I get up well before sunrise each day and for more than four years I pause each morning to simply look up at the stars. Brilliant pin pricks of light that speak to the vastness of space and the impressive size of the universe. The sight that fills me with wonder often fills others with dread. To be clinically diagnosed as having a fear of stars is called
Siderophobia.
While many people might join me in celebrating the immense size of the universe the same cannot be said for others who view the size of the universe as a threat to their own safety and comfort.
What Causes Siderophobia?
It may be that philosophical thinking is to blame for some of the fears people experience when looking at the stars. Compared to a single cell organism an ant is huge, but compared to a dog the ant is small. In the same way compared to an ant a human is huge, but in comparison to planet earth we aren’t even noticed. Our world is huge, but in comparison to the universe we are something close to a speck of dust. So as we gaze out on the incredible space of our universe we can be left feeling small and, dare I say, unimportant.
A separate core fear that is often associated with Siderophobia is simply the fear of being exposed or out of control. We like to have control over the things around us, yet in comparison to the stars and universe we have no more control than an ant attempting to drive a car. This can leave us anxious especially if we are type A personalities.
Symptoms of Siderophobia
Individuals with this fear might routinely draw their curtains closed as darkness approaches. They will not want to venture outside at night and they work to find distractions that will keep them from considering all that is beyond our atmosphere.
Other symptoms may include…
- Air hunger
- Trembling
- Panic attacks
- Sweating
- Nausea
- Fainting
- Feeling as though you are losing your mind
It can become overwhelming to feel as if you are smothered in something so large as the sky and stars. It’s impressive, but can leave you feeling diminished.
How to Overcome Siderophobia
Understanding your place in association with the world around you is important. It makes sense to have an accurate perception of who you are and what influence you have in the world around you. It’s hard to think of yourself as overly important when you see how big everything is in comparison and yet you can have value and importance to those people around you. You can give and receive love, you can make a difference in someone’s life and you can enjoy what you have and determine how to use it.
A therapist can help you learn how to accurately filter who you are with your own sphere of influence. You may be able to discover there is more to be concerned about than the size of the sky above you – and even that is ‘small stuff’.
The fear of stars is also referred to as:
- Star fear
- Fear of celestial bodies
- Siderophobia