When I stood underneath the Eiffel Tower and looked up at the massive structure, the only thing I could think of was how it would feel if all that iron came crashing down on me. But sometimes, when you feel like a tiny speck of dust in front of something gigantic, destructive thoughts can’t be stopped.
Or it’s just your megalophobia finally showing itself. This fear of huge objects might not be common, but it is very real. When netizens shared images of ginormous things that give them the heebie-jeebies, we compiled them for you. As you go through these terrifying pictures, you might also discover whether you have megalophobia or not!
#1 Mitsubushi Cement Plant Kyushu, Japan
Image source: Additional_Ask_28111
#2 In West Texas, Storm Chaser Laura Rowe Captured This Fantastic Shot Of A Mature Supercell Thunderstorm, Illuminated At Varying Heights By The Setting Sun
Image source: PacquiaoFreeHousing
#3 On May 18, 1980, Richard Lasher Got Up To Get Some Photos Of Spirit Lake. He Snapped This Iconic Photo Of St. Helens Erupting. Then He Escaped The Ash Cloud On A Dirt Bike. Lasher Survived, His Pinto Did Not
Image source: VelvetKissesXxx
There are all kinds of phobias, but most of the time, we don’t even realize we have one. Research shows that 1-10% of the population experiences a specific phobia, with females several times more likely to have one than males.
Megalophobia is one such specific phobia, which is defined as an irrational and excessive fear of large objects that can occur as a result of a negative experience or due to an unknown cause. Symptoms of megalophobia include anxiety or panic attacks in the presence of large objects, but it can be treated with therapy and medication.
#4 Giraffes Cross Under A Bridge Of The Standard Gauge Railway (Sgr) Line, Inside The Nairobi National Park In Nairobi, Kenya
Image source: Full_Glass_9922
#5 Cloud Formation Captured By Photographer Gustavo Ramirez
Image source: samtheblackhole
#6 Hyperion Surrounded By Conifer Trees
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
While megalophobia is not listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), it is recognized as a specific phobia. People with it experience intense fear when confronted with something overwhelmingly large, whether it’s a massive object, structure, or even something natural like a giant wave or a mountain.
Unfortunately, research about megalophobia is pretty limited, which puts people who have it in a tricky spot. They might not seek help because they are unaware, or their symptoms might overlap with other conditions.
#7 Mining Saw Blade Next To Person
Image source: Ok_Suggestion_2617
#8 Old Space Mega Telescope
Image source: Fickle_Bite9321
#9 Leeza Soho Tower
Image source: lilsupesy
The challenging part is that experts don’t fully understand where these specific phobias come from. However, they have pieced together potential causes and contributing factors. Past traumatic experiences involving a large object or vast space can cause a lasting psychological mark. Strangely, fear can also be learned by observing others’ reactions.
Genetics might play a role, too, as some people who inherit anxiety could be vulnerable to phobias. Culture could also be an influence. After all, social stories frequently shape perception, such as portraying nature as something scary.
#10 Logistical Nightmare, Transporting Giant Wind-Turbine Baldes
Image source: mediuminteresting
#11 My Tiny Camp In The Middle Of The Sahara, Far From Civilization
Image source: tinmar_g
#12 The Empire State Building Before All The Skyscrapers Around It
Image source: AnIgnorablePerson
However, people should not take such phobias lightly, as they can hamper a person’s quality of life. People go to extreme lengths just to avoid what scares them. According to Cleveland Clinic, when people with megalophobia come across large objects, they might experience symptoms other than fear.
These include a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, sweating, trembling, and a strong urge to escape the situation. Going through all this can be daunting for anyone, so treatment is essential.
#13 The Bagger 293, Heaviest Machine Capable Of Moving On Its Own
Image source: missdaji
#14 Tanzania May Own The Mountain, But Kenya Owns The View [kilimanjaro]
Image source: zedzol
#15 Iceberg Passing By House In Greenland
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
Studies highlight that in children, specific phobias can be short-term problems that disappear within a few months. However, in adults, about 80% of new phobias become chronic (long-term) conditions that do not go away without proper treatment.
They can harm a person’s physical and mental health, especially when frequent encounters trigger severe effects. Moreover, phobias often tend to worsen over time. This can restrict a person’s daily activities and choices, affecting their life altogether. That’s why professionals encourage treatment, which can include exposure therapy and/or cognitive behavioral therapy.
#16 The Dolomite Mountain Range In Italy
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
#17 This Lng Carrier
Image source: AggravatingRow326
#18 La Grande Arche De La Defense, Paris
Image source: Aware_Tip928
While we might be aware of this concept today, philosophers identified something similar and named it “the sublime.” Records show that philosopher Edmund Burke described “certain experiences which supply a kind of thrill or shudder of perverse pleasure, mixing fear and delight.”
He focused the conversation about the sublime toward experiences caused by nature’s larger-than-life size or mystery. He claimed that these experiences aren’t just beautiful, but also terrifying because of their sheer scale or unknowable nature.
#19 Golden Finance 117, The World’s Tallest Abandoned Building 1,957 Ft (597 M)
Image source: Ok-Potato1134
#20 The Treasury At Petra. Carved 2000 Years Ago Hidden Inside A Massive Canyon
Image source: honeycherries3
#21 Tokyo, 1960
Image source: LittleBrownie_
Meanwhile, philosopher Immanuel Kant shifted the analysis toward the impact and consequences of the sublime experience on consciousness. He argued that it was essentially about a negative experience of limits.
