Imagine that you’re swimming out into your local lake. You’re a capable swimmer, you know this body of water like the back of your hand, and you feel confident while athletically stroking through water enveloped by the early morning mist. You decide to dive underwater for a bit—you know, for fun—and that’s when you see it: the shadowy silhouette of something huge, rusted, and covered in seaweed. You panic, rise to the surface, and swim to the shore. Trembling. Terrified.
What even was that?! That, my dear Pandas, was but a taste of submechanophobia, the fear of fully or partially submerged man-made objects, from sunken ships and propellers to sculptures and buildings. The r/submechanophobia subreddit, a vast community of 375k people, is a place to explore that deep, lurking fear in photo format.
Let’s plunge in, shall we? Remember to upvote the pics that scared the bejesus outta ya as you’re swimming through this list. We’d also love to hear your thoughts about the photos, so if you’re brave enough, you can dive to the very bottom and drop us a line in the comment section.
One of the moderators of the 'Submechanophobia' subreddit, redditor Pubocyno, gave us a glimpse into the exciting underwater currents of the community, shared their take on tackling our fears, and revealed the very interesting origin of the phobia itself. Pubocyno told Bored Panda that they're actually a very active wreck diver in their free time! What's more, they create detailed shipwreck maps.
"I like to spend much time underwater. There is this sense of awe when you discover underwater wrecks for the first time, a little bit of excitement and a little bit of terror—not to forget the sense of history, especially in those wrecks you know have had casualties," Pubocyno said that even though they don't have submechanophobia themselves, they nonetheless have a "great respect" for all things underwater. You'll find the moderator's other insights deeper into the article, dear Readers.
#1 Underwater Shark Statue At Lake Neuchâtel
Image credits: 1091drawde
#2 Hurricane Harvey. French Street In Lumberton, Tx. 9/3/2017
Image credits: Axeljurgens
#3 Maryland National Harbor Statue 'The Awakening'
Image credits: Consistent_Bid_7501
The ‘Submechanophobia’ subreddit will be celebrating its 8th birthday on July 10, so if you’re a fan of the uncomfortable photos they post, drop by, say ‘hi,’ and congratulate them. Just… don’t forget your diving gear, powerful waterproof flashlight, and harpoon. Just in case the underwater objects are haunted or decide that now’s the perfect time to come alive.
Moderator Pubocyno is very dedicated to the subreddit. They do their best to find a bit more about the shipwrecks that get posted on r/submechanophobia and if they feel satisfied that they've got the right information, they'll add it to one of their shipwreck maps. Pubocyno has made six maps so far and shared with Bored Panda the North European version which you can see in all of its glory right here. Trust us, it's worth taking a peek.
#4 Diving In A Sunken Plane
Image credits: Quinnpill19
#5 The Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Today. Ignore The Fact That You Are Already Driving Underwater. Drive Into The Underwater Water
Image credits: DarkBlue222
#6 German U-Boat Spotted From The Air
Image credits: KingNeptune767
Pubocyno was kind enough to share their take on dealing with phobias like submechanophobia. The moderators actually have very high standards and strict rules for the content that gets posted so that it doesn't trigger a reaction in anyone who is afraid of submerged man-made objects. "we are not about shock content," they said.
"When dealing with any sorts of phobia, the important must be understanding why you are afraid, not necessarily what you are afraid of, although they two can be connected. As always, proper mental health workers are to be recommended instead of the advice of strangers on the internet if someone experiences serious problems," the moderator detailed. "To support those who are haunted by these sort of images, we crack down on staged or otherwise unreal content and demand posts have some sort of cohesive title."
#7 Swimming Pool Aboard A Decommissioned Soviet Typhoon Class Submarine
Image credits: BigCheemus
#8 Dragon Sculpture In The Lake Of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Image credits: Av3le
#9 It Seems People Enjoyed My Last Post- Here Is Another One I Took Of The Coast Of O’ahu, Hawaii, Where A Tourist Submarine Came Upon As Out Of The Void While We Were Diving...
