Freaky Phobias
Reader's Digest India|August 2024
Just because it doesn’t make sense doesn’t make it any less scary
Freaky Phobias

Sky Is The Limit

Every time I step out, I can’t shake off the feeling that the sky might come crashing down on me. All that open space feels overwhelmingly vast, and I feel incredibly vulnerable. I know the ground beneath my feet is solid and that the sky has always remained where it belongs, stable and unyielding but the logic doesn’t seem to work. So instead, I focus on things that bring me comfort: the warmth of the sun, the gentle rustling of leaves, the sound of passers by laughing and talking. One day, I hope to replace this anxiety with a sense of peace and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds me. —Kizhumundayur Narayanan, Thrissur

Frozen Green

I have ‘prasinophobia’—the fear of the colour green—since childhood. Whenever I spot the colour it brings shivers down my spine. I feel this more acutely at traffic points. As I wait for the signal to turn green, my heart races to the point of rendering me immobile. But the honking of vehicles trailing behind me comes to my rescue forcing me out of the freeze. —Preetha Rengaswamy, Chennai

Not a Fan

This story is from the August 2024 edition of Reader's Digest India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 2024 edition of Reader's Digest India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM READER'S DIGEST INDIAView All
She Defied All the Odds
Reader's Digest India

She Defied All the Odds

When doctors told the McCoombes that spina bifida would severely limit their daughter's life, they refused to listen. So did the little girl

time-read
9 mins  |
December 2024
DO YOU DARE?
Reader's Digest India

DO YOU DARE?

Two Danish businesswomen want us to start eating insects. It's good for the environment, but can consumers get over the yuck factor?

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
Searching for Santa Claus
Reader's Digest India

Searching for Santa Claus

Santa lives at the North Pole, right? Don't say that to the people of Rovaniemi in northern Finland

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2024
A Mouthful of Good Health
Reader's Digest India

A Mouthful of Good Health

How two carnivores survived on a guilt-free vegetarian diet in the heartland of Ayurveda

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2024
THE FIRST PHOTOBOMBER
Reader's Digest India

THE FIRST PHOTOBOMBER

struck in 1853! And other 'new' fads that are actually ancient history

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
BURIED IN A SNOW TOMB
Reader's Digest India

BURIED IN A SNOW TOMB

The snowboarder was off the trail, headfirst under six feet of powder. To survive, his luck would need to change

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
How Risky Are Those Holiday Cocktails, Really?
Reader's Digest India

How Risky Are Those Holiday Cocktails, Really?

The latest recommendations about drinking and your health

time-read
8 mins  |
December 2024
13 THINGS New Year's Traditions Around the World
Reader's Digest India

13 THINGS New Year's Traditions Around the World

MOST OF US spend the final seconds of each calendar year watching a nearly 5,440-kilo geodesic sphere descend over Times Square in New York City.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
Cookies for Forgiveness
Reader's Digest India

Cookies for Forgiveness

My blowup was half-baked. The apology wasn't

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2024
SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! FOR EVERYBODY!
Reader's Digest India

SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS! FOR EVERYBODY!

Are you up to date on your vaccines? Our handy guide will let you know

time-read
3 mins  |
December 2024