From the Greek 'anomalos' meaning irregular or abnormal, and 'phobia' meaning fear.
A psychological discomfort or aversion to objects, images, or situations that markedly deviate from what is
typical, expected, or considered normal, especially when such deviations are extreme or exaggerated without a
clear purpose or function.
Characterized by an emotional response that may include feelings of unease, disgust, or anxiety,
particularly when confronted with altered representations of familiar objects that have been rendered
dysfunctional, overly complex, or absurd. The reaction can be triggered by various stimuli, such as digital
alterations, or physical objects that challenge conventional aesthetics, functionality, or the laws of physics.
This phobia may encompass, but is not limited to, responses similar to those observed in trypophobia, where
clusters of objects or patterns evoke aversion. However, in anomalophobia, the trigger is the anomaly in the
object's form or function rather than repetitive patterns. Other related internet phenomena include:
The intensity of the response can range from mild discomfort to severe aversion. Note that it is
not widely recognized in clinical settings.
Introduction
The purpose of this site is to explore, discuss, and document this particular feeling that many of us have
experienced, but weren't quite able to describe or articulate. Below are examples of images that may evoke
anomalophobia in some individuals. The
images are rated based on my personal perception of their potential to trigger anomalophobia.
The PS3 controller
in particular has been ingrained in my memory since I was a kid, and I have seen it pop up in various places on
the web and it gave me a sudden and very intense feeling of fear, disgust, and anxiety every time. It is the
main inspiration for this site. It also leads me to believe that what does and does not trigger anomalophobia is
a very personal and subjective experience.
Through the process of working on this site, I had to repeatedly confront this fear and I have become more
comfortable with it.
So if you're like me, you can just look at an image for long enough and your brain will eventually realize that
you're not actually in any danger and the feeling should subside.
There is a lot of potential for this topic to be explored further, and I would love to see more
people share their experiences and thoughts on anomalophobia. If you have any images, thoughts, experiences, or stories you
would like
to
share, please feel free to reach out to me on Discord (pepe2708) or E-Mail (pepe2708yt@gmail.com) as I'm curious if this resonates with
anyone. I would also appreciate any feedback or suggestions you
may have for this site. You can also use the GitHub
repository for discussions, issues, and pull requests.
Photo of a tree where a large number of leaves appear as if they're growing directly out of the trunk
(Personal
Rating: 2/10) SourceComplex molecular structure with densely clustered atoms in three seperate arms that stretch and bend
unnaturally (Personal Rating: 6/10) Source(Example of someone expressing the feeling of anomalophobia. Notice over 200 likes, while many of the
comments are either neutral or humorous)Heavily modified Nintendo 64 controller with an excessive number of buttons, screens, and joysticks in
a chaotic, impractical arrangement (Personal Rating: 6/10) Source(Notice how not a single out of 100 comments mentions the image)Heavily modified Playstation 3 controller with an excessive number of shoulder buttons and joysticks,
similar to the N64 one, but with more image distortion (Personal Rating: 10/10) Source(Even this tweet got mixed responses)
Real life photo of a heavily modified Playstation 4 controller with a slightly less excessive number of
shoulder buttons and joysticks (Personal Rating: 8/10) SourceLarge mutated creeper with a long, curved neck and four long and stretched legs (Personal Rating: 9/10)
Source Minecraft showcase of someone "mining a pig" as if they were regular Minecraft blocks (Personal
Rating: 6/10)
The same video also contains a scene where the player eats a diamond, which I would rate about the same.
His entire channel is actually filled with this kind of Minecraft content.
3D model of a Minecraft creeper with the pig texture applied to it (Personal Rating: 6/10) SourcePhoto of a keyboard where lots of visible air bubbles have formed beneath the paint (Personal Rating:
4/10) SourcePicture of a shower faucet with nine seperate shower heads (Personal Rating: 3/10) SourcePhoto of a pineapple with multiple pertrusions sticking out of from it and other anomalies (Personal
Rating: 8/10) SourceMeme that shows the number of cameras on an iPhone increasing with higher models, until the entire
phone is covered (Personal Rating: 5/10)
Original source is a Fireship video I was unable to find
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) cutscenes with police cars in various unusual formations that defy
gravity (Personal Rating: 4/10)Need for Speed II (1997) gameplay where the player is driving a T-Rex instead of a car (Personal
Rating: 3/10)Garry's Mod screenshot with missing textures and a huge cluster of red "ERROR" 3D models in various
sizes and orientations jumbled together. (Personal Rating: 6/10) SourceAI-generated image of a TV-remote that is completely covered in lots of buttons with sizes that range
from normal to tiny (Personal Rating: 6/10) SourceAI-generated image of a pasta dish with a massive pile of peas on top that appears to defy gravity, as
if they were glued together (Personal Rating: 5/10) SourceAI-generated image of a huge cookie cake standing on a base of other cakes, and a massive pile of
various sweets on top of it, similar to the previous image (Personal Rating: 6/10) SourceAI-generated image of a car with "two levels of tyres" and a large number of exhaust pipes and
headlights coming out of every visible part of the car (Personal Rating: 7/10)
This image was created with DALL-E 3 inside ChatGPT after discussing anomalophobia extensively. It actually
invented the term in the very same conversation.
DALL-E prompt: "A car with an excessive number of exhaust pipes, wheels, and headlights, creating a surreal
and unsettling appearance. The car should have multiple layers of headlights and wheels stacked in
impractical ways, and an abundance of exhaust pipes emerging from various parts of the car. It is set in a
familiar suburban environment, but the car's exaggerated features evoke a strong sense of discomfort and
visual overload."
AI-generated image of a keyboard with a large number of oddly shaped buttons of varying sizes around
the main layout. It could be described as a "300% keyboard". (Personal Rating: 7/10)
This image was created with DALL-E 3 inside ChatGPT after discussing anomalophobia extensively. It actually
invented the term in the very same conversation.
DALL-E prompt: "A computer keyboard with an excessive number of keys, including many non-standard keys of
various shapes and sizes. The keys are arranged in a chaotic and impractical manner, creating a surreal and
unsettling appearance. The keyboard should evoke a strong sense of discomfort and visual overload, with
multiple layers of keys stacked and spread unevenly across the surface. The setting should be a typical
office environment, but the exaggerated features of the keyboard should stand out starkly."
