What Is Barophobia? Fear of Gravity Explained
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: October 2026
Quick Answer: What is barophobia?
Barophobia is a specific phobic disorder involving an extreme fear of gravity, such as fear of falling or of heavy objects toppling. It typically starts after a traumatic experience like a serious fall and causes chills, a racing heart, sweating and shortness of breath. It is diagnosed through conversation, and exposure therapy helps most people manage or overcome it. [1]
Key takeaways
Barophobia is an intense, irrational fear of gravity: fear of falling, being crushed by falling objects, or gravity weakening. [1]
It is a specific phobic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder, and roughly 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 teenagers will experience a specific phobia at some point. [1]
A traumatic accident, such as a serious fall, being thrown from a horse or vehicle, or witnessing a fall, often causes it. [1]
Symptoms are physical (chills, sweating, palpitations, nausea, trembling) even though most people know the fear is irrational. [1]
There are no diagnostic tests; providers assess symptoms, duration, and life interference. [1]
Talk therapy (CBT, exposure therapy, and hypnotherapy) plus short-term medications can help most people overcome the fear.
What the research says
Exposure-based therapy works for phobias, including in virtual reality. A meta-analysis of 30 randomized trials with 1,057 participants (14 of them in specific phobias) found a large benefit of virtual reality exposure compared with a waitlist (g = 0.90), and no significant difference compared with real-life exposure (g = −0.07) (Carl et al., J Anxiety Disord, 2019). [2]
Virtual and real-life exposure performed similarly in specific phobia. In nine head-to-head trials with 371 participants, both approaches had large effects, and there was no evidence that virtual reality exposure was less effective than real-life exposure for specific phobia or agoraphobia (Wechsler et al., Front Psychol, 2019). [3]
Adding a drug to exposure-based therapy has not been shown to help. A Cochrane review of 21 randomized trials (788 participants, 3 of them in specific phobia) found no difference between adding the drug d-cycloserine and adding a placebo to cognitive and behavioral therapy, and noted that exposure-based therapies alone worked very well in the trials (Ori et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2015). [4]
What Is Barophobia?
Barophobia is an intense, irrational fear of gravity. The word combines two Greek words: "baros" means pressure or weight, and "phobos" means fear. [1]
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder in which someone develops an extreme fear of something that is not actually harmful. Barophobia is classified as a specific phobic disorder: a phobia directed at something in the natural environment. [1]
What Do People With Barophobia Fear?
A person with a fear of gravity may avoid certain activities or places. Their fears may include:
Too much gravitational pull putting pressure on them and crushing them. [1]
Gravity causing a heavy object like a boulder to fall, crushing them or someone they love. [1]
Falling from a high place or down a flight of stairs. [1]
Dropping and breaking items due to gravity. [1]
A lessening of gravity that causes people to fly up in the air and potentially into space. [1]
This last fear is why some people with barophobia are also frightened of images of outer space, where gravity does not exist in everyday experience. [1]
How Common Is Barophobia?
It is hard to know exactly how many people have a specific phobia like barophobia. Many people keep this fear to themselves, and some may not even recognize they have it. [1]
What is known is that about 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 teenagers will deal with a specific phobia disorder at some point in their lives. [1]
Fact about specific phobias | What it means |
About 1 in 10 American adults | Will experience a specific phobia disorder at some point in life [1] |
About 1 in 5 teenagers | Will experience a specific phobia disorder at some point in life [1] |
Barophobia specifically | Exact numbers unknown; many people hide the fear or don't recognize it [1] |
What Are the Symptoms of Barophobia?
People with phobias typically recognize that their fear is irrational. But this does not make it easy to control their physical reactions when something triggers the fear. [1] Symptoms may include:
Symptom | What it feels like |
Chills [1] | A sudden cold sensation despite the environment |
Dizziness and lightheadedness [1] | Feeling unsteady or about to faint |
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) [1] | Sweating far more than the situation calls for |
Heart palpitations [1] | A pounding, racing, or fluttering heartbeat |
Nausea [1] | A queasy, unsettled stomach |
Shortness of breath (dyspnea) [1] | Difficulty catching a full breath |
Trembling or shaking [1] | Involuntary shaking of the hands or body |
Upset stomach or indigestion (dyspepsia) [1] | Digestive discomfort triggered by anxiety |
What Causes Barophobia?
A traumatic experience may cause you to fear gravity. [1] Potential causes include:
Traumatic trigger | How it can create the fear |
A scary fall resulting in serious injuries [1] | Direct personal experience of gravity causing harm |
Being thrown from a horse or falling out of a moving vehicle [1] | A violent accident that links gravity to danger |
Witnessing another person's injury or death due to a fall [1] | Trauma experienced by watching gravity harm someone else |
A heavy object (like a bookshelf) falling on you or a loved one [1] | Fear that gravity will topple objects onto people |
Scary TV shows or movies about astronauts harmed or swept into space [1] | Media portrayals that seed fear of weightlessness |
Who Is at Risk for Barophobia?
You may be more likely to develop barophobia or another specific phobic disorder if you:
What Other Phobias Are Connected to Barophobia?
Many people have more than one phobia, and these are often connected. Someone with a fear of gravity may also have:
How Is Barophobia Diagnosed?
There are no tests to diagnose the fear of gravity. [1] A healthcare provider diagnoses the condition based on conversations with you about:
You may have a specific phobic disorder if you have:
Diagnostic criterion | What it looks like |
Severe fear or anxiety | Occurs when you think about gravity [1] |
Daily fear of gravity | Lasts for at least six months [1] |
Immediate symptoms | Come on anytime you think about gravity [1] |
Avoidance behaviors | Changes in behavior intended to avoid phobia triggers [1] |
Poor quality of life | Caused by the phobia symptoms [1] |
How Is Barophobia Treated?
