Graveyard Phobia, Coimetrophobia & The Boogeyman [Edit & Re-Post]

Yesterday [Sunday, June 5th] was a fantastic day spent with family. I traveled with my wife and our two from our home in Texas to Louisiana for a birthday celebration. After the family gathering, we drove to the family cemetery to perform maintenance and change flowers.

[Original Post Below]

Throughout history, graveyards have usually made people nervous and scared. Maybe their fears are rooted in our ancestors’ superstitious and, at times, backward way of thinking. Have years of horror flicks altered the way people view cemeteries? Or possibly, humans are hardwired to dislike hallowed ground and the resting places of the dead. Wherever these feelings originate, Graveyard Phobia seems to be expected.

I realize cemeteries have a terrible reputation, but I feel the majority of these fears can be attributed to the imagination and the tendency for some to build it up into something it’s not.

Coimetrophobia is the official term for anyone terrified of cemeteries. For these individuals, visiting a cemetery can cause various physical symptoms such as an Anxiety Attack, Shaking, Nausea, Vomiting, Shortness of Breath, and more. In other words, graveyards scare the flipping hell out of them.

Graveyards and the graves within do hold the remains of the dead but nothing more. The spirit has passed on. The body dies, but the soul has departed the vessel. I remember sixth-grade science class. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It simply changes form.

Our spirit does not stay behind and hang out alongside a withering husk of a corpse. No ghost, goblin, or ghoul haunts the graves at midnight or any other point during the dark of night. Cemeteries are neutral, and nearly completely void of . . . well . . . there’s very little to feel. You get my point. Why do some claim otherwise? They’re bringing that shit with them, of course. The mind makes it real.

Like everything else in this world, there are exceptions to these rules. I’m well aware of several haunted cemeteries around the globe. Furthermore, everything has to be somewhere, including the supernatural. Cemeteries may not be a common dwelling place for entities, but a random critter chilling is always possible. As I said, everything has to be somewhere. If you cleanse a spirit from your house, it could end up next door at the local golf course, baseball field, or graveyard. I’m voting for the golf course. I’ll add this bit of information. We all have the ability to clean our own homes if desired. Yes, you can force unclean spirits from your place of residence. Why is this possible? Well, because it’s ‘your residence.’

Several times each year, we drive from Texas to Louisiana to perform regular grave maintenance. My Father-in-law’s family resides close to the Sabine River in Southwest Louisiana. For reasons rooted in empathy, I enjoy the peacefulness of our grave maintenance days. Although, my family has told me that it’s much different there at night. I haven’t been there after the Sun goes down. Usually, there is no difference between day and night except for what we manifest within our minds. That said, I trust my family when it comes to everything. In this case, I think it’s important to remember this particular cemetery is surrounded by woods and a swamp. A well-known haunt for Bigfoot, Swamp Apes, and the Boogeyman!

Joseph Shanklin

May 7, 2022