A few months ago I visited a site where a large historic ship was docked. I have been on ships several times, for cruises, and never had any issues,however just looking at this one ship frightened me to the point I could not look at it.

Today, I was walking my dog, and a large CAT construction machine was parked in the dirt. The machine was not running, nobody was around the machine. I became so frightened of it that I turned around and ran the other way.

Could this be from some bad experience in a previous life?
Could I just be developing stupid phobias at almost 50 yrs. Old?

Thanks for any and all advice!

Pede, has anyone that you know passed away in the past few years? Have you been diagnosed with some disorder that is age related? Are you not feeling as well as you have in the past?

Sometimes, as we age, we start become more aware of, and worrying about, our mortality. The fact that these two pieces of equipment are very large and heavy can be a bit intimidating. Even though neither was moving, it could be that you are suddenly very aware (consciously or unconsciously) that if they were moving they could kill you. We don't think about that kind of stuff when we are younger. We feel invincible and that we are going to live forever. Nothing is a threat. But, as we age, suddenly the things we don't normally take notice of can suddenly become hazards to our conscious/unconscious minds.

The cause of this is for you to determine but the solution is in sight. It is psychologically proven that the best way to overcome phobias is to face them. Next time you feel like running away or that rush of adrenaline, take a minute to think logically and go forward with what you were doing. Once you pass that mark then your brain and body will know that these things will not harm you.