Psychological test: the mouse you choose will tell you about your main fears

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Many people are afraid of bats from an early age. And when will this seemingly vicious animal begin to live on the roof of a house or in an apartment? Constant rustling, squeaking and the possibility of suddenly flying into an apartment can create a feeling of fear even in those who have strong nerves.

If there is a concern about mammals, people often ask how they can get bats out from under their roof. There are a large number of methods for breeding bats that help solve the problem.

Preventive measures

The reason for the fear of rats and mice

Geneticists and scientists have found that the emergence of musophobia was provoked by the joint life of rodents and humans. At the beginning of their journey, people lived in caves in small groups consisting of several men and women. Each of them performed a specific role - men hunted and obtained food, guarding the rest of the group in their free time, and women prepared food, looking after children and the surrounding household. Times were not the easiest, so food was tight, and the mice living in the same caves mercilessly hunted for the remains of food. When they did not find her, they could bite sleeping women and children. Some of them could get dangerous diseases when viruses carried by mice were in their blood. In addition to this, one can imagine the dissatisfaction of hungry men who, upon returning, learned about a significant depletion of food supplies.

Therefore, it is no wonder that many women began to get hysterical from one type of mouse. This fear was so strong that it was gradually deposited in the genetic memory of humanity, beginning its journey from one generation to another. Therefore, many representatives of humanity to this day panic at the sight of a rodent.

In the case of rats, subconscious fear is spurred by an unsightly appearance - a bare tail, red bead-shaped eyes, large fangs, a nasty squeaky voice. People who panic violently at the sight of rodents believe in myths that they run through ventilation shafts, are able to move along telephone wires, and plan in detail an attack on a person. No less rare is the fear of a rat bite, which can infect someone with something unpleasant.

Causes of suriphobia

The following reasons for fear of rodents are identified:

• Rats and mice are carriers of diseases. There are cases in history when mice and rats were the culprits of an entire epidemic - the black plague, which claimed the lives of a huge number of people. Rodents live in sewers, basements, landfills, wet and dirty drains and cause harm not only to humans, but also to pets.
• Fear of mice can also be caused by negative experiences associated with a rodent bite.
• Fear of wild mice begins in childhood. If a parent showed fear in front of a child by screaming at the sight of a rat or mouse, the child may remember this situation and subsequently experience fear of rodents.
• The prevailing stereotypes in society, where mice and rats are portrayed in a negative light in books, cartoons and television shows, can form a negative attitude towards these animals.
• The appearance of rats is also physically disgusting: small black eyes, long bare tails and huge teeth. A nasty squeak can irritate and frighten people.

Few people think about it, but mice cause less harm than rats. Mice are small in size, but large rats are much smarter, cunning and dexterous. In case of danger, the mouse will flee for its life, and the rat will finish the job it has started.

The reasons for the fear of mice have distant historical roots and lie in the times when people lived in caves. Ancient people had a hard time getting food. Men usually spent the whole day hunting, and women were left alone in the cave.

Rats and mice were frequent guests of the caves. They destroyed food supplies obtained with great difficulty. Rats also bit women and children.

Therefore, people developed a fierce hatred for rodents. This feeling is now genetically embedded in people and passes from generation to generation.

Origin of the definition of zemmiphobia

Zemmiphobia (in other sources - zemmiphobia) stands for "fear of large mole rats." Some researchers have become interested in the question of what it is.

The popular version is the popular name for naked rats, which in appearance and behavior are practically no different from moles. The only difference is that on the front of their heads they have pronounced fang-shaped teeth, with which they dig underground tunnels. They live in groups in Africa. Each of these colonies numbers from 80 to 300 animals. Among them there is only one main female, and her males include 19 individuals. Other members of the colony perform work tasks or simply provide security.

But it has not yet been confirmed by significant evidence. Therefore, if it contains erroneous information, then science does not yet know where the word “zemmiphobia” came from.

Origin of the definition of musophobia

In some sources it is listed as musophobia (from the Greek word meaning mouse), in others - murophobia (taxonomic adjective “rat”). Along with them, suriphobia is mentioned, which comes from the French word for “mice”.

Among doctors, only one person was the first to testify to the existence of a fear of mice - Genna Crosser. Unfortunately, despite the information she received, she also had to struggle with this deviation.

How does musophobia differ from zemmiphobia?

Manifestations of phobia include an increased level of fear due to some environmental irritant. The leading place among phobia phenomena is occupied by the fear of mice and rats. Despite common beliefs, these are completely different fears that have their own names.

Musophobia is the fear of mice, and zemmiphobia is the fear of rats. Sometimes the concept of zemmiphobia refers to the fear of moles, which, in fact, cannot harm human health. The only problems they cause are the destruction of grain reserves and the appearance of underground burrows where this is undesirable.

