Fear of blind spots in vision (scotomaphobia)

Scotomaphobia is a fear of blindness in part of the visual field, often called a blind spot. Someone with it may keep testing their vision by covering one eye, worry about every floater or blur, or panic during a migraine aura. Any new or sudden change in sight should be checked promptly by an optician, a GP or NHS 111.

About this phobia

The name comes from scotoma, the medical word for an area of lost or reduced vision, which goes back to the Greek skotos, meaning darkness. It is rarely reported and appears mainly on lists. It can overlap with health anxiety and with a wider fear of going blind.

What it feels like

• Covering one eye at a time to check that nothing is missing
• Alarm at floaters, blurring or patches of glare
• Fear of driving or reading in case vision suddenly fails

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Is a blind spot in vision always serious?

Not always. Everyone has a natural blind spot that the brain fills in, and some people get temporary patches during a migraine. Even so, new, growing or sudden changes need checking quickly by an optician or GP, and that reassurance can also ease the fear.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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