What Scares You The Most?

For me, it's not the nothing that scares me; It's the sudden noise at the end.

@ OP: By "scare" do you mean Terror, Horror, or both?

Solipsistic Fear: I am terrified of the concept that I do not perceive the world as it actually is. I have constant and uncomfortable periods of self-doubt where I am unable to tell my real memories from fake ones, and I have to constantly reassure myself that I'm not being delusions. I make others reaffirm my reality by asking questions over again and double-checking observations and my own actions to make sure I'm not forming false memories. Actually having my reality screwed up makes me light-headed and is one of the few things that make me break out into tears. *sobs*

Fear of the Other: I am not in control of my body. I feel disconnected from my own body and sometimes even mind, and I feel like there is an evil Imp of the Perverse that is me in my mind that constantly tells me or compels me to commit mean, egoistical or painful actions upon myself or others; this is the voice that tells me to rape friends I'm attracted to, or to shove my own hand down a wood-chipper, or to attack people indiscriminately - and it us undoubtedly me. It manifests as dreams/nightmares where I molest friends I have crushes on, or as invasive, persuasive inclinations at the wrong times. At times it feels like my own mind is fighting an uphill battle against a homicidal psychopath who revels in evil. I just cannot imagine myself taking any form of mind-altering drug or consuming alcohol, because I'm terrified of what I might do if I'm not there to watch my inner darkness. I avoid social situation and stay reticent when in them because I'm afraid the darker me (who is me; if it was some other person I could blame it on them. This darker me does not have that excuse) will get an opening.

Fear that Others Mean Harm: I have difficulty connection to people who say that women experience fears of rape that men do not have, because to me this is a natural state of being. Throughout my early-mid teens, I would more than once weekly check over my shoulder when walking to or from school because someone might be sneaking up on me to beat me senseless without reason, or to abduct me and rape me. Every man I met on the road was a potential rapist. I'm still genuinely terrified that when I walk out alone in my own back yard, there are people hiding in the bushes planning to kill me, and any cards that drive by might just risk me the accident of being hit by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting. Ever since something happened to me last October, I'm terrified when people try to touch me or hug me, because my first reaction is that they're going to hurt me; I panic, recoil and sometimes scream.

Oh dear, I need to calm down, or I'll not be able to sleep tonight...

edited 3rd Mar '11 3:52:28 PM by LatwPIAT

For me, the complete and utter annihilation of existance.

Hence why my story actually frightens me on occasion. Which also strikes me as odd. A lot of the things I've added to my story, but they've never affected the way my story does when I dream about it.

The nightmares that creep me out the most have me lose all my teeth and ones where I’m forced to kill a loved one.

^^^ I have some doubts people are yearning to rape geeks .

There is one thing out of many that especially unnerves me — people doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. This simple statement might not have much meaning for you, unless you consider the implications very deeply. From the brainwashing of a misguided teen to vegetable to the lynching of criminals in the olden days, to the 'justified' life-crippling harassment of a man who does not need it, to the extreme, graphic depths one will carry out a revenge.  ^&

edited 8th Mar '11 9:20:57 AM by QQQQQ

Right now, I only have one real fear:

Et Tu, Brute? involving my only close friend.

I really don't think I would be able to go on living if that happened.

There are other things that creep me out when I think about them for long periods at a time, but even then it's comparatively mild:

• Meatgrinder Surgery sans anesthesia - this is a big one that doesn't get enough play in horror stories, IMO.
• The idea of being overrun by insects - particularly army ants, roaches or spiders. Basically, this◊ + your face.  ^*
  ^{As a side note, I've actually been chased by a swarm of bees IRL (I accidentally watered the bush they had their hive hidden in) and stung several times, but it didn't get to me for more than a day or two.}
• Horrific and painful facial mutilations, when they're done realistically.
  • Eye Scream. Pretty common.
• And I'm pretty much unaffected by gorn and psychological trauma, but I absolutely can't stand watching people in extreme physical pain, no matter how much they deserve it.

Edit: Also, I suggest you don't look up "Acardiac Fetus" on Google Images.

edited 8th Mar '11 12:17:29 PM by Wheezy

For me, it's the idea of being lost and alone. Like in the middle of the ocean or something.

Also, I'm not sure this counts as a "fear", but the most horrible thing I can imagine is dying/dissapearing and not being acknowledged. If a character makes a sacrifice but no one ever finds out about it, then I (as the audience) just die inside.

