Apeirophobia is the fear of the concept of infinity, which is defined as a point in space and time that seems infinitely distant. The word apeirophobia comes from the Greek word “ápeiros,” which means “infinite” or “boundless.” The word phobia is also Greek in origin, meaning fear.
People who suffer from apeirophobia are known as apeirophobics. Some apeirophobics are afraid because of the afterlife and how you spend eternity within it. Some are just scared of it.
Symptoms of Apeirophobia
People with apeirophobia are likely to have numbness, dry mouth, tightness in chest, dizziness or fainting, nausea, vomit and sweaty palms. Of course, this can affect your daily life.
Causes of Apeirophobia
A Traumatic Episode Happened Before
Eternity is usually associated with the afterlife (Heaven) so a person may have something to do with that. A child may have experienced a person’s death, and possibly, their parents told them that they would spend the rest of eternity in the afterlife.
Impression
Children are very impressionable. Something that many people say. Children learn from older people, whether they’re adults or just a grade or two higher than them. So if a person told them that eternity/infinity is not a good thing, perhaps they would pick up the habit to avoid it. This may apply to other phobias as well.
Genes and Genetics
Genes play a huge part in your life all the time. They also determine what phobias you may have. This may not always apply, but it can. Some children may just be born with more anxiety than others.
Treatment for Apeirophobia
Using cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) can treat apeirophobia by identifying connecting feature between thoughts which will develop into practical skills. CBT can be in an online and workbook format, as well as a therapist.
Summary
- Apeirophobia is the fear of infinity
- Apeirophobia can be caused by traumatic experiences, impression and/or genetics
- Apeirophobia can be treated using CBT
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