Child Mind Institute
childmind.org › home › my 4-year-old has strange fears. should she see a psychiatrist?
My 4-year-old has strange fears. Should she see a psychiatrist? - Child Mind Institute
December 9, 2024 - My daughter is four years old. She's very bright, talkative and friendly, but she has some strange fears that cause her to freak out and cry. I've narrowed it down to her being afraid of inanimate objects moving on their own, not controlled by a person. Examples are unoccupied swings swinging, tree branches swaying in the wind, water sloshing in a pool, rafts floating in a pool, balls bouncing away, curtains blowing, etc.
Quora
quora.com › What-would-you-call-the-irrational-fear-of-inanimate-objects-facing-you-For-example-chairs-TVs-soap-bottles-etc
What would you call the irrational fear of inanimate objects facing you? For example, chairs, TVs, soap bottles, etc. - Quora
Answer (1 of 4): I would be inclined to call it generalized anxiety disorder. Since there is no danger posed to you from these objects, you must be projecting internalized fears onto the objects, believing that they are the source of your anxiety, ...
Verywell Mind
verywellmind.com › automatonophobia-2671847
Automatonophobia (Fear of Human-Like Figures): Causes and Treatment
November 22, 2008 - Automatonophobia is a specific phobia, which is an irrational fear of something that actually isn't dangerous. While it is relatively common to feel nervous around human-like figures (a phenomenon called the uncanny valley), a phobia disrupts ...
My 4-year-old is suddenly afraid of everything. What should I do?
If a four-year-old is suddenly afraid of everything — and is trying to avoid the things that upset them instead of playing with friends or doing other activities — it might be helpful to consult a mental health professional.
childmind.org
childmind.org › home › my 4-year-old has strange fears. should she see a psychiatrist?
My 4-year-old has strange fears. Should she see a psychiatrist? ...
An important tip for waking a child with ADHD is establishing a routine. Consider the things they need to do — like eat breakfast and get a full night’s rest — and the things they want to do, like read. Work on building a routine and then sticking to it. If you find you need more help, talk to a pediatrician or to a mental health professional.
If a four-year-old has strange fears, it might be helpful for them to see a mental health professional who specializes in anxiety.
childmind.org
childmind.org › home › my 4-year-old has strange fears. should she see a psychiatrist?
My 4-year-old has strange fears. Should she see a psychiatrist? ...
Choosing Therapy
choosingtherapy.com › pediophobia
Pediophobia: Understanding the Fear of Dolls
April 4, 2025 - Pediophobia is the fear of inanimate objects that appear human and may include doll-like figurines, mannequins, wax figures, or ventriloquist dummies. It is a type of specific phobia, and symptoms include panic attacks, difficulty sleeping, ...
Metro Parent
metroparent.com › home › why your child fears inanimate objects
Why Your Child Fears Inanimate Objects - Metro Parent
December 22, 2017 - “As they get older, their minds expand and they become more aware of what’s going on.” They may watch the news and not understand why a burglar breaks into one house and not theirs. They don’t have the deductive reasoning to debunk UFO abduction theories. Absent information can generate fear, too. Oftentimes, they project these anxieties onto inanimate objects, Herman says.
Verywell Health
verywellhealth.com › what-is-fear-of-dolls-5206662
What Is Fear of Dolls (Pediophobia)?
October 21, 2025 - Fear of dolls, or pediophobia, is considered an anxiety disorder known as specific phobia. Pediophobia is a type of automatonophobia, which is a fear of inanimate objects that appear human or a fear of anything that simulates a real human being.
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Resistentialism
Resistentialism - Wikipedia
July 22, 2025 - Resistentialism is a jocular theory to describe "seemingly spiteful behavior manifested by inanimate objects", where objects that cause problems (like lost keys, a malfunctioning printer, or a runaway bouncy ball) are said to exhibit a high ...
Vantagepointrecovery
vantagepointrecovery.com › common-types-of-phobias
Common Types of Phobias | Vantage Point Recovery
May 21, 2024 - They can harm you when they are thrown at you by another person, but other than that, they just sit, waiting to be admired. There are people, however, that have a phobia of inanimate objects. A person with globophobia has a fear of balloons.
No More Panic
nomorepanic.co.uk › home › articles › specific phobias
Specific Phobias | No More Panic
September 4, 2018 - The sufferer has a continual and irrational fear of the object, situation or creature, he/she realises that this reaction is illogical but, still feels under threat. However, the sensations of fear which the sufferer experiences are very real and very distressing. Many non-sufferers avoid such things as snakes, spiders, large animals and inanimate objects like edges of railway platforms.
E-Counseling
e-counseling.com › home › blog
What Is Automatonophobia? How Is It Treated?
August 31, 2025 - Automatonophobia is the fear of human-like figures, such as mannequins, wax figures, dummies, animatronics, or robots. Psychologists do not typically use this precise term but rather refer to this condition as a type of specific phobia, a category ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askreddit › what is the weirdest inanimate object you have a phobia of?
r/AskReddit on Reddit: What is the weirdest inanimate object you have a phobia of?
April 3, 2012 - Never thought much of them, then one day my friend mentioned his fear of them. Years later alone in a creepy old house I could hear them outside and I understood. ... I had a bad dream about the running, yellow AOL guy.. So him. ... Balloons. I'm always scared they're going to pop and explode like a bomb killing everyone around it. ... Not exactly what is being asked, but I had a phobia of sorts of making inanimate objects sad.
