Fear of saints or holy things (hagiophobia)

Hagiophobia is a fear of saints or holy things. It might show up as unease in churches, discomfort around religious statues, icons or relics, or anxiety at religious festivals. The fear can sit alongside deep faith, or arise in people with no faith at all.

About this phobia

The name comes from the Greek hagios, meaning holy. It is a rarely reported term with little or no clinical documentation, and it is mainly found on lists of phobias. It belongs to a small group of religious-themed fears that includes hierophobia, the fear of priests or sacred things.

What it feels like

• Feeling watched or uneasy near statues or paintings of saints
• Avoiding churches, shrines or religious ceremonies
• A sense of dread when handling holy objects

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

Common questions

Is hagiophobia the same as being against religion?

No. A fear is an emotional reaction, not a set of views, and people of strong faith can have it as well as people with none. It is often more about feelings of awe, guilt or unease than about belief itself.

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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