Fear of the unknown is familiar to many people. It is this feeling that makes a person refuse to make changes in life, and increased anxiety leads to inaction. Of course, caution is necessary, but it is impossible to live in anticipation of unfavorable events and at the same time maintain peace of mind.
Being in a comfort zone, an individual always knows what awaits him in the future. When an established system fails, panic begins. When it comes to phobias, the intervention of a specialist can stop the destructive process. Psychiatrists also call agnosophobia an elusive fear.
We simultaneously want change and strive for stability
Human nature is extremely contradictory: on the one hand, we strive for progress because it brings with it new opportunities and improvements.
On the other hand, we subconsciously strive for stability; we may associate change with the abandonment of something time-tested and, therefore, obviously good in favor of something completely new and unknown. According to data published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, people consider longevity to be the main criterion for good quality. In one experiment in the study, student participants preferred the old course schedule to the new one, without even assessing whether the updated version included fewer course hours. Simply because the original version seemed more familiar to them. And when they later heard that the old schedule had remained unchanged for hundreds of years, the students were even more confirmed in their opinion.
Patterns of human behavior
Psychologists know what the fear of the unknown is called. Agnosophobia occurs in response to negative thoughts created by the person himself. If an individual from birth has such traits as anxiety and suspiciousness, then he is inclined to predict a negative outcome of events. Experts have identified 5 behavior patterns of people suffering from this phobia.
Planner
A planner is a person who has plans for the future. He does not tolerate the slightest violation, and any changes cause panic in such an individual. Psychologists recommend that planners sometimes introduce something new into their lives and thereby overcome the fear of the unknown.
Owner
The owner values reliability in everything. He has his own opinion about a successful life and what attributes should correspond to a high standard of living. But you cannot trust stereotypes, since happiness has its own characteristics for each person. It is important to experience new emotions in order to understand what an individual really likes.
Opportunist
Fear of the unknown was beneficial to ancient people, but today it is harmful. The opportunist tries to get used to living in constant fear. Psychologists advise getting out of your comfort zone towards new experiences and starting small: gaining new skills.
Defeatist
A person who is afraid to make the slightest mistake will be called a defeatist. He is unable to move forward, since he is already set up for an unfavorable outcome.
Maximalist
Agnosophobia leads the maximalist to the belief that he cannot do everything perfectly. Which means it’s not worth trying. It is also a form of fear of making mistakes.
The unknown inevitably causes stress
The earliest written definition of the fear of the unknown as one of the fundamental fears inherent in man is found in the American writer and philosopher Howard Lovecraft: “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and most powerful kind of fear is the fear of the unknown.”
. His words were later confirmed by research by neuroscientists, who also emphasized the direct relationship between fear of the unknown and increased levels of stress and anxiety.
We are afraid of changes because when we decide on them, we take a lot of risks, because the result is always unpredictable. And it drives us crazy.
Factors provoking the development of agnosophobia
Such phobias most often occur in anxious people
While examining patients of psychotherapists, doctors noticed one interesting fact. People suffering from depression and various phobias have an enlarged insula and amygdala. According to scientists, the tendency to anxiety and negative emotions is a consequence of the physiological structure of the brain.
Everything is aggravated by the destructive fear of the unknown. It occurs in people who:
- are permanently afraid of being in trouble;
- experience a terrible fear of losing everything they currently have;
- not confident in their own abilities.
Experts note: the older a person gets, the more pronounced his described fears are. For example, children do not care about the consequences of individual actions, but as a person grows up and develops values, more and more fears arise. It is more difficult for him to decide on something new and break already established patterns.
Scientists: confidence in a bad outcome of the situation is better than the unknown
In 2021, a team of researchers published the results of one of the most complex experiments on the relationship between uncertainty and stress levels. Volunteers who agreed to take part were asked to play a simple computer game. They had to turn over stones, under each of which a snake could be hiding. Players who stumbled upon a snake received a painful electric shock.
During the experiment, the researchers tracked stress levels using several physiological indicators, including sweating and pupil dilation. They also asked participants to self-report when they felt more stressed. The main finding was that both subjective and objective measures of stress peaked under conditions of greatest uncertainty. At the same time, uncertainty was much more stressful for the players than predictable negative consequences.
Resisting change will not help you. The only solution is to give in to the unknown
A secondary result of the experiment described above was that those participants whose stress level reflected the actual level of uncertainty performed better than others at the task. This confirms the fact that uncertainty stimulates us to adapt. Having lost control of the situation, we practice reacting to changing conditions and possible risks and use every neuron to regain control.
Uncertainty cannot be controlled, and worry and resistance can only make things worse. But being aware of what is happening to you will help significantly reduce the pain of change. To decide to make changes, you need to be in touch with your emotions and fears that control you and can interfere with this process. They will be different for everyone - and they will also manifest themselves differently.
