Real Fears for Halloween

What is it about puppets, clowns and dolls that can strike fear into many adults? The weird thing is all three are supposed to be fun for children to watch or play with. Would  you expect to have fun with this guy?

Or how about a ride in this guys exploding car?

Wikipedia says: Coulrophobia is an abnormal or exaggerated fear of clowns. .., i would suggest there is nothing abnormal about it, in fact i would suggest its completely normal to fear something that looks like these fellows, especially this foul creature…..

Although a fear of clowns in an adult could be put down to a bad experience with a clown as a child , it is more likely that the fear shares a similarity with the fear of human statues or people in masks , in that we do not know what lies behind the make up and it is that which makes us anxious.

Pupaphobia and Autonamatonophobia are closely related , the fear of puppets and ventriloquists dummies respectively. Why would people be scared of what is after all just a piece of plastic or wood? Is it the unblinking eyes that seem to follow you, or that sneering type of smile as the dummy slowly twists its head to look at you? Imagine spending a night in a room with a ventriloquists dummy sat in the corner of the room, just staring at you, could you take it? What if you thought it moved? Would you run from a lump of plastic and wood?

Even this little chap would scare the life out of you in the dark!

A psychiatrist may well judge these fears irrational but i would challenge anyone to spend the night with this guy sat at the end of their bed and not feel spooked.

Dolls can often provoke terror in people , Pediophobia is the Latin name for this fear. Dolls that come to life have featured in movies such as Child’s Play and Trilogy of Terror.