Dollyphobes, why?

I would like to thank stars15k for putting a word to the seemingly common phenomenon of people having a fear of dolls. I wonder if there is an actual name for it, but this one is perfect. I decided to make this thread as a result of reading this other thread, www.abovetopsecret.com...

If you are a 'dollyphobe' be forewarned that there are some scary pics right there. heheh No, really....

So my question is this:
If you are one, then why are you a dollyphobe? When did it start? Can you trace it to a certain experience? Why is it seemingly so common? I also welcome responses from people who think we are just plain silly.

My experience is this: I have always hated certain dolls even when I was little. I had very few, and only when they were gifts. They often stayed in my closet. I only remember liking a raggedy ann type doll and that was short lived. Barbie dolls didn't bother me. I remember as a teenager poking around in my attic through the mess that was up there and I found a doll that was mine when I was a kid I guess (I'm the only girl in my family), and it scared the crap out of me and I couldn't remember ever playing with it and couldn't even believe I WOULD play with it. It wasn't a creepy doll per se, just a normal baby doll thing.
I just wondered what you all thought.

reply to post by Ellie Sagan


It seems we have more in common then both being blue eyed I have Pediophobia too!

I'm not sure why, but there are definitely certain types of dolls that worry me more then others, but the absolute worst one are these they are called "corner dolls" and are made as life size children that stand in the corner with their backs to you.... The worst part of it is when you turn them round they have no face Just thinking about it make me feel ill

I wish I knew what caused it. I remember watching a lot of twilight zone episodes as a kid maybe this episode did it

reply to post by davespanners


LOL I started watching that clip from TZ and it still creeps me out!

You might be on to something... Thanks to my dad, I grew up watching Twilight Zone and the Outer Limits (not to mention Star Trek). I bet it could explain the fear, but maybe the reason Rod Serling used the doll as a vehicle for creating a fear or feeling of unease in the viewers might mean that dolls were already a fear people had and he played on that. So which came first, the fear of dolls? or movie makers, story writers and t.v. show makers using dolls as a fear producing element?

If I had dollyphobia it would be because I had a coal fire in my bedroom when I was little and the flames would flicker on my dolls' faces and make them look spooky. I don't have that phobia but I'm still not too keen on some dolly mugs. When I got my first house I went up the attic for a look. First thing I saw was a dolls head with an eye missing and half the face blackened with soot. I didn't go up there because of that.

reply to post by Ellie Sagan


Theres an article here that says a few interesting things

This individual may have watched the negative, fearful responses of others when presented with a doll. In this example, the person coping with Pediophobia would have learned to imitate that response.

source

My mother has the phobia even worse then me so I guess I might have picked up on it from her, my brother also has it but somehow my sister escaped

Perhaps it's a variation on the Uncanny Valley idea?

en.wikipedia.org...

reply to post by elliotmtl


I thought of that too, but I need to refresh my memory on it. I gotta run now, but I do want to get back to that, but also do a bit more research to see how old this is. I don't know if it's possible though. For example I wish there was a way to find out if people were creeped out by dolls in the 1100s, or even in more ancient times. Also, is it more common today? Also, with the uncanny concept it seems that the closer the thing looks to human, the worse the feeling of revulsion is, which may or may not explain why Barbie didn't bother me. Her size is so NOT human like. thanks for the replies to you who have replied so far.

I am afraid of gollywogs.

I remember waking up as a three to four year old with my bed surrounded by gollywogs.

Hated them a long time....

Originally posted by elliotmtl
Perhaps it's a variation on the Uncanny Valley idea?

en.wikipedia.org...

My version of the phobia doesn't fit into that as the dolls I find most scary aren't realistic and have no face at all. I don't find things like store mannequins scary at all, or waxworks.. The traditional English "Mr Punch" puppet on the other hand sends shivers down my spine and he is not realistic at all

It too would be interesting to know when this phobia was first recorded. I know dolls have a historic connection with witchcraft in the form of poppets and there is the connection with voodoo dolls..

We could add clowns to the list too.

There seems to be a whole category of phobias related to either:

"things that look (more or less) human, but aren't,

or,

"things that don't look human, but are."

Whoever can define and solve that whole category will have solved the OP question.

reply to post by elliotmtl


I hate clowns too!!!

I also find circuses in general kind of depressing and scary.

a reply to: Ellie Sagan

This is so weird.

An hour ago I posted about haunted dolls being something that I've had a lot of interest in after reading about the haunted duck you posted a pic of. I read your threads from most recent (2016) to oldest (this is one of your oldest).

Isn't that strange synchronicity? Haunted dolls are a theme recurring here. It's like I'll mention something to you and through the universal ether it swirls around and repeats on the next ripple. I wonder what the meaning of all of that is, and if I can cause the ripple or if I am merely observing it and noticing it?

I'll respond to your question while I'm at it.

Here's a quick story:
At my x-wife's parent's house out deep in the woods of Pennsylvania, on the second floor is her old room. We stayed in that old room twice when we visited them years ago. This was a 100+year old wooden house, and I'd go smoke in her closet which was a giant walk in closet. I didn't think anyone would notice I was smoking in there, no one ever mentioned it.

Anyways, in that giant closet were like 60 or 70 of these porcelain dolls that someone had collected before my wife was born, so they were quite old. They were intricate and very finely crafted, and all arranged standing up in a congregation atop this large dresser I believe.

When I'd be smoking in there, I always thought they were freaky. I felt like they would watch me, and I was terrified to look at them as I always expected to see their eyes moving following me. They really gave off a spooky aura that I never failed to notice. In this house I've had multiple ghost encounters, and it was the first place I ever encountered ghosts. I went perhaps 25 or 27 years before I ever had a paranormal experience of a significant nature.

There was something up with that closet and doll collection, though I never had any events occur in that room or with those dolls, and I never heard anything in that room. Other rooms in that house (or windows) though had a lot of activity.

I'm not used to calling her my x-wife. It's been two years and I've only recently started saying that. I've been in denial over all of this. These memories are gonna screw me up tonight...