This might sound silly, but I'm really, reaaally afraid of zombies. I blame Resident Evil 2 for that. And their moans, goodness. XP

On a more psychological level, I don't know what's it really called, but I'm at my jumpiest when I have this sense of...foreboding. You know, that feeling of imminent doom. The event's not there yet, but your mind's playing stuff on you and warping your hopes and fears.

Nothing Is Scarier? It appears to me is that the most common fear, at least among the tropers in this forum, is being alone for no justifiable reasons. Heh, same here.

I'm not very brave. I'm scared of spiders, stuff that moves too fast and might hit me (thrown objects, vehicles), my parents dying, being alone in public, empty buildings. The consequences of not being able to understand other people.

Fiction-wise, almost everything played for horror registers as narm. Two things scare me: depictions of child/domestic/animal abuse, and death traps (the more surreal and contextless, the better - Lemmings really freaked me out when I was younger). The works that truly terrify me all involve, on some level, a lack of agency and offer no possibility of catharsis.

Four things scare me: Tentacle Rape: What happened to an unfortunate character from my saga. Worms/Insects: Any maggots or earthworms scare me away (but not parasites strangely) Being Eaten: Swallowed whole, alive and screaming by something bigger than me, or being ripped apart. Strapped to an Operating Table.

One subtle thing that squicks me a bit is strained veins that look like they're about to break any second - like the kind you see on the more extreme bodybuilders, but more.

Also, real pictures of gorn. The fake kind does nothing to me.

edited 10th Mar '11 3:17:09 AM by Wheezy

For some reason any creature taller than me that very thin with a long peak like nose scares me, especially if it has sharp teeth and and claws.

That and something taking control of me (or just going insane) and hurting those I care for or using my own hands to remove my own eyes.

I think my profile pictures sums up by obsession with sight and fear of losing it perfectly.

edited 10th Mar '11 2:09:46 AM by Vyctornian

"In Japan, there is a market for everything."

And yes, that is an excerpt from my own work. And I believe it is true, personally.

edited 10th Mar '11 5:48:48 AM by ArgeusthePaladin

Really big rooms with high ceilings, especially if there's some elaborate painting on the ceiling.

Body Horror. Even just a second of some will have me curled up in a corner.

Teaser trailers. I think it has to do with their being so simple and cryptic.

I've noticed something that tends to freak me out when used in visual media, like video games or tv shows. It's when something heads straight towards the camera menacingly. Whether it's a fast rush or just slow movement, if they look dangerous and they're moving straight at the camera, it freaks me out. Anyone else have this fear?

Spiders.

You can talk about all the intellectual fears you want, but at the end of the day, nothing inspires more absolute, visceral fear for me then spiders.

edited 16th May '12 5:29:42 PM by nrjxll

I'm going to have to go with nrjxll on this one. I hate the creepy things.

Nothing Is Scarier doesn't really bother me though. I'm more afraid of what is there versus what might be.

edited 16th May '12 5:45:37 PM by UmLovely

Tight spaces. Not full-blown claustrophobia. It is likely a product of me being introverted and liking nature.

Being unable to move. This was not a full-blown phobia until I had an episode of sleep paralysis. It was the most terrifying twenty minutes of my life.

Bees.

Being cold. Accidentally licking an almond, so my tongue swells up, cutting off my voice while I try to call for help or try to say something important like "I love you", and then drowning to death in my own blood and puke. Losing somebody I care about. Showers.

Most of all, Almond Ice Cream.

Actually, I'm fine with most 'creepy' things; it's just spiders that are an issue.

And actually, that tends to depend on size. I'm terrified by very small spiders and very big (as in movie-size) spiders, but was able to tolerate my old teacher's pet tarantula.

But, I like almond ice cream...

A few:

• Discovering that all the people that I love in my life are simply actors or intent upon betraying me.
• Being horribly injured (particularly in an automotive accident) in a way that causes me to almost slip into unconsciousness from blood loss, but never quite. *
  This combines several personal fears, one being an outright phobia (the bleeding part).
• Being conscious and without sensory stimulation for very long periods of time.
• The distinct possibility that my consciousness shall simply cease to exist at the moment of death—a fact that I cannot, and will not, know.
• Going horribly insane and never realising it.

Anything alive being skinned.

Spiders, giant octopuses and squids, excessive gore (most of all damage to the eyes), and domestic dogs for me.