Many people have harmless "or are now" primeval fears, like spiders snakes and many others.
These are thought or proven to be linked with out past and old experiences with creatures that can cause harm to humans.
Even though in the UK there are hardly any creatures that can harm you people still have the fears.

So is the thought of a alien race to be something to feared because of the unknown or because of past experiences or does a primeval fear of ET life even exist ?

I think if they are feared then its because of 'fear of the unknown' as well as 'fear of being wrong'

I think its fear of the unknown to as some of the posts i have seen the poster is only scared because of what he/she has been reading etc.

Yes. I hate spiders...

Actually, it's been shown that humans are predisposed towards hating reptiles. Could this be a long standing competition between reptiles and mammals?


Years ago, I wrote an essay on morals and ethics... L. Ron Hubbard (you know, the guy who wrote Dianetics) theorized that morals are all based upon things that were once harmful to people.

I love spiders I think they are a most fascinating insect. I spose you all know that weight for weight spider silk is 5 times stronger than steel.
Anyway back to the primeval fear thing, I think its possible we have been visited by aliens throughout our history so maybe we would have a primeval fear of them, maybe that would explain the fear of creatures that resembled humans but not quite by people in the pasts i.e. goblins and trolls etc... :laugh: Maybe this was their interpretation on alien beings or maybe its just an earthly thing and we feared these creatures because they resembled the deformed and diseased!. I know you've probably heard this before but I was bored so i felt like stating the obvious

Spiders are arachnids. I hate them vehemently. Except scorpions... They don't inspire the fear in me. And tarantulas aren't as bad because I know they can't hurt me and they can't hide in my shoes. Or my pants.

Good thing you live in Alaska then. Can't imagine there being an incredible amount of spiders there... except for indoors *strewth*

Phobias are far from proven to have any root in our past, though. There are people who are deadly afraid of the silliest of things, that have no connection to any threat. Some say that phobias come randomely. That it's the state and condition of ones mind that makes you predisposed to develope a phobia. When something bad then happens with -say- water, you get deadly afraid of it.

So you can't use phobias as a clue to aliens visiting us

I think another part of it is people are afraid that we're not only the 'only one's'. But, that there are others out there superior to us.

They say history repeats itself. It goes back to 'The Earth is the center of the Universe, and every thing revolves around it/us.'

But we are not, I thought we were kinda using primeval fear as having a possible connection to old experiences of ET not phobias in general. You are right in that people have the weirdest of phobias though like a fear of blue socks for instance but having a phobia brought on by a bad experience is different to having a primeval fear that is ingrained into your DNA.

You know, I've noticed that parents, myself included, will sometimes instill fear into a child of something normal or natural and then reinforced that fear to get them to be complient. For example, my daughter may have liked spiders...thinking nothing of them at two years old...but then at three, I say 'Oooh, there's big ugly spiders under the stairs. Dont go under there.' So now at Four she's afraid of spiders and of spiders being in dark places. So when you're all grown up and dont know why you have a phobia of something...its probably because your parents instilled that fear in you at a very young age. Its terrible..I no longer do such a thing now that I realized what I was actually doing.

It may be the opposite Mr.Grey, that we are afraid of being alone, and if we get it wrong there is know one to help us.

There is pretty much a fear for just about everything. You can check out a list of them here.

I have a fear of heights. Don't really know how I got that fear but I did.

I have a fear of wasps. If one comes near me I run like the wind.:eek:

andpau...your folk probably drilled into your young mind that heights were very dangerous...until you became instinctively afraid of it...Is anyone familiar with Little Albert? I'm sure Hodge is...anyone else? Its something along the lines of what I mean but instead of a loud noise you get your parent's stern, emotional warning...sorta..its a little different but still establishes fear where there was none before

I think I've heard about that somewhere.
Something to do wth a rat and noise.

Yes...very unethical...it did demonstrate a point though...we instill fear of objects into children...they aren't naturally born with it...though they are born with a slight fear to noises, lights and sudden movements...but I'm sure you know that...being a mom

OP and a few others: i love lizards, snakes and reptiles far more than i like mammals.

Everyone are different, though i'm not exactly what you would count as a normal individual. Things are determined by upbringing and previous experienced imo, though there is a small part of instinct in it.. small children tend to have no fear of these things.

OK then we are not born with any fears at all then! its all down to what our moms made us be afraid of. glad I got that straight. I feel like going for a walk along the top of the building. later guys;)

I think I have the most irrational fear of all, xenophobia. I fear anything alien or represnting aliens, I have night terrors about them, although they have subsided thanks to a kind member on the boards suggesting lucid dreaming. If that person is reading I want to say thanks! No night terrors for a week now!

" Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words."

" Panophobia or Pantophobia- Fear of everything."

lol...some of those are funny