In parallel, there is a related phobia based on the fear of bats. As a rule, it occurs among avid moviegoers who have watched too many horror films with vampires. Their panic often reaches such proportions that they quite seriously wait for the little mouse to turn into an insidious vampire and drink all their blood.

Musophobia and zemmiphobia - what are the differences?

It is traditionally believed that a phobia of rodents - mice and rats - is the exclusive prerogative of the female sex. However, this is fundamentally wrong; experts have proven that both men and women are afraid of rodents with equal frequency. Most likely, the fact is that social stereotypes do not allow men to sincerely show their fear and horror, since they are considered the “stronger sex”.

It is worth saying that although there are a huge number of phobias in the world, the fear of mice is one of the most common. If you throw a decorative mouse at the feet of the average woman, you can be sure that she will scream. So musophobia - and this is what the fear of mice is called - subjugates many.

A phobia is a pathologically increased manifestation of a fear reaction to a particular stimulus. There are a great many phobias in the world. The most common of them is considered to be the fear of mice (in scientific language - musophobia). Contrary to many claims, rat phobia is a separate disorder from musophobia, and is called zemmiphobia.

Zemmiphobia means fear not only of rats, but also of the so-called “big mole rat” - that is, moles, which are absolutely harmless to humans. They can only devour grain reserves and dig holes.

There is also a fear of bats, which is based on a misconception about them that can arise from watching too much TV. Many people still believe that bats turn into vampires, and therefore can attack and drink blood. Or they can rush and scratch their face, which, of course, they won’t do.

Factors that provoke the development of a phobia

1. Genetic memory.
2. Childhood fear.
3. An attack by rats or mice on a person or his animals.
4. Unpleasant experience of contact with mice or rats.
5. Possibility of infection from the slightest bite or scratch.
6. Negative reputation created by cinema.

Researchers believe that the phobia of rodents was deposited in the genetic memory of people in ancient times. Their life together was not always peaceful and calm. The men fed everyone, sometimes disappearing for days hunting. Therefore, the entire burden of daily life lay entirely on the shoulders of women. The first representatives of rodent families were not the most peaceful animals, which is why people around them could sometimes suffer greatly. The majority of patients with musophobia are women and children, the minority are men.

In especially advanced cases, at one glance at a mouse, people become hysterical to such an extent that they begin to experience horror along with vomiting disgust. This is right. In this way, the body protects itself from the carrier of serious diseases, but at the same time interferes with a normal life, prohibiting a person from appearing in places where rodents can live.

Should you be afraid of vampire bats?

Little pipistrelle bats are credited with some terrible antics

On the last weekend of August, the world traditionally celebrates Bat Night. Winged animals, which belong to the order Chiroptera and number about 1000 species, go hunting at dusk. These are the only mammals in the world that can conquer the sky. There are also many superstitions and fears associated with these miniature animals. EG.RU is trying to figure out where is the truth and where is the lie?

The mouse killed the pig

Since time immemorial, people have shied away from bats, frightened by their scary faces and considering them bloodthirsty vampires. Legends say that at night they attack people and suck all the blood out of them. In fact, most bats feed on insects, fruits, flower nectar, nuts and very rarely fish. But in South America there are several species that feed on the blood of vertebrates.

For dinner, the little “vampires” choose livestock and horses. Among wild animals, bats prefer capybaras, South American wild pigs, and tapirs. A complex cocktail of elements contained in the saliva of vampire bats (one of them has the telling name Draculin) prevents blood from clotting; other substances act as an anesthetic so that the victim does not feel like he is being “eaten.”

Usually the tiny “bloodsuckers” drink their favorite drink for about an hour. During this period, the bat inflates like a mosquito, almost doubling in size. If the animal fails to find blood within three nights, it loses a quarter of its body weight and may die. It is extremely rare that vampire bats can attack a person while he is sleeping, but they would rather just bite than seriously feast on his blood.

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On a white, white sheet

Another horror story that has existed since ancient times tells about bats that allegedly attack people dressed in white and with blond hair. In fact, these animals have no color preference. It's just that insects tend to flock to anything white, so the bats that feed on them can get tangled in sheets hanging on the street, or - theoretically - in someone's long blond hair. But the latter is more an accident than a deliberate act of attack on a person.

The only thing to be wary of is rabies. Bats are carriers of this dangerous disease. The virus is concentrated in the salivary glands, brain and skin in the neck area. However, there will be a caveat here: only three species of bats are susceptible to the rabies virus - the late bat, the pond bat and the water bat. They are found in many countries, in particular, in Russia they can be found in the European part, in the Far East, in the south of Western and Eastern Siberia. These bats are very shy, and if you don’t go straight into their den, they are unlikely to attack a person. The last two species live underground and it is almost impossible for an ordinary person to encounter them. In addition, a sick animal, due to damage to the central nervous system, quickly loses motor functions and dies.

