you'd like to relax on the cliffs with a good book, but can't be left alone by wasps for 5 fucking minutes.

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Wasps irritate me greatly. They're like the bandits of the insect world. "Hand over the sugar or we'll sting you repeatedly!".

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

I became scared of low flying birds when i was 9 just after finding out my mother was.

[Sentinel]

Wasps irritate me greatly. They're like the bandits of the insect world. "Hand over the sugar or we'll sting you repeatedly!".


Exactly. Why can't they be like their cousins, bees and bumblebees? Those just fly from flower to flower peacefully and never start buzzing around humans provocatively.

I think one reason to this difference might be that bees and bumblebees have hooked stingers which are ripped off and left in the wound when they sting mammals, while wasps have straight ones -- and can sting repeatedly. The little wankers know it, and enjoy it.

[KrazyRabidSheep]

I like spiders.

There's a big one that's been making (and remaking) this huge, beautiful web by my one friend's shed for a few weeks now. Last week it even had babies (little spiders all over the shed and an empty egg-sack.)

What I don't like are cockroaches. I don't fear them, per say, but they disgust me more then anything else I can think of (and I've seen some pretty disgusting things.)

I'm inclined to believe that phobias are (at least significantly) due to learned behaviour, because my mother is deathly afraid of roaches.

[Dr Mindbender]

i dont think it has to be a spider which starts the phobia.

You may have had a frightening experience with a different animal or object which resembled a spider.

[Dr Mindbender]

Wasps irritate me greatly. They're like the bandits of the insect world. "Hand over the sugar or we'll sting you repeatedly!".

they have one redeeming quality; they eat flies.

Flies are the scum of the insect world. Dirty shit eating bastards.

[Dystisis]

I would say it is probably something that has developed through ages of people being naturally afraid of spiders (because they can be dangerous, in many areas of the world). So there is something in how the brain has developed that is connected to this.

However, I have no doubts triggering this could be done through social contact, or cultural conditioning. An example, I think my mom is the person who made me afraid of spiders. I watched her reaction, so I became afraid as well.

[Lynx]

I like spiders :) Wilhelm Liebknech preferred flies. To each his own
Edit: I enjoy killer spider movies too :)

[mikelepore]

I have heard that many people are comfortable seeing only animals that have two or four legs. Therefore they displeased to see insects (six legs), arachnids (eight) and snakes (zero).

[JimmyJazz]

What I don't like are cockroaches. I don't fear them, per say, but they disgust me more then anything else I can think of (and I've seen some pretty disgusting things.)

I used to have a huge fear of June Bugs (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=june+bugs&aq=f&oq=), and a pretty massive dislike for cockroaches (like, I would probably have gone to school without breakfast if I ever woke up and found one in the middle of my kitchen floor).

Nowadays I can't say there is any insect that really bothers me. I guess if I found a flea/bedbug/louse I would be pretty grossed out, but that's kind of rational.

[Red October]

I've never had much arachnophobia, unless they're a big nasty one and they're really close. I used to have a horrible fear of camel crickets when they lived all over my basement, but now it's grown into more of a disgust towards them. I don't get freaked out and scared of them anymore. As for cockroaches, I'm totally indifferent towards them. I sometimes see them in my house and I don't really mind unless there's lots, though of course I'd rather them not be there. I don't even try to swat them, I just let them go.They're very predictable, they don't bite, and they don't jump at you.

[Sentinel]

You may have had a frightening experience with a different animal or object which resembled a spider.


Could you please expand on this? :confused:

[Oneironaut]

I have been frightened of spiders for as long as I can remember. It was to the extent that one of my friends in grade school hid a plastic spider inside my peanut butter sandwhich and when i noticed it my entire school heard my scream from the cafeteria. On the contrary, I have a particular fascination with wasps. We likewise had a real bad summer for wasps in Nebraska for wasps and one happened to die in my apartment parking lot and i got the chance to examine it closely, it was fucking hardcore looking.

[spice756]

I don't have problem with spiders , but I hate webs it feels funny.

I don't have problem if the spiders goes on me if I'm awake but not in my room if I'm sleeping.

No webs in the house :(out side okay.I hate big animals they can do harm to me.I have fear of some big dogs .

[counterblast]

I definately have arachnophobia.

When I was a child, my brothers had a camel spider for a pet... One time it got out and my cat killed it, and left it on my bed in the middle of the night. When I woke up there was a giant, mutilated spider carcass lying on my arm.

Probably the most terrifying moment of my life.