Necrophobia

This article is about the fear of dead things. For the fear of dying, see Death anxiety. For the 2014 film, see Necrofobia.

Necrophobia
Human skulls.
SpecialtyPsychology

Necrophobia is a specific phobia, the irrational fear of dead organisms (e.g., corpses) as well as things associated with death (e.g., coffins, tombstones, funerals, cemeteries). With all types of emotions, obsession with death becomes evident in both fascination and objectification.[1] In a cultural sense, necrophobia may also be used to mean a fear of the dead by a cultural group, e.g., a belief that the spirits of the dead will return to haunt the living.[2]

The sufferer may experience this sensation all the time, or when something triggers the fear, like a close encounter with a dead animal or the funeral of a loved one or friend.[3] The word necrophobia is derived from the Greek nekros (νεκρός) for "corpse" and the Greek phobos (φόβος) for "fear".[4]

  1. ^ Woods, Timothy J. (July 2007). "Death in Contemporary Western Culture". Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations. 18 (3): 333–343. doi:10.1080/09596410701396071. S2CID 143702616.
  2. ^ Tsaliki, Anastasia (2008). Murphy, Eileen M. (ed.). Unusual Burials and Necrophobia: An Insight into the Burial Archaeology of Fear – Deviant Burial in the Archaeological Record. Oxbow Books. ISBN 978-1-84217-338-1. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Necrophobia". ThinkQuest. Oracle Education Foundation. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2010.[unreliable source?]
  4. ^ Thomas, Clayton L., M.D., M.P.H. (1993). Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Edition 18. F.A. Davis. ISBN 0-8036-0194-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)