“It was a way of talking about what happens when we are faced with something we do not have the capacity to understand or control – something excessive.”
#22 The Size Of Planet Earth Compared To Jupiter!
Image source: ComedianRegular8469
#23 In 1989, 2 Million People From Latvia, Estonia And Lithuania Formed A Human Chain That United All 3 Countries To Show The World Their Desire To Leave The Soviet Union. Here Is One Segment Of That Chain
Image source: ansyhrrian
#24 Wernher Von Braun Standing Next To The F-1 Engines In 1969
Image source: Mingorix
That definitely comes close to megalophobia, doesn’t it? If you think you might have it, don’t delay consulting a professional. Going through these images might help you understand whether you are afraid of such massive things. Let us know in the comments if it did. Also, if you want more such terrifying images to test yourself, check out the older post that we covered!
#25 The Life Size Rx-78f00 Gundam. Previously In Yokohama
Image source: falloutboy9993
#26 Do Trees Give You The Feeling?
Image source: Necessary-Win-8730
#27 Sunset In Sendai
Image source: Cottage_
#28 This Subreddits Identity Is Bizarre
Image source: Shumbakala
#29 Baja California Sur Gray Whale Eye
Image source: TheTripKeeper
#30 The Inside Of Lng Cargo Ship
Image source: TheWhittierLocksmith
#31 Massive Cactus
Image source: LordPiplup
#32 Blue Ridge Mountains
Image source: Calabamian
#33 Of A Door
Image source: Good-Ambition8247
#34 If Saturn Were As Close To Earth As The Moon, This Is What It Would Look Like
Image source: Bloxxom_Niah7
#35 Living On The Volcano – Mexico City
Image source: CranberryMaterial218
#36 St. Pauli, Hamburg – The Feldstrabe Bunker
Image source: Amazing_Truth_7931
#37 Baobab Trees In The Fog
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
#38 Saturn’s Massive Hexagonal Storm Compared To The USA
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
#39 Standing Underneath The Eiffel Tower
Image source: __Dionysus___
#40 Megalodon’s Jaw
Image source: warrenkennethd
#41 Huge Cardon Cactus
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
#42 Astronaut Bruce Mccandless II In Space
Image source: Amazing_Truth_7931
#43 Intempo Building In Benidorm
Image source: -BryanWithoutB-
#44 Cruise Ships At Night Give Me The Willies
Image source: smstxtmsg
#45 Cool Angle Of The Great Peace Prayer Tower In Osaka, Japan
Image source: North-Guest8380
#46 Sea-Based X-Band Radar
Image source: FxckFxntxnyl
#47 A Bird’s Eye View Of The Palm Islands In Dubai
Image source: OkRespect8490
#48 Ezra Stoller (1974) – Exxon Building On Sixth Avenue NYC
Image source: dysto666
#49 A Buddha Statue In Afghanistan Before Its Destruction In 1992
Image source: OkRespect8490
#50 People Look At The Turret Of A Salvaged Japanese Battleship Mutsu, 1970
Image source: NewButterscotch6650
#51 Wind Turbine Maintenance
Image source: BumblebeeFantastic40
#52 The Rms Titanic’s Anchor Chain
Image source: Icy-Leg-1459
#53 Terrifyingly Huge Interior Of Germany’s Cologne Cathedral!
Image source: ComedianRegular8469
#54 Akshardham Temple, New Delhi, India
Image source: Aware_Tip928
#55 3D Printed Model Of The Arthroplueria, The Largest Arthropod To Ever Exist, Which Went Extinct Around 33 Million Years Ago
Image source: Fangdori
#56 Forth Bridge, Scotland (1882)
Image source: Matthieu614
#57 Smoke From Shahran Oil Depot In Tehran Just Yesterday
Image source: Mingorix
#58 M1 Tower, Mississauga
Image source: Disastrous-Item-5746
#59 Wind Turbine After It Had Been Struck By A Tornado
Image source: smokeeburrpppp
#60 Life Size Armored Titan Statue In Universal Studios Japan
Image source: CherryxSugar28
#61 The Ss Morro Castle – A Burning Ghost Ship Washed Up On The Shore
Image source: animalant
#62 Just Imagine Going Hiking In The Woods And Coming Across This Beast
Image source: LaceyBlissx
#63 Lochaber, Scotland
Image source: Successful-Line961
#64 Menacing Space Turtle About To Crash Land On Planet Earth
Image source: GoldenGizmo98
#65 Big Flamingo In Tampa Airport
Image source: comfortable_wanderer
#66 Esso Hibernia Tanker Under Construction In Wallsend, 1970
Image source: dysto666
#67 Saw This On Insta A Couple Days Ago And Can’t Get It Out Of My Head. Falkor Is Always Watching…
Image source: Dwill626
#68 Eyes Of God, Bulgaria
Image source: Firm-Blackberry-9162
#69 The Mother Of All Asia Statue In Batangas, Philippines. One Of The Largest Statues In The World
Image source: Initial-Employer1255
#70 A Warehouse Of Steel Buoys For Anti-Submarine Nets, 1953
Image source: MorsesCode
#71 The Chronicle Of Georgia
Image source: Zestyclose-Salad-290
#72 Uss Wisconsin
Image source: Specific-Chain-3801
#73 I Feel As If Some Forget About The Sheer Size Of The Pyramids
Image source: RealZeemo
#74 Image Of Scud Clouds
Image source: JetSoulsForever
#75 A Salt Mine In Slanic
Image source: Zestyclose-Salad-290
Follow Us
