12 Gigantic Things That People With Megalophobia Just Can’t Stomach

We’re all scared of something. Whether you have nightmares where you find yourself trapped on top of a skyscraper or you shriek every time a spider crawls by, you’re far from the first person to be straddled with that fear. There are dozens of phobias out there that you may not have even heard of.

Are you familiar with megalophobia? This is the extreme fear of large objects, and there’s an entire subreddit dedicated to sharing photos that will trigger it. So enjoy scrolling through the photos below, whether you consider yourself to be a megalophobe or not, and be sure to upvote the ones you find most unsettling!

12 PHOTOS

#1 Clouds Called Undulatus Asperatus Were Spotted In Gorham, New Hampshire

#2 This Looks Like The Cover For A Movie

#3 Tokyo Flood Tunnels

While I don’t personally have megalophobia myself, I can certainly understand why others might. It’s not exactly pleasant to imagine myself as a tiny ant next to a massive ship, building, mountain, or whale. Lots of people around the world either have this phobia or are captivated by images of it, as the Megalophobia subreddit has amassed over 949K members.

This community is a great place to be exposed to images and videos of massive things if you’re trying to conquer your fear. Or, if you just want to learn more about some of the huge objects out there in the world, you’ll certainly find plenty of interesting pics! We’re big fans of this group at Pictolic and have covered it several times in the past. It seems like they’ll never run out of colossal content!

#4 Megalophobia And Thalassophobia: You're Welcome!

#5 Mount Saint Michel

#6 The Pacific Ocean

If you’ve never heard of megalophobia before today, that’s completely understandable. After all, it’s not a word that most people are throwing around in daily conversation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this phobia is “a type of anxiety disorder in which a person experiences intense fear of large objects.”

Things that typically trigger megalophobia might be tall buildings, large statues and monuments, huge or vast formations in nature (for example, mountains, lakes, oceans or volcanoes), massive ships, large vehicles such as buses or trains, vast spaces like stadiums and massive animals. And while it’s impossible to know exactly how many people struggle with megalophobia, the Cleveland Clinic notes that between 7 to 10% of the population has a specific phobia.

#7 Statue Of Bodhisattva Kannon

#8 If Andromeda Was Brighter This Is How Big It Would Appear In The Night Sky. Reminder This Is Heading Towards Us At A Speed Of 300km A Second

#9 The Coast Of Namibia

Now, you may be wondering if you have megalophobia yourself but just never knew there was a name for it. If you feel intense fear and have anxiety around large objects, you may be a megalophobe. You might also have a rapid heartbeat or shortness of breath when you see something massive. Other symptoms include feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling nauseous or having a strong desire to get away from the huge object as soon as you can. 

#10 The Motherland Calls Statue In Volgograd

#11 Setenil De Las Bodegas, Spain. A Town Built Under A Rock

#12 Coast Of England

When it comes to what causes megalophobia to develop, Medical News Today notes that it’s not always easy to pinpoint the root cause. It could have been past trauma involving a huge object or a vast space, or it could just be learned behavior from seeing how others react to massive objects. For example, if your parents were always terrified of huge things, they might have unintentionally passed that fear onto you. Genetic factors and cultural influences can also be at play.