A mental health professional can help you overcome this fear of gravity. [1] Treatments include:
Treatment | How it works |
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) | Talk therapy that helps you understand why you think and feel the way you do about gravity, and teaches you to change your perceptions and responses [1] |
Exposure therapy | Gradually exposes you to triggers, like images of astronauts floating in space, to desensitize the fear, working up to purposefully dropping items to see gravity in action [1] |
Hypnotherapy | A therapist induces a hypnotic state or trance to help you access memories, thoughts, and emotions about the fear and change your thoughts under hypnosis [1] |
Medications | Anti-anxiety drugs or antidepressants to help you cope while going through therapy; you may not need them after finishing therapy [1] |
What Are the Complications of Barophobia?
An extreme fear of gravity may make you afraid to leave places you deem safe. This can trigger another phobia called agoraphobia: your need to feel secure may cause you to stay home to avoid falling or encountering phobia triggers. This avoidance can cause you to miss out on fun or necessary parts of life. [1]
Phobic disorders also increase your risk of:
When Should I Call My Healthcare Provider?
You should call your healthcare provider if you experience:
If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support.
What Questions Should I Ask My Provider?
You may want to ask your healthcare provider:
What's causing this phobia?
What's the best treatment for me?
Should I try exposure therapy?
How long will I need therapy?
Can medications help?
Should I watch for signs of complications?
Conclusion
Barophobia turns an everyday force of nature into a source of daily anxiety. The fear of falling, of heavy objects toppling, or even of floating away into space is real and disruptive, but it is also treatable. Most people with specific phobias respond well to talk therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure therapy, with hypnotherapy and short-term medication as useful supports.
If a fear of gravity is shrinking your world, the most important step is reaching out. A mental health professional can help you understand where the fear comes from and steadily loosen its grip, so that gravity becomes just gravity again.
Take the next step in understanding your health. If you create health education materials, Rinnit's library of infographic templates can help you turn conditions like this into clear, visual guides for your audience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is barophobia?
Barophobia is an intense, irrational fear of gravity. The word combines the Greek "baros" (pressure or weight) and "phobos" (fear). It is a specific phobic disorder, a type of anxiety disorder. [1]
What does someone with barophobia actually fear?
People with barophobia may fear gravity causing a fall and serious injury, a heavy object like a boulder toppling onto them or a loved one, dropping and breaking items, or, on the other end, gravity weakening and sending them flying into space. [1]
Is barophobia common?
Exact numbers are unknown because many people hide the fear or don't recognize it. Roughly 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 5 teenagers will experience some specific phobia disorder in their lifetime. [1]
What causes a fear of gravity?
A traumatic experience is the usual trigger: a serious fall, being thrown from a horse or out of a moving vehicle, witnessing someone injured or killed by a fall, a heavy object falling on you or a loved one, or even frightening movies about astronauts swept into space. [1]
Who is at higher risk?
Women, people with a family history of anxiety disorders, and people with a genetic change (mutation) that raises anxiety disorder risk are more likely to develop specific phobias like barophobia. [1]
What are the physical symptoms?
Symptoms include chills, dizziness and lightheadedness, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, nausea, shortness of breath, trembling or shaking, and upset stomach or indigestion. [1]
Can someone with barophobia realize the fear is irrational?
Yes. Most people with phobias recognize their fear is irrational, but this insight does not make the physical reactions easy to control when triggered. [1]
How is barophobia diagnosed?
There are no tests. A provider diagnoses it through conversation, looking at your symptoms, how long they have lasted, and how much they interfere with your life. Daily fear lasting at least six months is a key criterion. [1]
Can barophobia be treated?
Yes. Cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, hypnotherapy, and sometimes anti-anxiety medication or antidepressants can help most people manage or overcome the fear.
What is exposure therapy for barophobia?
A therapist gradually exposes you to the fear, starting with images like astronauts floating in space and working up to purposefully dropping items, to desensitize your response to gravity. [1]
Will I need medication forever?
Not necessarily. Medications are used to help you cope while going through therapy, and many people no longer need them once therapy is complete. [1]
Can barophobia lead to other problems?
Yes. The fear of leaving places that feel safe can develop into agoraphobia. Phobic disorders also raise the risk of depression, social isolation, suicidal thoughts, panic attacks and panic disorder, and substance use disorder. [1]
When should I call a provider?
Call your healthcare provider if you experience panic attacks, persistent anxiety that interferes with daily life or sleep, or signs of depression or substance problems. [1]
What other phobias often occur with barophobia?
Acrophobia (fear of heights), basiphobia (fear of falling), bathmophobia (fear of stairs or steep slopes), astrophobia or spacephobia (fear of outer space), and apeirophobia (fear of infinity) are commonly connected. [1]
Related Reading
References
Cleveland Clinic. Barophobia (Fear of Gravity). Cleveland Clinic Health Library. Last updated March 22, 2022. Accessed October 15, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22557-barophobia-fear-of-gravity
Carl E, Stein AT, Levihn-Coon A, et al. Virtual reality exposure therapy for anxiety and related disorders: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Anxiety Disord. 2019;61:27-36. PMID: 30287083. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.08.003
Wechsler TF, Kümpers F, Mühlberger A. Inferiority or even superiority of virtual reality exposure therapy in phobias? A systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials specifically comparing the efficacy of virtual reality exposure to gold standard in vivo exposure in agoraphobia, specific phobia, and social phobia. Front Psychol. 2019;10:1758. PMID: 31551840. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01758
Ori R, Amos T, Bergman H, et al. Augmentation of cognitive and behavioural therapies (CBT) with d-cycloserine for anxiety and related disorders. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(5):CD007803. PMID: 25957940. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD007803.pub2
Medical disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, call or text 988 (U.S.) to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
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