The society in which we live is full of congestion, demands and parameters, to such a degree that we often feel forced to comply with its requirements and we fill ourselves with social pressures that are absurd. Because of this, there is room for a multitude of psychological problems that become common. Stress, anxiety, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorders have been gaining ground in modernity. But, among the problems of development and interaction between human beings, phobias occupy a special place. There are common phobias, such as acrophobia or arachnophobia, but there are also rarer phobias, such as chrometophobia or turophobia. Scopophobia, which we want to talk to you about today in , belongs to the first group and is about the fear of being observed. Join us to discover everything about this phobia!
Do you know the definition of what a phobia is? It is nothing more than the sick version of fear. As human beings, feeling fear allows us to put our body on alert and helps us react to possible threats and dangers. But when we have a phobia, an extreme fear of issues that generally have no real potential to harm us is unleashed within us. This is precisely what the fear of being observed is all about. No one has, with a single glance, the power to cause harm to another. However, People who suffer from this phobia are convinced that there is something like the evil eye, and that feeling the persistent gaze of another being can be an agent of threat. Let’s look in depth at what Scopophobia is.
What is Scopophobia?
It might seem to us that the issue of phobias is something modern, that has emerged within a society that no longer has to worry about hunting for food or surviving outdoors. However, historical data seem to reveal the opposite, at least in some cases. When we talk about what Scopophobia is, we find a pathology that was already described by the Ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates, in the 400th century BC. The wise man mentioned the case of a young man who was so shy that «he loved the darkness as if it were the light» and «thought that every man was watching him.»
The term Scopophobia comes from the Greek «skopeō» and «phobos.» The first word means «to look at» or «to examine» and the second «fear.» What happens to those who suffer from Scopophobia is that they are terrified of being seen or looked at by others. As a consequence, he will try to flee or at least cover his face with his hands to avoid eye contact. Physically, you may experience tremors, flushing, babbling, or severe muscle tension. Psychologists affirm that a large part of the population suffers from this phobia to a greater or lesser extent, but they manage to overcome it.
Among its most relevant associated manifestations is Glosophobia or fear of speaking in public. Also the extreme fear of carrying out any type of activity in which one will be the center of attention. And here we find very diverse situations, which can range from having to present a piano concert, to simply being presented to an unknown person.
What are the causes of fear of being observed?
Getting closer to understanding what Scopophobia is means also delving into the causes that generate it. The fear of being observed is considered a social phobia, that is, an anxiety disorder that occurs in the social sphere., like a specific phobia. In this sense, exacerbated fear leads the affected subject to avoid contact with that object or that specific situation. Among the most common causes that can trigger Scopophobia, we have the following:
- People who have experienced a traumatic event of public ridicule in childhood, They have a greater tendency to develop Scopophobia in adulthood. Also those who went through episodes of Bullying, especially triggered by their physical characteristics.
- People who suffer from any visible malformation or physical ailment, They also usually develop this phobia of being observed. It occurs as a psychological effect associated with shyness, shame and fear of being rejected or despised.
- Finally, The fear of being observed can become recurrent in people who suffer from epilepsy or Tourette syndrome. (a neurological condition in which the patient has tics or vocalizations) Now, in this case the fear is fundamentally associated with the embarrassment of having an attack in public, where they could become the center of attention.
Scopophobia in celebrities
Talking about what Scopophobia is is not just referring to people with physical ailments or some specific trauma that has not been overcome. Also in the exclusive world of celebrities we find pathologies of this type. Among the phobias of celebrities, we find the curious case of the American actress and model Kim Basinger. Devoting herself to this profession, and being possessed of outstanding beauty, everyone would find it difficult to believe that this woman ever suffered from the fear of being observed.
But the reality is that the actress herself has said that in her childhood she was an extremely shy person, who lived in shame. So much so that when she started working and being recognized on the streets, her condition worsened. At the age of twenty, while in a crowded supermarket, the young woman suffered her first panic attack., after which she spent six months locked up at home. With psychological therapy she managed to overcome this uncomfortable condition.
Between Scopophobia and the Evil Eye
Have you heard about the evil eye? Well, it is a popular belief that is closely linked to Scopophobia. It is the superstition that A person, just by posing his gaze with bad intentions, can cause some type of damage, suffering, illness or bad luck to another being. The extreme fear of the evil eye makes believers seek to protect themselves with different types of amulets, which they say can trap bad energy and eliminate its effect.
And you, Have you heard about what Scopophobia is? Did you know that the fear of being observed also has an esoteric side? If the topic of strange phobias catches your attention, we leave you with this interesting article about Coulrophobia or the fear of clowns.