If just looking at honeycomb is enough to make your skin crawl, you might suffer from trypophobia.
Trypophobia, or the fear of small holes, only came to the attention of scientists in 2013, but experts now estimate that 10 per cent of people experience the condition.
The scientists who first identified the condition now believe that the internet might be responsible for fueling this phobia.
Researchers from the University of Essex found that people were more likely to be ‘trypophobic’ if they had heard of the condition online or on social media.
So, do you have trypophobia? Scroll down to take the test and find out.
If pictures of honeycomb make your skin crawl, you could have a condition called trypophobia. Researchers now say that the internet could be making this fear more common (stock image)
In the study, the researchers surveyed 283 people aged 19 to 22 who were tested for their levels of trypophobia.
To see whether the participants had the condition they were shown images of a lotus seed pod and honeycomb, which are often said to trigger trypophobia.
The participants were then asked 17 questions of the standard Trypophobia Questionnaire in which they rated how strongly they felt various reactions.
These include common trypophobia symptoms like ‘feel like panicking or screaming’, ‘feel sick or nauseous’, or ‘feel skin crawl’.
To see if you have the same condition, try taking the test below by clicking ‘start’ and following the onscreen instructions.
Be warned, this test does contain some images that you might find distressing if you do experience trypophobia.
For an alternative test, you can also find the Trypophobia Questionnaire used by the researchers at the bottom of this article.
Researchers tested participants by showing them images of a lotus seed pod like this one. Those who had heard of trypophobia were more likely to find this image distressing (stock image)
The researchers discovered that those who had already heard of trypophobia were more disturbed by images of holes and were more likely to be trypophobic.
Their results support the idea that trypophobia is a socially learned fear, rather than something we are born with.
Trypophobia is fairly unique amongst psychological conditions in that it only emerged very recently and appears to have first developed online.
In fact, the name ‘trypophobia’ was invented in online chat rooms rather than by any scientific research.
It is not yet a medically recognised condition but since it was first studied in 2013 it has spread widely through news articles and online memes.
In their paper, published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, the researchers suggest that social media awareness might contribute to the spread of the condition.
Densely packed bumps or holes like these strawberry seeds were found more distressing by women and young people who typically spend more time on social media (stock image)
The researchers point out that aversion to images of holes was more common among women and young people who typically spend more time on social media.
Furthermore, 64 per cent of participants had heard of the condition through social media.
Just like we have to be taught to be scared of rats or snakes, the researchers suggest that social media teaches people to be scared of clustered holes.
However, lead researcher Dr Geoff Cole told MailOnline: ‘Social learning is a contributor, it is not the sole explanation.’
Of those who were found to exhibit trypophobia, 24 per cent had never heard of the condition before.
This suggests that there may be a few people who acquire this fear from elsewhere, before spreading it to others over the internet.
The researchers suggest that some people may have an innate fear of structures like bugs’ eyes, which they spread to other people via the internet (stock image)
Dr Cole says: ‘They have trypophobia and then discuss it on various web forums.
‘Other people then read these and acquire the aversion – “Oh yes, I never thought about clusters of holes before, they really are horrible to look at”.’
Researchers have suggested three theories to explain why trypophobia might arise away from the internet.
Dr Cole’s original suggestion from 2013, called the aposematism theory, points out the similarity between patterns that trigger trypophobia and the patterns of dangerous animals.
The patterns on poison dart frogs, snakes, and animals like the blue-ringed octopus can all trigger trypophobic responses.
This suggests that the fear might be an instinctive reaction to traits common to dangerous animals.
Some researchers point out that there is a similarity between trypophobic images and the patterns of venomous creatures like the blue-ringed octopus (stock image)
A second theory, known as the pathological theory, argues that trypophobia is caused by a similarity to skin diseases.
Decay, disease, or parasitic infection can cause similar densely-packed holes or bumps like those which cause distress in people with trypophobia.
Some researchers point out that the phobia might be an evolved disposition to avoid skin diseases and other infections.
In support of this theory, some point out that responses typically become much stronger when trypophobic patterns are applied digitally or with makeup to human skin.
Finally, some researchers propose an alternative suggestion called the vision stress theory.
The fear of small dots and holes could be an evolutionary defence against dangerous animals which has persisted until the modern day (stock image)
Rather than pointing to an evolutionary defence, some researchers suggest that trypophobia serves no purpose and is instead caused by the brain being overwhelmed by stimulus.
When people see trypophobic images, studies show that blood rushes towards the visual processing regions of the brain and away from decision-making zones.
This could suggest that the brain simply does not handle these patterns well and so some people feel extremely distressed when they see them.
However, if you do find yourself suffering from trypophobia, there is still some hope.
Dr Cole told MailOnline that he used to experience trypophobia but is now completely desensitised to trypophobia images, having spend so long looking at them.’
Are you Trypophobic? Take this test to find out
To take the Trypophobia Questionnaire, take a moment to look at the images of the lotus seed head and honeycomb below then read through the list of statements.
Rate each statement from one to five with one being ‘not at all’ and five being ‘extremely’, tally up your responses to get your trypophobia score.
For example, if you moderately agree that the images make you ‘feel like crying’ you should give this a score of three.
Once complete, add up your score for each of the questions to get your trypophobia rating.
This test was developed to aid research rather than diagnosis, but a score of 31 or more is typically associated with trypophobia.
Test Pictures
Scientists say that trypophobia, or the fear of small holes, is being driven by the internet (stock image)
Look at these two pictures and then answer the questions below. Rank each response on how strongly you feel the symptom described (stock image)
How strongly do you have the following reactions while looking at these pictures?
Looking at these pictures I…
- Feel freaked out
- Feel aversion, disgust or repulsion
- Feel uncomfortable or uneasy
- Feel like panicking or screaming
- Feel anxious, full of dread or fearful
- Feel sick or nauseous
- feel nervous (e.g. heart pounding, butterflies in stomach, sweating, etc.)
- Feel like going crazy
- Have an urge to destroy the holes
- Feel itchiness
- Feel skin crawl
- Have goosebumps
- Feel like crying
- Vomit
- Get chills
- Have trouble breathing
- Shiver