Image credits: lindirofkells
The moderator also gave Bored Panda a glance at the subreddit's history. The current moderators weren't present when r/submechanophobia was founded and they don't really have any communication with the community's creators. According to Pubocyno, the original founders thought that the idea to create a subreddit about submechanophobia was a good one and, once the community "gathered too much steam," they left to pursue other projects.
"Interestingly enough, we are unable to find mentions of the term 'submechanophobia' that predates the subreddit (2013), so although we have no proof, we like to think we were the instigator of the term. The internet has redefined the term a bit differently than we use it in-house, however," the moderator noted that the subreddit may very well have created the term itself that then spread to other corners of the net.
A part of submechanophobia is that people are scared that they’ll be sunk into the man-made objects or that dead bodies or even dangerous creatures could suddenly appear out of them. What’s more, some people are scared that the objects themselves might be haunted by ghosts or spirits. It’s easy to laugh at this when it’s sunny and we’re on dry land though, isn’t it?
#10 Silver Islet Mine Shafts Near Thunder Bay On
Image credits: justjbweldit
#11 Retired NYC Subway Car Dumped Off The Coast As An Artificial Reef
Image credits: R3dSh1ft_706
#12 What A Submarine Escape Training Tower Looks Like
Image credits: Dracula24
Let’s face it, most of us have at least one phobia in our lives. Some might be secret, others will be well known to our closest friends and family members. For instance, I’ve got acrophobia or the fear of heights. I know it’s irrational. I know that it’s usually silly for me to panic. But when I end up in a very high place, I’m terrified. Especially if my friends are doing dumb things like leaning over the edges just to annoy me. Paradoxically, I absolutely love flying.
So considering that we’ve got our own phobias to deal with, submechanophobia doesn’t seem all that silly. After all, it’s one thing to look at some photos of submerged objects from the safety of our own homes, schools, or offices; it’s a completely different ball game to be underwater, in the silence, and see a shadow rising out of the depths. It’s eerie. It’s scary. And I’m betting that some Pandas (me included) will be having nightmares about this in the days to come.
#13 This Picture From A Forbes Article On Nuclear Power
Image credits: Phagemakerpro
#14 Serpent D'océan In Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins, France
Image credits: arbalm
#15 Water Reservoir In Emmendingen, Bw, Germany
Image credits: Trizocbs
The fear of submerged man-made objects is closely linked to thalassophobia, the fear of deep bodies of water, from the ocean and the sea to lakes and even pools. If you’ve got thalassophobia, you could be scared of being in deep bodies of water, afraid of how vast and empty the ocean is, frightened of waves or creatures living in the water, or even scared to get too far away from the shore.
Part of this fear could be explained by our evolution (i.e. human beings don’t breathe underwater and can’t survive while on water without a lot of help), however, researchers are still unsure of the precise causes of thalassophobia.
#16 A Full Tokyo Flood Shaft. The Shaft Is Around 230 Feet Or 70 Meters Deep
Image credits: Where_Lions_Roam
#17 Cancun Underwater Museum
Image credits: roboflav
#18 Aft Ballast Tank On My Ship. Had To Dewater And Inspect It
Image credits: Cornholiolio73
Some of the ways to treat thalassophobia and submechanophobia include applying cognitive behavioral therapy, systemically desensitizing the patient to their fears, using exposure therapy, and even using medication if the symptoms are very strong and persistent.
A combination of all approaches seems to work best. What’s more, treating the phobia in question is best done in childhood, before it takes root... and drags you down to the underwater abyss.
