All my life, I have been afraid of rainbows. When I see one, or see one forming, my heart beats faster and I begin to hyperventilate. Sometimes I cry, sometimes if I see it suddenly I can't help screaming. I have looked up this fear and found no such thing, but I doubt I'm the only one. I propose to call it IRIDOPHOBIA. Growing up, I was most afraid of the rainbows you see in the mist of the sprinkler in the lawn. I used to shower with my eyes closed for fear that the spray of the shower would create a rainbow (I was too young to realize this was not possible, though). I realize now that I'm not just afraid of rainbows, but things in the sky in general. Rainbows and the Northern Lights especially. I get goosebumps looking at the Northern Lights, because they're like rainbows that MOVE. That freaks me the heck out! I shouldn't have moved to Alaska!
I was just checking on the internet to see if this fear is not only me. I was shocked to find somebody else with this fear. The thing is, I was driving through Buffalo NY yesterday and it was raining. All of a sudden while it is raining, the sun comes out and I anticipate a rainbow coming, I do not see one at this point, but I know it is inevitable that a rainbow is going to appear. At this point I started getting anxious and do everything I do not to see it. It became really hard to drive so what I did was pull into a reststop and went into the store so I would not see it. But there are times when I do see them, and I get lightheaded and my hearts starts beating fast. I also was afraid to look into the mist of my garden hose in fear of seeing a rainbow when I was younger. I do not know if there is a name for this, but I am glad to see I am not alone with this WEIRD phobia.
