I have an irrational fear of alien movies, not aliens–I don’t believe aliens exist or are going to abduct me or take over the world or anything like that, it’s just seeing them on film just freaks me out. It all started when I was 6 and watched E.T. I had a night mare that night: my friends and I were playing house in my playhouse when all of a sudden a giant E.T. came and ripped the roof off saying something like “E.T. phone home”. It’s ridiculous right? but completely true. Since then I haven’t been able to watch any movie concerning or involving aliens without having nightmares. It does help when the movie doesn’t show the aliens or at least not often, like in Independence Day, I can just close my eyes during those parts so I don’t have to see them. War of the Worlds isn’t too bad. Men in Black is out of the question. I did work up the courage to watch Signs when it came on the tv one night, but it was more like I listened to it than watched it, because I had my eyes closed almost the whole time.
I had thought I was the only one with this unique phobia until one of my co-workers told me she had recurring nightmares about E.T. and still does, and had to go to therapy for it. I wonder how many other people have issues with E.T. …? And I wonder when scientists or psychiatrists are going to give our phobia a name.
I also have a fear of alligators, but as the closest alligators are in the Louisville zoo, I’m okay with that. But canoeing in an alligator infested abandoned rice patty was probably not the best thing to do for vacation in South Carolina.