#19 Interior Of Shipwreck In Lake Superior
Image credits: kikislidr
#20 131 Ft Deep Swimming Pool In Padua, Italy. That “Landing Pad” At The Bottom Especially Freaks Me Out
Image credits: jennasky
#21 Jet Star, A Rollercoaster In New Jersey That Was Literally Blown Into The Ocean During Hurricane Sandy
Image credits: reddit.com
#22 Awesome (Terrifying) Bronze Statue Of The Christ Of The Abyss In San Fruttuoso, Italy
Image credits: salutations247
#23 Volvo 850 Trapped Under Ice
Image credits: radioactiveanomaly
#24 Church Of Potosi, Drowned Then Reappeared
Image credits: beachplank
#25 Carnival Cruise Ships Being Scrapped
Image credits: ThatSexyLightskin
#26 An Offshore Oil Rig Which Drifted To The Coast Of The Isle Of Lewis Due To Extreme Weather In 2016
Image credits: bdemin
#27 After 2300 Years Underwater, A Cache Of Ancient Relics Have Been Rediscovered Off The Coast Of Thonis-Heraclion In Egypt. They’ve Been Waiting, Watching
Image credits: CenizaRey
#28 Inspecting Underside Of A Major Port Terminal. We’re About 1500 Feet From Open Air
Image credits: balltesties
#29 “Hey Let’s Swim Out To Those Buoys!”
Image credits: generalizimo
#30 Abandoned Set Of Canadian Game Show Splatalot
Image credits: Cornhub42
#31 Drug Smuggling Submarine Found In The Ecuadorian Jungle
Image credits: Dracula24
#32 Huge Diving Tank In Duisburg, Germany. Contains A Plane Wreck, A Car And Several Other Debris
Image credits: P26601
#33 Swimming Off The Side Of A Container Ship Seems Like A Big Nope. Found This On Instagram A Few Days Ago
Image credits: durbn
#34 Italian Wwii Cargo Ship Ss Probitas, Sunken In The Bay Of Sarandë, Albania
Image credits: alphajuliett1337
#35 I'm Usually Ok With Submarines But This Photo Got Me
Image credits: _BataLeon_
#36 Gus Grissom's Liberty Bell 7 Mercury Capsule, Lost In 1961 In 16,000 Feet Of Water
Image credits: netballr
#37 In 2016 Riot Games Commissioned An Artificial Reef Of Their Character Nautilus And Placed It In The Ocean Of Brisbane, Australia. He Now Looks Like This
Image credits: bluebreeze52
#38 The Old Universal Studios Jaws Ride...
Image credits: yojodavies
#39 Venice Canal Giant Hands
Image credits: YungxAkimbo
#40 Naval Mines Always Spook Me Deep Down My Guts
Image credits: Badisk
#41 Sub At Periscope Depth
Image credits: TX_Pete
#42 My Buddy Took This Inside An Abandoned Dredge In Michigan
Image credits: copperdog626
#43 An Abandoned Ekranoplan. An Old Amphibious Soviet Plane From The Cold War
Image credits: Puggo357
#44 Sunken Sailboat On A Foggy Day
Image credits: TheFlyingBandNerd
#45 Shooters Island, Staten Island New York Photo Taken At Dead Low Tide It Was An Old Shipyard Back In The Late 1800s And Early 1900s Many Ships Were Left Abandoned After The Yards Closure. At High Tide Most Of The Outlines Of The Ships You See Are Completely Submerged
Image credits: Ponsigs
#46 This Boat Looks Like It Is Sinking 24/7 Who Does This
Image credits: boardroomseries
#47 German Submarine U-118 Washed Ashore On The Beach At Hastings, 1919
Image credits: SMALLWANG69
#48 The "Lady Of The Lake", An Abandoned B-29 Superfortress In Alaska
Image credits: reddit.com
#49 Sinking Plane
Image credits: words_bad_math_good
#50 The Last Structure Standing Of What Used To Be Holland Island In The Chesapeake Bay. The Island Eroded Away And This House Was The Only Thing Left Standing. It Was Floating In The Chesapeake Alone For Years Until It Finally Sunk In 2010
Image credits: Fun-Independence-282
#51 Carved Head Of A Sea Monster Rises From The Depths; A Figure Salvaged From The Gribshunden, A Warship That Sank In 1495
Image credits: Gnome_chonksky
#52 Japanese Submarine That Never Made It To Pearl Harbour
Image credits: Dracula24
#53 A Sunken Ship Called "World Discoverer" Before And After It Sunk
Image credits: TheDepressedOne1
#54 Stonehenge Found 30ft Deep In Lake Michigan, Still A Mystery To This Day
Image credits: suicidaltitties
#55 Float Trip From Hell
Image credits: sub_lunar
#56 For Everyone That Loves The Amoco Cadiz Pictures
Image credits: AG440
#57 Truck Falls Through Ice On Frozen Lake, New Ice Forms Over Top Of Hole (Vermont, USA)
Image credits: SmallTownJerseyBoy
#58 The Sunken, Abandoned "Dome House" In Cape Romano Florida. Many Of These Houses Built In The 80's Have Been Swallowed By The Ocean Over Time
Image credits: TheGrandHydra
#59 Always Hated The Wave Chambers In Pools Since I Was A Kid, Had To Get Over That Fear When I Started Lifeguarding Here!
