Fear Of Tombstones

A tombstone is a marking place. It is also a way of honoring the memory of someone who has passed on. In medieval Ireland, Celtic crosses and High crosses were used as tombstones. Often, they would be decorated with careful knot work and animal symbols that carried hidden meanings. Today, tombstones can be in almost any shape or form, but they always trigger the same emotions. When someone develops a phobia about tombstones, it is referred to by the Latin name, Placophobia.

Why Are Tombstones Feared?

When we see lines of tombstones on cemetery grounds, we are reminded that nothing is forever. Life can be beautiful or it can be unkind, but it must always end. This truth is uncomfortable for almost anyone. When faced with the sight of tombstones marking the resting places of the dead, we are unable to turn our minds away from the reality of our own human life cycle.

Tombstones can also make us very sad. To lose a loved one is one of the hardest things a person can experience. A tombstone of any sort can trigger memories that are bittersweet. It is easy to become melancholy when faced with gravestones. It is almost impossible to avoid painful memories of someone’s death when we are around tombstones.

Inscriptions Can Trigger Fears

Most tombstones carry messages in the form of inscriptions. There may be an engraved verse of a poem that has some special meaning to the person who has passed, or to their family. Whatever words are chosen, they are always laden with meaning and emotion. While some inscriptions are uplifting messages of faith in God and everlasting life, they may still make those with Placophobia uneasy.

If someone lacks the faith in God and everlasting life that others share, they may find the prospect of death unbearable. To go back into the earth and be buried in the cold ground may seem cruel beyond words. Those who believe in an afterlife may be less likely to develop Placophobia, because they are secure in their faith. For those who see death as a true end to the life of the body and the soul, the grave may be fearful indeed. The tombstone that marks the place of rest will be a source of tremendous anxiety.

People with Placophobia may be bothered more by certain types of tombstones. For example, the tombstones frequently used as props in horror films and spooky television programs may be more apt to cause consternation. Think of Halloween decorations you might find on someone’s lawn – the sorts of cardboard “tombstones” you see then are often the type that cause the most trepidation.

Some tombstones can be very beautiful, and these works of art may not cause as much anxiety. Here is a picture of an Irish graveyard, where crosses mark final resting places. As you can see, these artfully crafted stone crosses are also works of art.

Placophobia may have something to do with the use of the “Halloween” style of tombstone in films with dark themes. Pet Semetery, a film adapted from Stephen King’s novel, is one example of a movie that used a tombstone for dramatic effect. There are various posters and promotional pictures for the film, and most of them use tombstones or cross grave markers.

Another horror film, Pumpkinhead, has a pivotal scene that takes place iin a cemetery. The main character goes to a graveyard at night and digs up the remains of Pumpkinhead, summoning his spirit into resurrection. For the impressionable, such scenes may trigger the fear of tombstones. Children who watch films that would be better left to adults may develop this phobia. It is important to pay attention to ratings on films, and to protect your child from horror films that are beyond their maturity.

Symptoms

Those who fear tombstones will avoid any places they are present. They may be reluctant to attend funerals, even though it is appropriate for them to attend, if they must go to the cemetery itself. Some people with Placophobia report feelings of doom, terror, and sadness when confronted with the stone markers. They also suffer from panic attack symptoms, such as racing heartbeat and nausea.

Treatment

Therapy may help the Placophobia deal with their anxieties and emotions. It’s important to talk to a qualified psychologist or other mental health care professional. A course of anti-depressants may be prescribes to relieve tension and ease physical symptoms.

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