Tatiana Podoprigora
Practicing clinical psychologist, consulting psychologist with five years of experience; works with themes of self-determination, changing professions, building relationships with others, with the world and with oneself
“It is important to understand that changes - in particular, a transition to a new profession - often affect the image of “I” and are inextricably linked with changes in identity, influencing what a person will think of himself in a new capacity. There are no universal instructions and algorithms that would suit all people. But a few simple steps will help you start the process of self-exploration and find your individual formula.”
Symptoms
Some people are afraid of losing what they have
It is difficult to detect a phobia, since the symptoms are not pronounced and make themselves felt on the eve of making important decisions. During these periods a person may be absent-minded and lose his appetite. Particularly suspicious people may develop a fever, although there are no physiological prerequisites for this.
During difficult periods of life, when such decisions need to be made one after another, a person may worry more. He has:
- sleep disorders;
- blood pressure problems;
- obsessive thoughts that everything will end badly.
Articulate your own value
If identity is built around the old profession, then after changing it a person is afraid of losing himself. The following questions will help here: “Who am I?”, “What am I?”, “Why do I value myself?”, “Why do others value me?”, “What do they ask me for?”
In different states, people tend to give different answers to these questions. For example, it is more difficult for a tired and depressed person to give himself a more sound critical assessment. So try asking yourself these questions in different states over a period of time - for example, every day for a couple of weeks. And collect at least ten answers for each.
Brief information about fear
In our comfort zone, we always know what to expect. When this system is disrupted, we begin to panic and fear that something will happen that will radically change our living conditions. Almost all people are pessimists, and therefore, when there is a possibility of changes in life, we think only about the bad.
Phobia of the unknown needs treatment. If this is not done, a person will stand in one place in matters of his financial, moral and aesthetic development. Let's consider how to suppress the fear of the unknown.
Consistently plan for change
First, you need to decide whether you are ready to act. If it is not there, then the planning process most often comes down to unproductive fantasy, which replaces the person’s need for change. Unwillingness to act can manifest itself in the form of procrastination and the expectation that the situation will change on its own, without our participation. We often mistake our unwillingness to move for laziness and scold ourselves, considering it a weakness. Admitting weaknesses in yourself is a difficult and courageous task, and if you do it without self-blame and self-flagellation, it becomes easier, and self-flagellation often increases procrastination.
Second, break down a large task into small daily steps. The following self-exploration questions will help you: “Am my plans helping me?”, “Am I following through on them?”, “How do I feel when I imagine myself in a new job/profession? Why do I feel this way?”, “What am I ready for in reality?”, “What can I do now?”
Create the right environment for yourself
Having people around you who approve and support your desire for change helps you move forward. This could be anyone: friends, a psychologist or a mentor. The latter will support you, discover your strengths together with you, form a new picture of the world, record results and achievements. It’s also good if you are surrounded by at least one person who has already achieved what you dream of. This way you will move towards your goals, inspired by his successes.
Find what works for you
It is important to explore what motivates you personally to take action, because the conditions for change are different for everyone. For some, competition ignites, and for others, it suppresses; for others, drawing up a detailed plan helps; for others, it is more important to take the first step, and deal with the consequences later; for some, it is convenient to move quickly, and for others, slowly, gradually. adapting to changes. Take the time to get to know yourself well and the conditions of change that are comfortable for you. This can be done independently or with a specialist.
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Self-help and prevention
Sometimes you need to exhale, look around and take a deep breath
If agnosophobia has not yet acquired pathological features, you can work with it. A person can do this on their own without turning to a psychologist.
You need to plan your day and future. It is important to remember that circumstances change and do not always depend on you. You need to be able to adapt to them.
Fear of the unknown is not an irrational feeling. This is part of the human self-preservation instinct and will always be there. When testing it, remember that the chance of a favorable outcome is 50/50.
If you feel increasing anxiety, use the “Here and Now” rule. The moment fear hits you:
- take a break;
- mentally disconnect from worries;
- look around and hold your gaze on surrounding objects or people;
- become aware of what is happening around you;
- take a deep breath, hold the air and exhale slowly;
- take a few deep breaths.
During an important period in your life, you can take from 3 to 5 such pauses a day to collect yourself and put your thoughts and feelings in order.
Agnosophobia is difficult to diagnose
Be sure to find time to relax. Take up a hobby that regulates your emotional state. Communicate with relatives and people with whom you feel calm and comfortable.
Working with such patients, French psychotherapist Christophe Andre came up with several exercises that help a person overcome agnosophobia.
"Upside down"
For this exercise, Christopher recommended making a clear plan for the next day and working through it in reverse order. Such a shake-up will force your thinking to work more actively.
"Reportage"
A person can overcome this on their own without turning to a psychologist
For those who are afraid of the thought of moving, the specialist recommended that they periodically throw themselves into such circumstances and go to populated areas where the person has never been before.
When visiting them, he advised to learn about the area, as many of them as possible, to photograph it and write down your observations.
"Slave"
If the basis of the fear of the unknown is a person’s distrust of others, the psychotherapist suggested that they approach a friend or colleague with a request to make a plan for the day. A person with a phobia had to strictly follow what was written.