Top answer 1 of 2
5
Might be Uncanny Valley
The uncanny valley is a hypothesis in the field of human aesthetics which holds that when human features look and move almost, but not exactly, like natural human beings, it causes a response of revulsion among some human observers. Examples can be found in the fields of robotics,1 3D computer animation,[2][3] and in medical fields such as burn reconstruction, infectious diseases, neurological conditions, and plastic surgery.[4] The "valley" refers to the dip in a graph of the comfort level of humans as subjects move toward a healthy, natural human likeness described in a function of a subject's aesthetic acceptability.
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I think the word you're looking for is Xenophobia with ingroups being humanity and outgroups being humanoid non-humans.
Xenophobia is the irrational or unreasoned fear of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. It comes from the Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning "stranger," "foreigner," and φόβος (phobos), meaning "fear."
Xenophobia can manifest itself in many ways involving the relations and perceptions of an ingroup towards an outgroup, including a fear of losing identity, suspicion of its activities, aggression, and desire to eliminate its presence to secure a presumed purity. Xenophobia can also be exhibited in the form of an "uncritical exaltation of another culture" in which a culture is ascribed "an unreal, stereotyped and exotic quality".
-wikipedia
Clear Mind Treatment
clearmindtreatment.com › home › mental health › megalophobia – understanding the fear of large objects in depth
Facing and Coping With Fear of Large Objects
December 4, 2025 - The main characteristic that differentiates megalophobia from other phobias is the object people are afraid of – while other phobias make individuals concentrate on water, insects, heights, or darkness, this one is about large objects whether these are living things (animals) or inanimate objects (buildings). The symptoms of megalophobia may look like an anxiety or panic attack – a person struggles to breathe, their heart beats faster, they are sweating and shaking, and they may even faint. This phobia causes the individual to feel intense fear, and they might need some time to relax and feel normal again.
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Medium
jstooksberry.medium.com › whos-afraid-of-the-big-bad-inanimate-object-bd84f9423c25
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Inanimate Object? | by Jay Stooksberry | Medium
April 27, 2023 - The gun didn’t shoot up a school, grocery store, synagogue, or other public places where mass shootings have become common. The gun, apparently, just sat there and did nothing. His hypothesis — inanimate objects are incapable of immoral actions — is groundbreaking.
Blifaloo
blifaloo.com › home › phobia dictionary – comprehensive list and info about phobias | blifaloo.com
Blifaloo's List of Phobias
March 21, 2017 - Automatonophobia – Fear of any inanimate object that represents a sentient being, eg.
HubPages
discover.hubpages.com › health › Automatonophobia-Irrational-Fear-Of-Dolls-Wax-Figures-Puppets-and-Dummies
Automatonophobia: Irrational Fear of Dolls, Wax Figures, Puppets, and Dummies - HubPages
July 15, 2024 - Automatonophobia refers to an irrational fear of objects that falsely imitate a living, conscious being. Common examples include dolls, wax figures, puppets, and ventriloquist dummies.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/whatstheword › wtw for someone who is phobic of uncanny valley things/people?
r/whatstheword on Reddit: WTW for someone who is phobic of Uncanny Valley things/people?
September 14, 2023 -
It's one of my greatest fears: humanoid things that have something just off about their appearance/personality/movements.. That's the only thing I'm ever afraid of when it comes to horror movies, too and I can't seem to find the word for it anywhere online.
Top answer 1 of 9
8
I don't know that there would be a word for this. The uncanny valley affects pretty much everyone, so you wouldn't be phobic of this specific thing.
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Automatonophobia comes to mind Automatonophobia is the fear of automatons, wax figures, humanoid robots, audio-animatronics, or other figures designed to represent humans.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/phobia › phobia of objects coming to life and wants to hurt me?
r/Phobia on Reddit: Phobia of objects coming to life and wants to hurt me?
October 4, 2023 -
What is this? Am I the only one having this? And I'm not talking about objects that looks like people or something like that, I'm talking about an everyday objects like chairs, bags, air conditioners, fans, fridge...
What is this?
Top answer 1 of 2
1
That might not be a phobia in the clinical sense. I think that might fall more under the paranoia and delusions categories. Different axis all together
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i have the exact same thing and i don’t understand why… people never understand me and think i mean i see objects moving. i don’t, but im scared they will and that they have no good intentions
Verywell Mind
verywellmind.com › fear-of-dolls-2671875
Pediophobia (Fear of Dolls): Symptoms and Treatments
January 9, 2024 - Pediophobia, or the fear of dolls, is a type of specific phobia. It is believed to be a type of automatonophobia, or fear of humanoid figures. Some people fear all dolls and stuffed toys, while others fear only a specific type.
Cleveland Clinic
my.clevelandclinic.org › health › diseases › 21694-aichmophobia
Aichmophobia: Symptoms, Treatment & Causes
September 12, 2025 - Aichmophobia is diagnosed through a thorough series of questions about the person’s history, experiences and symptoms. Usually, to receive a diagnosis of aichmophobia, you must have symptoms like persistent fear and anxiety of sharp objects for at least six months.