Why This Photo of a Strawberry is Freaking Everyone Out

Have you ever seen a picture that just made your skin crawl? We’re not talking about anything scary or gory but something more mundane like the skin of a strawberry or several round pebbles embedded in the soil.

Don’t understand what we’re getting at? Take a look at these photos:

These perfectly arranged carrots at the grocery store.

Or this stylish side table.

If those two photos made you freak out, then you may also find this freaky – a strawberry sprouting tiny green leaves from its outer skin.

It was posted by Redditor AmoosingCows, and people have been “disturbed” and “disgusted” and “upset” by the photo. You can probably guess that the people who reacted to the strawberry (and possibly in a similar manner to the carrots and the side table) are those who have tryptophobia.

So what is tryptophobia?

Simply put, it’s being viscerally upset after looking at images of clustered holes or bumps. Apparently, it’s not that rare, too! Up to 18% of females and 11% of males get freaked out by seeing images like the strawberry, the carrots, and the side table.

Sadly for those who have tryptophobia, clusters of holes or bumps are common in nature. You can see them in some plants, in honeycombs, or even in soap bubbles! And even if it’s not holes and bumps (as in the strawberry, which has leaves sprouting out instead of bumps), the effect can be the same.

AAARGH!!!

That photo above is what a chest to scalp hair transplant looks like.

As for the phenomenon on the strawberry, don’t worry because it only appears intermittently. This phenomenon is called vivipary, which is a mutation that allows plants to produce seeds that germinate (or grow into a plant) immediately while still attached to the fruit or the original plant.

If you want to join a community that likes to freak each other out with photos like the ones above, head on over to the tryptophobia subreddit and make your skin crawl!