Research Shows Why Father Heathen Creeps You Out

[Revoltingest]

MSN

www.msn.com

Excerpted....
For 15 years, psychology professor Philip John Tyson has been teaching classes on phobias. At the start of every semester, he asks his students the same question: What are you afraid of?

Students routinely cited spiders, snakes and claustrophobic spaces, but a consistent minority would say they were “terrified of clowns,” said Tyson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of South Wales. He wanted to know why.

Tyson and his colleagues began researching “coulrophobia” or fear of clowns. Although the prevalence of clown phobia isn’t clear, one recent survey in the United States found that about 5 percent of the population said they were afraid — or very afraid — of clowns. Tyson’s team used its own surveys to identify more than 500 people who suffered from clown fear and then asked them to rate their feelings about clowns.

How often did they think of clowns?

What would they do if they encountered a clown on the street?

How long have they feared the red-nosed jokesters?

In what may be a first-of-its-kind study focusing on the origins of clown fear, the University of South Wales team noticed some distinct patterns in the group. The study, called “Fear of clowns: An investigation into the aetiology of coulrophobia” was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. While the research is not based on a representative sample of the population, the findings offer insights into the reasons some people fear clowns, Tyson said.

One of the most surprising findings is that for many people, having a “scary personal experience with a clown wasn’t a main contributor to the fear,” Tyson said. Instead, people said they were creeped out by clowns because:

• You can never really know what a clown is thinking. It can be difficult to know what’s really going on in the mind of a clown with a painted on smile or frown. “There’s something about not being able to read facial expressions,” Tyson said. “And the fact that there might be something hidden and dangerous, there might be harmful intent behind the makeup.”

Read the link for more @Father Heathen info.

 

[Stevicus]

They do kind of look frightening.

 

[Wu Wei]

 

[Father Heathen]

 

[JustGeorge]

My middle son hates them, but for a unique reason.

We had a family friend who wore way, way, way too much make up. He was really close with her, but she had some negative personality changes and disappeared.

We went to the circus, and out of nowhere, he started yelling obscenities directed at her. We couldn't figure out what the deal was, she wasn't around, and hadn't been around for some time.

I mentioned it to the therapist, and she asked what act was on when he freaked out. I said I thought it was the clowns. She suggested that he was connecting clowns with her. Bingo!

 

[ChristineM]

Nothing wrong with them.

 

[mangalavara]

You can never really know what a clown is thinking. It can be difficult to know what’s really going on in the mind of a clown with a painted on smile or frown. “There’s something about not being able to read facial expressions,” Tyson said. “And the fact that there might be something hidden and dangerous, there might be harmful intent behind the makeup.”

Indeed, I don’t know what’s in their mind. More than that, I just can’t stand the way clowns look. I don’t like it one bit.

 

[Brickjectivity]

You can never really know what a clown is thinking. It can be difficult to know what’s really going on in the mind of a clown with a painted on smile or frown. “There’s something about not being able to read facial expressions,” Tyson said. “And the fact that there might be something hidden and dangerous, there might be harmful intent behind the makeup.”

So its only smart people that are afraid of clowns.