Imagine this scenario: you suddenly wake up, floating, in the middle of the ocean. There is nothing but the ocean around you for as far as you can see. The weather is really hot but the water is freezing. At the same time, you know exactly what types of creatures are lurking beneath the surface of the water, but you cannot see them. The suspense is petrifying. 

Thalassophobia, by definition, according to Very Well Mind, is the intense and persistent fear of deep bodies of water. Realistically, however, rather than being afraid of the water itself, people are usually afraid of what might lurk beneath the water. This fear may be irrational to others, but can cause serious issues, especially to one’s social life.

Causes and Symptoms

Like most phobias, it is caused by a trigger stimulation that causes the fear to set in. That being said, it should not bother someone for most of their time. Typically, thalassophobia sets in when someone is at the beach, a lake, or in severe cases, maybe even a swimming pool.

When the fear sets in, it is usually accompanied by potential sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and in some cases, a sense of imminent doom. These are the case of most phobias though, but what sets thalassophobia apart from others is the potential reason why people have it.

Some people could even potentially have nightmares related to their thalassophobia. They could imagine themselves in a similar situation to that mentioned in the beginning of this article. 

Development and Theorizing

It is theorized that thalassophobia could be an evolutionary response developed by human ancestors to stay away from deep bodies of water to prolong survival. Fear, for the most part, is meant to keep humans safe. If someone is afraid of something, there is usually a good reason for it. Early humans probably wanted to stay away from water that they could not see below the surface of, for there were most likely potential predators in the waters.

In some cases, thalassophobia could be triggered by a traumatic event. For example, a person could have experienced something horrible that happened to them while they were in water because they could not see. This, in turn, would cause someone to stay away from any potentially deep body of water.

Conclusion and Why

It is important to bring awareness to others’ fears so people can understand each other a little bit better. That is the purpose of this article, to help others understand what other people might be going through. Maybe it can help you understand why your friend seems to be acting a little afraid anytime they are at the beach.