Triskaidekaphobia,The Fear for the Number 13, Shows Mental Weakness
By Neucrad Health News Desk November 31, 2019
Do you become anxious if you need to take a major decision on the 13th of any month? Do you feel worried if you are given room no 13, or an accommodation facility on the 13th floor of a building? If these are related to you, then relax and calm down. You are not the only people in this world suffering from this irrational fear. This anxiety or phobia is present in many individuals, and physicians term this condition as triskaidekaphobia. It is challenging to explain this mental state, and in many cases, it develops due to a personal panic-related experience. Continue reading to know more about triskaidekaphobia.
What is triskaidekaphobia?
The word ‘triskaidekaphobia’ came from two Greek words, where ‘treiskaídeka’ means thirteen, and ‘phobia’ means fear. Here individuals try to avoid everything related to the number 13. Recent studies have revealed that about 9 to 10 per cent of Americans remains worried about this number. The fear becomes even more profound if the 13th date falls on Friday. This phenomenon is known as ‘paraskevidekatriaphobia’. Reports suggest that every year, the United States loses almost $900,000,000 in its productivity due to paraskevidekatriaphobia.
What are the primary reasons for which people manifest triskaidekaphobia?
There are many views regarding the prevalence of triskaidekaphobia in both the oriental and western culture. Detailed below are some of the prominent reasons behind this unusual fear.
· Presence of 13 People at Last Supper
According to the judas Theory, there were thirteen people to sit for the Last Supper, and Judas, the disciple who betrayed Christ, was the last man to join the group. From the Biblical time, there is something uncanny associated with the number 13.
· The Crucifixion occurred on 13th of Nisan
Many scholars present the view that the crucifixion occurred on the 13th of Nisan, which is a month of the Jewish calendar. This unholy act on the 13th date makes it one of the most uncanny period in the entire month. Many Christian religion followers regard the 13th date as unlucky and inauspicious.
· Thirteen Steps to Gallows
According to traditional settings, there are thirteen steps to gallows, twelve up and one down. Though this construction does not remain true in every case, the number 13 sparks an unpleasant feeling in human beings.
· The Fate of Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was a highly advanced spacecraft designed to land on the moon. Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) launched this space vehicle on April 11, 1970. However, the lunar landing mission of this mission got aborted due to the failure of an oxygen tank after two days into the programme. The crew conducted a routine tank stirring operation when one of its faulty wire insulation got ignited. After this, the astronauts decided to return to the earth after orbiting around the moon.
Interesting facts regarding Triskaidekaphobia
These days many reputed international airlines company like Alitalia, Copa Airlines, and Emirates do not have 13th seat numbers in their flights. Their seat numbering goes from 12 to 14 with the omission of the 13th seat number. Many hotels and high rise buildings in India also follow this arrangement to mark customers safe from this superstition.
How to overcome triskaidekaphobia?
Many people experience profuse sweating, chest pain, and increased heart rate whenever they need to face the 13th number. If you fall into this group, then it is beneficial to seek help from professional psychologists to overcome triskaidekaphobia. Psychotherapy, yoga, deep breathing techniques, and meditation has offered satisfactory results in attaining freedom from this fear in many cases.
This was all about triskaidekaphobia. Experts suggest it is illogical to nurture irrational fear for any number. If you look back at your life, you would agree that many pleasurable experiences also occurred on the 13th of every month.
