Thalassophobia

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In Portugal on the Atlantic coast, a surfer from Brazil set a world record by riding a 24-meter wave, the equivalent height of a nine-story building. (old.reddit.com)

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The original was posted on /r/thalassophobia by /u/Concentric_Mid on 2025-07-06 03:47:28+00:00.

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What are your early memories of things triggering your fear of deep water? And what do you think caused thalassophobia for you? (old.reddit.com)

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The original was posted on /r/thalassophobia by /u/I-Hate-Sea-Urchins on 2025-07-01 09:31:27+00:00.

I'm curious what specific things people think may have started their thalassophobia (and does everyone also have submechanophobia by default?) and how that has evolved over time. I'm also curious on your theories of where this fear came from (perhaps something more innate which may have made you sensitive or susceptible to a fear or water).

For me, I can think of several things in particular. The earliest was family trips to a lake during which we would sometimes canoe. While going out we would always go near a buoy (along with bridge piers which also scare me). And ever since childhood I can recall being absolutely terrified of getting near buoys whether in a boat in or in the water. I even saw one swimming in clear water with the buoy only in 30 or so feet water depth with very clear water. Still terrifying. Something about the buoy's chain descending into the murky depth and it illustrating the massive scale of of aquatic environments AND it being emotionally connected to that chain and whatever things lurk deep down. Hard to explain.

I've also had a fascination since early childhood with water flowing into holes, like sewer grates, and similar stuff.

Another one that comes to mind is an underwater boss in a game: Star Wars Shadow of the Empire. The absolute psychopath that created this level which is full of murky water with monsters hiding within and is then capped off with a boss-fight in which you are in a sealed room and constantly running out of jetpack which causes you to fall in the water and sink down towards the tentacled monster at the bottom. It still scares me to see video of the sewer level.

Another one was some sci-fi children's book from the 1990's which had a boy being grabbed by a tentacled sea-monster in a lake. I actually found it and the cover is still slightly uncomfortable.

Finally, I'll mention a couple that, while they definitely did not cause a fear of deep water, they did vividly scare the shit out of me. One is a game that is frequently mentioned on this sub - subnautica. The other is Outer Worlds which made me realize I also have a fear of large cosmic bodies? I have loudly yelped and jumped a few feet in the air when flying up to a planet in that game till the point that I just had to stop playing it.

For me personally, I think my thalassophobia started with the family outings to a lake and seeing things like buoys submerged in the water. I think everything else I mentioned was just a response to that existing fear although those things may have heightened that fear response.

I'm still left with the question of why none of the rest of my family has thalassophobia as far as I'm aware, even though they shared those same experiences I had being around a lake and buoys etc. I do wonder if there is a possible link with autism, which I've long suspected I have, and a fear/obsession with water.

EDIT: I'll add that my brother is vaguely aware that I've always had this fear of deep water and things like whales etc. I mentioned to him yesterday that I'm on the thalassophobia and submechanophobia subs and so he checked them out. He found it weird and just can't grasp how some people have this fear.

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Man versus the sea. Original wet charcoal and pastel art by me. (www.reddit.com)

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