Phunny Phobias

If you met someone who was afraid of paper or wax statues, wouldn't you tell them to stop being so ridiculous and get over it? Every Monday, Null editor Hayley hand-picks another bizarre phobia and tries to work out whether it's real or rubbish.

This week:

Simantrophobia: fear of church bells

What's so scary about it?
Not much... unless you're a bell ringer. It's not uncommon, apparently, for bell ringers to suffer bell-related panic attacks. They're scared that the huge bells suspended above their heads might, at any given moment, fall and flatten them. And it seems these fears sometimes rub off on the rest of the religious community - seventeenth century preacher John Bunyan is said to have feared the bells bouncing around and destroying the entire steeple.

What do the scientists say about it?
Rather heartlessly, the scientists don't say anything. In fact, the word "simantrophobia" is my own invention, formed from the Greek for "bells used in monasteries". But in 2005, the editor of The Ringing World, Robert Lewis, told the Guardian, "There might also be an element of stage fright involved, but it is strange that people can ring happily for years then suddenly start to suffer from it."

Hayley says:
"For the 40,000 plus bell ringers in the UK: Real."

So far: Real 22 Rubbish 20

Find Phunny Phobias from other weeks here. Or try one of our other regulars: