Fear of heaven (ouranophobia)

Ouranophobia is a fear of heaven, or of the idea of an afterlife beyond this one. It can surface during religious services, at funerals, or late at night when thoughts turn to what comes after life. For some people it sits alongside wider worries about eternity and the unknown.

About this phobia

The name comes from the Greek ouranos, meaning sky or heaven. It is not a recognised clinical diagnosis and appears mostly on online lists of phobias, with little written about it in clinical sources. It overlaps with better-known fears such as thanatophobia, the fear of death, and apeirophobia, the fear of infinity.

What it feels like

• Unease or dread when heaven or the afterlife comes up in sermons, films or conversation
• Racing thoughts about forever or eternity, often at bedtime
• Avoiding churches, funerals or faith discussions to keep the thoughts away

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

Common questions

Is it normal to feel scared when thinking about heaven?

Many people feel uneasy when they think about eternity or what happens after life, so the feeling itself is common. It becomes more of a problem when the thoughts keep returning, disturb sleep or stop you joining in with family or faith events. Talking it through with someone you trust, or with a therapist, can help ease the pressure.

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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