Image credits: Mahoneyyy1998
#60 Early Diving Suits - History Of Diving Museum In Islamorada, Fl. Even As A Diver, These Are Freaky...
Image credits: mattmadoni
#61 Stairs Down To Flooded Machinery Deep Inside A Mine
Image credits: sub_lunar
#62 Something About These Offshore Wind Power Plants Make Me Feel Uneasy
Image credits: Domz444
#63 The Pool At The Naval Surface Warfare Center In Maryland
Image credits: kindstranger42069
#64 More Photos Of The Recent Egyptian Wreck Discovery
Image credits: alcoholicgrapejuice
#65 Sunken 1920’s Barge Just Steps Off The Beach, Only Visible By Air. Ri, USA
Image credits: snacksthedog
#66 Opening A Pool Tile
Image credits: Gesicht90
#67 Adrenaline Rush Near Uss Midway
Image credits: gurksallad
#68 Nuclear Reactor Pools
Image credits: DirtyStocks
#69 Sinking The Speigel Grove. Notice How Tiny The People On The Boats Are
Image credits: MarieCakeAntoinette
#70 Intricately Designed Stone Slab Resting Just Below Water Level
Image credits: CommunistSpace
#71 Olympia Shipwreck, Amorgos, Greece
Image credits: aliskayov
#72 The Orient Queen Cruise Ship Sunk By The Explosion In Beirut
Image credits: aeonflux89
#73 This Used To Be A Boat, Now It’s A Island
Image credits: TedHardy_
#74 Ww2 Plane Crash Found On A Welsh Beach
Image credits: -Son_of_Anubis-
#75 The Bregenz Festspielhaus In Vorarlberg, Austria. Photo By Me
Image credits: LostinTirol
#76 Nuclear Reactor Cooling Pool
Image credits: triangledude23
#77 Many People Requested More Photos On My Original Post About The Last House Of Holland Island. So Here Are A Few More That I Find Unsettling...
Image credits: Fun-Independence-282
#78 The Front Of The Titanic
Image credits: GrekkoPlef
#79 Monstro Tunnel. Part Of The Disneyland Storybook Canal Boats
Image credits: 9southpaw8
#80 Behind The Scenes Of Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Image credits: Arstotzkanmoose
#81 This Statue Of Poseidon In Spain
Image credits: yammsandasideofguac
#82 “My Place Under The Boat” From 2019 Underwater Photographer Of The Year Competition
Image credits: Kegba
#83 The Submerged Romanian Village Of Geamana, Flooded In 1978 To Make Way For A Large Copper Mine. The Relics Now Sit In A Colorful Toxic Stew
Image credits: pearlspaghetti
#84 In 2013, A Statue Of Jason Vorhees Of Friday The 13th Was Built And Installed Underwater In Crosby, Minnesota. It's Inspired By The Events That Transpired In Friday The 13th Part Vi: Jason Lives, When Jason Is Defeated By Being Chained To The Bottom Of The Crystal Lake
Image credits: youngbratz22z
#85 A “Ghost Village” Resurfacing In Italy
Image credits: carriethefairyyy
#86 From One Of My Dives Last Week 100ft Down. Enjoy!
