What is Thalassophobia?
Thalassophobia is an intense phobia or fear of large or deep water, such as oceans and lakes (Jarrett, 2022). Thalassophobia differs from aquaphobia, a more general fear of water, such as showers, baths, or drinking water.
What are the causes?
Like most phobias, thalassophobia is likely to develop from experiences (Jarrett, 2022). A traumatic or non-traumatic event can generate thalassophobia. For example, people who have drowned or witnessed a drowning are often susceptible to thalassophobia. Also, being frightened by films and other people’s traumatic stories about the sea can be a starting point for fear (Content Engine LLC, 2023). For instance, images on social media that relate to a deep fear of the immensity of the waters and the creatures that inhabit these environments can trigger thalassophobia (Content Engine LLC, 2023).
Furthermore, genetic components can cause thalassophobia. Studies show that a child raised by parents scared of deep water is likely to be at greater risk of developing thalassophobia (Jarrett, 2022).
In addition, cultural influence is a significant factor in evoking thalassophobia, as evidenced by research showing a relationship between thalassophobia and mythology (Jarrett, 2022). Deep-sea monsters are prominently featured in ancient and modern myths, particularly among seafaring peoples (Jarrett, 2022). Examples include Beisht Kione (Irish), Cetus, Charybdis, Scylla, Siren, and Hydra (Greek), Jörmungandr and Kraken (Norse), and Kappa (Japanese) (Jarrett, 2022). The myth of sea monsters, such as the Loch Ness Monster and Cthulhu, continues in cryptozoology (Jarrett, 2022). These mythologies from various cultures shape modern perceptions and fears surrounding the deep-sea environment, thus influencing individuals’ experiences of thalassophobia.
What are the symptoms?
People with thalassophobia experience intense panic when they are exposed to or even just thinking about deep water. The closer and more immediate the exposure to deep water, the more intense the physiological reactions will be (Jarrett, 2022). Thalassophobia symptoms are similar to anxiety (Gepp, 2023). Psychical symptoms can include (Bence, 2023):
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Dry mouth
- Increased heart rate or heart palpitations
- Difficulty breathing, including hyperventilating
- Chest pain
- Feeling faint or dizzy
- Nausea or stomach cramps
- Chills
- Numbness or tingling in the hands
Similar Artists’ Works
The Hidden Worlds of Noise and Voice (Tmema & Ars Electronica Futurelab, 2002) is an interactive audiovisual installation that presents the relationship between speech and virtual visuals, successfully creating a shared immersion among participants. Through the innovative use of special see-through glasses, participants can immerse in a virtual world where their voices are translated into dynamic and vibrant graphics. As participants speak, colourful and abstract graphics emerge from their mouths, creating a visual representation that reflects the qualities of their voices. Learning from this project, we are inspired to design an interactive audiovisual installation. Participants can not only interact with sounds but also with the visuals, enhancing the immersive experience of thalassophobia. The abstract visuals can change depending on the interactive sounds’ timbre, texture or feeling.
Wishing Wall (Varvara & Mar, 2014) is an interactive installation that transforms spoken words into butterflies. The butterflies are diverse in form and colour as they represent the emotion of the spoken words. The used equipment includes 3 projectors, 6 computers, 3 microphones, sensors, LED electronics, etc. Learning from the interactive techniques employed in Wishing Wall, we plan to utilize projectors, sensors, and projection screens to implement our project. Like Wishing Wall, we will use projectors to cast dynamic visuals onto projection screens. These projection screens will serve as the canvas, allowing for a display of colour and motion of abstract visuals. Also, we will integrate sensors into the installation to enable real-time interaction. For example, these sensors might detect the presence and movement of participants to change the visuals and audio. By integrating sensors into the environment, we can create a responsive and engaging experience that adapts to the actions of the participants.
Audiovisual Environment Suite (Levin, 2000) is another example similar to our project. Audiovisual Environment Suite is a set of seven interactive software systems that allow people to create and perform abstract animation and synthetic sound gesturally in real-time. However, while Audiovisual Environment Suite emphasizes creativity and personal expression, our project diverges in focus. Our project focuses on providing an interactive, immersive experience to captivate participants through dynamic engagement rather than offering freedom for individual performance creation.