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By the way: During World War II, the Americans planned to bomb Japan using bats. It was planned to attach delayed-action incendiary bombs to their bodies, lower the animals on mini-parachutes and wait until they huddle into buildings and they burst into flames. Tests confirmed the relative effectiveness of the method, but the project was eventually closed.

For the good of humanity

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In France and Germany, bats are under government protection. Special towers with hollow nests are built for them, and lectures are given in schools about the enormous benefits of these animals. Every year, one individual can destroy up to 10 million flies, midges and mosquitoes. Herbivorous species pollinate rare plants that might otherwise be extinct. And the droppings of these bats are considered valuable fertilizer.

In addition, doctors are actively studying the ability of bats to use echolocation (detection of objects using reflected sound signals). According to the latter, their discoveries in this area may be useful for helping blind people. And the anticoagulant chemical Draculin, found in the saliva of vampire bats, scientists hope may be useful in treating cardiovascular disease.

Signs of a sick person

Any fear arises in a special way, and its sensations are not similar to the feelings of another person. One person will run away in hysteria as far as possible, at one glance at the animal, and the other will stand like a statue, never moving. They are united by common manifestations of phobia:

• non-standard behavior;
• rapid inhalation and exhalation;
• trembling of limbs;
• minor problems with the speech apparatus;
• attacks of nausea and regular dizziness;
• frequent sweating;
• growing panic;
• carefully avoiding the rodent's teeth to prevent accidental bites.

Musophobes understand the name of the fear of mice and the absurdity of their reaction to the most harmless rodent. But few people are able to take control of themselves, and they fall into a prolonged depression from the additional fear of disgracing themselves in front of their close circle. If no one helps them, then the level of pathological panic will increase, acquiring new deceptive fears.

In severe cases, the patient ceases to understand where reality surrounds him, and from what moment harmless fantasies begin. For fear of being attacked by rodents, they can block all the openings that can be found in the house so that mice cannot get inside and find it.

Self-treatment

If the manifestation of phobia symptoms is irregular, then the patient may well try independent treatment methods. The most popular are films and children's cartoons featuring rats and mice, reading stories where rodents are the main characters, and watching scientific programs about the life of the animal world. If fear has not touched the deeper layers of the subconscious, then the patient is 100% likely to defeat it.

No less effective methods include ensuring a comfortable life for your pet rodent. Constant interaction with an animal allows you to ensure its safety and understand that it is not much different from a more familiar cat or dog. Psychologists warn that starting the process of rapprochement will be very difficult, but in the future everything will be much easier.

As additional assistance to the patient, you can add visits to pet stores. It would be good if he could be accompanied by a person from his close circle to provide moral support in difficult moments. During the visit, the patient should focus his attention on the rodents, notice the funny moments of their daily life and fantasize about the mouse thoughts that swarm in their head at the sight of the next visitor.

Specialist help

In the event that independent measures do not work, it is recommended to urgently visit a doctor. During the treatment process, he will use specially developed techniques designed to cure the fear of mice and rats:

• Hypnotherapy sets up subconscious programs and tries to destroy the virus that has infected them in the form of a poorly controlled phobia. If she managed to turn it off, then all the disturbing symptoms would instantly disappear. But many patients are afraid to entrust their consciousness to a stranger and therefore avoid hypnosis.
• Neurolinguistic programming presents a phobia as a distorted view of real life, which is in the hands of the person himself. If the patient manages to look at his fears from a different angle, then it is quite possible that they will stop bothering him.

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Reasons for appearance

For a person to develop a phobia, a significant event must occur in his life that leaves negative memories. This may be an impression from childhood or adulthood.

The most common reasons for fear of mice and rats are:

• Outbreaks in rodent-borne diseases. An epidemic or its threat can provoke fear. If such events occurred in the past, information about this may also be a reason.
• Bites. If a person has experienced an attack, he will be afraid of it happening again.
• The influence of stereotypes. It most often affects women; they are believed to be the majority susceptible to this disorder.
• Borrowing someone else's phobia. If a child sees how an adult reacts to a stimulus, he adopts this reaction.
• Dislike for the appearance of animals. Rats and mice have small dark eyes, large teeth, short fur and long tails, so the normal reaction to their appearance is disgust.

All these reasons have a common origin. Since the time when man lived in a cave, he had to live next to small animals. They encroached on food supplies and bit if they had to defend themselves. So dislike and hatred of rodents is in the genes.