Trypophobia: When Patterns Make Your Skin Crawl

I learned a new word recently: Trypophobia.

Trypophobia is a strong aversion, disgust, or discomfort triggered by seeing clusters of small holes, bumps, or repetitive circular patterns. It is not officially recognized as a distinct mental disorder, but according to Google many researchers classify it as a form of specific phobia when it causes significant distress or impairment.

I once saw a fellow transformed from "tough guy" to terrified child by seeing a spider in his water glass. (Arachnophobia) And my mom's uncle went hysterical when Dad drove into the Lincoln Tunnel years ago.* (Claustrophobia) But I can't say I've ever seen this particular dread. In fact, I've known a number of people who find patterns as fascinating. 

The term comes from the Greek words trýpa (meaning "hole") and phobos (meaning "fear"). It was purportedly coined around 2005 on an online forum and gained popularity through the internet.

It's a strong aversion or disgust towards repetitive patterns like those in honeycombs, lotus seed pods, or sponges, often triggering anxiety, nausea, or panic attacks, though it's not yet a formally recognized mental disorder. 

I myself love patterns. I recall times when I've seen patterns when there were no apparent patterns at all. Patterns fascinate us. We usually find them beautiful or pleasing, even mesmerizing. Fractals, hexagons, tessallations, logarithmic spirals in shells, hurricanes, the Milky Way; cloud formations, branching--all of creation appears to point to a cosmic order.

So why is it that those same patterns can make some people uneasy? It's a question I don't feel prepared to answer.

Many fears are easy to understand. People have phobias about many things like spiders, mice, heights, or tight spaces. But trypophobia is different. It’s not really about an object—it’s about certain patterns, especially clusters of small holes or tightly packed shapes like honeycombs, lotus seed pods, sponges or coral. Even certain skin images can trigger it. People usually don’t feel fear so much as strong disgust.  

The reaction can be immediate. People report feeling nauseous, itchy, anxious, or just deeply uncomfortable. What’s strange is that this happens before they even have time to think about it. They know the image isn’t dangerous—but their body reacts anyway.

Trypophobia is a reminder that not all reactions are logical. Some come from deeper instincts—old wiring in the brain that still shows up in surprising ways.

I will admit that there is one pattern that does make my skin crawl. It's agenda driven narratives based on misinformation, a pattern that seems to keep repeating itself more and more the longer I live. When journalists cite studies by so-caled experts and fail to question the data or the motivations, it's utterly galling. 

If able, I will share an example here on Ennyman's Territory by the end of the week.

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* If you know the Lincoln Tunnel, you'll recall that there are several lanes of traffic inching their way forward in a huge arc so that it make take half an hour to pass the pay booth and reach the tunnel entrance. When my mom's uncle saw that they were entering a tunnel, his claustrophobia kicked in and he began going berserk. Dad stopped the car, but this only antagonized the cars behind him. He couldn't go forward or back until the police stepped in, helped direct traffic so he could turn around and escape. It could have been worse. Alas, there is a lesson here.