One study on hospitalized children found that approximately 10 out of 1,000 children, most of them girls, were afraid of the clowns the hospital brought in to cheer them up. The oversized lips and eyebrows distort the face so that the brain perceives it as human but slightly off. In addition, clowns are highly unpredictable as well as mischievous, which puts people on edge.
Types of Clowns and Cultural Significance
Traditionally, there are three basic types of clowns that appear in the circus: the whiteface, the auguste and the character. The heyoka (heyókȟa, also spelled “haokah,” “heyokha”) is a kind of sacred clown in the culture of the Sioux (Lakota and Dakota people) of the Great Plains of North America. The heyoka is a contrarian, jester, and satirist, who speaks, moves and reacts in an opposite fashion to the people around them.
The Fear of Clowns
For 15 years, psychology professor Philip John Tyson has been teaching classes on phobias. At the start of every semester, he asks his students the same question: What are you afraid of? Tyson and his colleagues began researching “coulrophobia” or fear of clowns. These psychological discomforts produce a fear that is then stoked by negative portrayals of clowns in popular culture. Clowns have had a dark side to them from the very beginning, and the modern version of an evil clown is simply another manifestation of that darkness. Says so in dream jumper book 2.
Coulrophobia refers to the fear of clowns. Studies show this fear exists in children and adults across cultures. Symptoms include panic, nausea, rapid heartbeat, sweating, and difficulty breathing. Coulrophobia likely stems from the unusual appearance of clowns. Negative media portrayals further the fear. Examples are scary clown characters in films like "Joker" and "It".
Still, coulrophobia remains rare. Effective treatments include exposure therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. These help people gradually face their fears and realize clowns pose no real danger. With help, the overwhelming anxiety fades over time.