Biologically speaking, developing a phobia is as easy as experiencing a traumatic event and consistently relating that event to something (often arbitrary) that was present when the event transpired. So while it’s possible for someone to develop an irrational fear of almost anything, one wonders how the afflicted parties of some of the following phobias manage to successfully function in their everyday lives.

Strange Phobias: Barophobia



Barophobia, or the fear of gravity, can manifest itself in a few different ways. An individual plagued with this crippling phobia is frightened that the pull of gravity will eventually crush them, or alternatively, that gravity will cease to exist and they will simply float off the face of the Earth. Strangely, a valid type of treatment for this phobia is listed as “exposure therapy”. We’re not sure how such a therapy would appear, exactly, but we would imagine it would look a lot like pure existence.

Caligynephobia



Unlike Raj from the Big Bang Theory, who is thought to be suffering from gynephobia (the fear of all women) caligynephobia is the distinct fear of beautiful women; at least the ones the sufferer deems to be beautiful. Some have a constant fear, while others respond fearfully to more direct stimuli. We can’t imagine how caligynephobiacs would fare at a Miss America pageant.

Philophobia



In what seems like the cruelest phobia of all, philophobia is the fear of falling in love. This may start out by obsessing over a broken relationship, and eventually culminate in the fear of experiencing heartbreak again. Most of us are able to bounce back over time, but philophobics start avoiding potential mates, and depending on the situation, may escalate into a scenario where all human contact is avoided.