Siderophobia (fear of the stars): symptoms, causes and treatment.

A type of anxiety disorder related to these large celestial bodies.

The image of the starry sky may be attractive to many people. Feelings of calm and a romantic atmosphere are just some of the experiences that can easily be transmitted to us by the dark celestial vault full of luminous points.

However, not everyone reacts positively to this stimulus. Far from being romantic, the starry sky can trigger panic in some people. We will see below what this fear of the stars, known as fear to the stars, that we know as siderofobia..

What is sidereophobia?

The word "sidereal" comes from the Latin "sidus", which means celestial body. As such, "sidereal" is a term that refers to everything related to the stars. In this sense, siderephobia is an excessive fear of celestial bodies, specifically an exacerbated fear of the stars. an excessive fear of celestial bodies, specifically an exacerbated fear of the stars..

Although it is not a clinical category described by specialists in psychology or psychiatry, the term "siderophobia" has recently been used to refer to a significant fear of exposure to the starry sky, as well as to some of the stimuli associated with it.

In other words, siderophobia itself is not considered a disorder, but rather an experience associated with a more complex symptomatology. Since the starry sky is a stimulus that is very difficult to avoid, siderophobia is not only related to the stars, but also to other elements that accompany darkness. with other elements that accompany darkness and open spaces..

For the same reason, siderophobia can be considered as one of the experiences that are added to broader spectra of phobias that are considered by specialists as a specific clinical situation. Among these spectra could be found, for example, agoraphobia.

Other phobias of the stars

Stars are not the only celestial bodies that can cause excessive fear in some people. As it is a fear enhanced by the elements surrounding the celestial bodies, other related phobias include fear of the stars, other related phobias are the fear of the dark, known as escotophobiaknown as escotophobia or nictophobia; astrophobia, which includes the fear of any celestial body; or meteorophobia, which is the specific fear of meteors.

Are the stars harmless?

A star is a luminous sphere composed mainly of hydrogen converted into helium, and maintained in the cosmos by the action of gravity. In very broad terms, it is from the reactions occurring inside the stars that the main chemical elements are released, which in turn give rise to different particles. Subsequently, these particles allow the development of the different forms of life that exist on our planet.

Therefore, stars are not in themselves dangerous, but quite the opposite, they are part of the chemical activity that has allowed the universe to exist.. So, what could be some of the reasons why we might fear these luminous spheres?

Possible causes

As with other phobias, siderophobia can be caused by a series of individual learning and perceptions that, when in contact with certain external stimuli, trigger significant discomfort.

Thus, fear of the stars can be generated by the individual meanings attributed to the stars. by the individual meanings attributed to these celestial bodies, as well as to the dark sky and the elements of the sky.and to the dark sky and the elements that surround it. In turn, these elements may be darkness, open spaces, the feeling of loneliness or danger, or a fear provoked by the knowledge we have acquired about the characteristics of the cosmos.

The aforementioned knowledge can also be linked to the idea of immensity, to the idea of the idea of immensity, with the unknown, with the lack of controlor with some dangers related to the largest celestial bodies.

All of the above is strongly fueled both by a lack of deep learning about the workings of the cosmos, as well as by some types of science fiction present in movies or literature. Likewise, a person may develop an irrational fear of the stars because of some previous unpleasant experience, which has had a certain relationship with such stimuli and perceptions.

Symptoms

As with other types of phobias, siderephobia can provoke physiological responses related to anxiety, such as nausea, sweatingsuch as nausea, sweating, dizziness, hyperventilation, cardiac agitation, choking sensation, dry mouth, and so on. All this in the face of exposure, or the possibility of exposure, to the starry sky.

Treatment

Since it is not considered a specific clinical condition, there is no special treatment for siderophobia. Broadly speaking, the way to accompany or diminish the fear of stars can follow the procedure used for other phobias. Initially it is important to determine whether it is a specific fear, or related to a more extensive and complex symptomatology, such as that which characterizes anxiety disorders.

The latter allows working with the deeper emotional responses that may be affecting the person's daily life, beyond the exposure to the starry sky.. It also allows to explore the meanings and learning related to the stimulus that causes fear, and in this sense, to generate coping and relearning strategies in the face of such stimulus.