Image credits: Rowanthebirdman
#87 A Visible Propeller From An Underwater Glass-Bottom Boat
Image credits: Connor-Ford
#88 Titanic's Starboard Propeller
Image credits: lMr_Nobodyl
#89 Remains Of Clothes In The Titanic
Image credits: ChickenStealer69420
#90 It Took Every Ounce Of Courage To Walk Out There. Madison, Wi (The Day After Tomorrow, 2004)
Image credits: krico
#91 Village Submerged In Grey Sludge
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#92 I Dunno If This Is Okay Here Since Its Not Technically In The Water But I Think Its Crazy This Is What A Supercarrier Looks Like Below The Waterline
Image credits: SquealTeam10
#93 On A Diving Trip Back In 2009 With My Dad, We Found This Air In A Wreck... Was A Blast
Image credits: Jbholm4n
#94 Titanic Propellers Imagine The Size Of The Ship
Image credits: Gape_Mahsole
#95 Snorkeling Over A Wreck
Image credits: MaxRamsey
#96 The Jaws Ride Drained Is 10000x Worse Than Jungle Cruise Animals!
Image credits: Detronyx
#97 Soundstage For The Goonies. The Area Would Be Filled In With Water
Image credits: GoldLeaderLiam
#98 Crashed Plane Underwater At Pearl Harbor
Image credits: Nupups
#99 This Prop From The Film «raise The Titanic» (1980) Gives Me The Creeps
Image credits: The_Iron_Raven
#100 A Google Earth Pic Of A Wreck On A River In Iraq That Freaked Me Out A Bit
Image credits: State16
#101 Remember Costa Concordia?
Image credits: ExtraGarlicy
#102 Submarine Pen Doors In Albania
Image credits: longwaytotokyo
#103 5 Of 6 World’s Largest Typhoon Class Submarines In Dock While In Service
Image credits: AgenticaBond007
#104 Stairs For Divers Into The „black Lake“. Garbsen, Germany
Image credits: VladDerFehler
#105 Saturation Diving. Divers Dive To Depths Of 2,000 Feet, To Work And Repair Machinery
Image credits: Ding_dong448
#106 The Civil War Era Confederate State Submarine "H.l. Hunley" Built In 1864 And Sank Later That Year Which Currently Rests In The Warren Lasch Conservation Center In Charleston, Sc
Image credits: volvoraggare22
#107 Typhoon Class Submarine
Image credits: lainwla16
#108 Wreck Of German Cruiser Prinz Eugen
Image credits: Dobler97
#109 I Live In The Swamp And Our Cemeteries Are Half Underwater. Have Seen Bones Floating Around
Image credits: rajuncajin
#110 The Stern Of Russian Submarine Dmitri Donskoi, The Largest Submarine In The World, In Transit
Image credits: hurricane_97
#111 Submarine Nazario Sauro In Genova
Image credits: geisterfahrerin
#112 Wreck Of The Brittanic. One Of My Nightmares Is Swimming Down And Seeing This Hulk Suddenly Loom Out At You Through The Murk
Image credits: Advanced_Ad_6818
#113 Abandoned Water Park In My Hometown, East Tx
Image credits: Kythur
#114 The Queen Mary’s Submerged Propellor Is Terrifying. I Was So Unsettled After Taking This Picture I Nearly Ran Upstairs
Image credits: skj2140
#115 The Gunilda Shipwreck 270 Ft. Deep In Lake Superior
Image credits: Jmambah
#116 The Water Is Scary Dark And Deep
Image credits: chich311
#117 Recently Dove Under A 100 Year Old Bridge. The Old Pillars Formed A Mechanical Forest
Image credits: Purple_Churros
#118 I Couldn’t Get A Specific Picture But At My Local Leisure Centre There’s A Wave Machine Like The One In The Pic. The Part It’s In Has Sides That Go Up About 3 Metres Above The Waterline Around You
Image credits: floating-mosque
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