Barophobia Leads to Gravitational Fear

By Connor Brady ’17

Barophobia is defined as the fear of gravity. Not to be confused with the fear of heights, people who suffer from barophobia live in constant fear of two possible scenarios. One is when gravity will simply disappear and they will float away. The second scenario is they fear that gravity will become too strong and crush them.

Just like any other phobia, one can get it by simply having an experience in these conditions. A person could have fallen from a great height and gotten hurt, or just watched TV and saw a situation where there is no gravity. No matter what the experience is, this phobia causes irrational reactions and anxiety attacks just at the thought of gravity.

Some symptoms of this phobia can be minute or life changing. Some victims could just be uncomfortable with the thought of gravity while others are scared to leave their homes and live out their daily lives. Those who have severe barophobia suffer from breathlessness, muscle tension, tremors, and the feeling of being trapped or out of control.

Most people seek help once they realize they have an irrational fear of gravity. Although most who suffer from barophobia are often able to diagnose and cope with the phobia themselves, there are some cases where people can’t cope with it on their own.

Just like any other phobia, those who need treatment go to therapy to learn how to cope with their phobia so they no longer have to live in fear.