Fascinating phobias

2 min read

Laura Brown looks into some of the more unusual fears folk have.

This article is from...

The People's Friend Special Magazine

27 December, 2023

How It Works

The science behind the screams

Phobias are irrational by definition. So why do we have them, and can they be cured?

BBC Wildlife Magazine

Spiders are some of the most common animals we encounter daily, yet are our greatest source of fear

THERE’S A LARGE SPIDER IN THE cupboard. What do you do? Do you panic and flee the scene? Or do you stride forward confidently, cup and paper in hand, ready to save the day? Do you bask in the adoratio

The TLS

Glimpsing a god

The etymology of a panic attack

Writing Magazine

Flashes of fear

Horror is a remarkably flexible genre – one that can take all sorts of forms. From the subtleties of the ghost story all the way through to the flat-out grossness of body horror, along with its mallea

The TLS

Creating a monster

What supernatural folklore reveals about human nature

Fortean Times

Classical corner

As frequently, this column is inspired by Britain’s Queen of Classics, Mary Beard. This time, her ‘History of food tasters from Nero to now,’ appearing (25 May 2025) in the TLS weekly Newsletter. Does

How It Works

The science behind the screams

Phobias are irrational by definition. So why do we have them, and can they be cured?

BBC Wildlife Magazine

Spiders are some of the most common animals we encounter daily, yet are our greatest source of fear

The TLS

Glimpsing a god

The etymology of a panic attack