In early psychoanalytic literature, particularly in Freud’s works, “phobia” emerges as a multifaceted term that extends far beyond simple fear. Freud uses it to represent both a tangible symptom and a symbolic mechanism, as seen when he asserts that the specifics of an animal phobia lack a single underlying mechanism [1] and likens its role to that of the manifest surface in dreams [2]. Animal phobias, for example, are scrutinized not only for their limited variety in urban settings [3] but also for the peculiar forces underpinning them, such as an intense antipathy to dogs [4] or even associations with regressed infantile anxieties [5]. Moreover, phobias are discussed as being so profound that their very fear becomes indescribable [6], sometimes acting as a psychological fortification against other deep-seated drives, like the libido [7]. This complex conceptualization is further illustrated in clinical cases and comparative analogies—ranging from specific childhood instances [8, 9] to comparisons with neurotic touching phobias [10]—ultimately revealing how deeply interwoven phobias are with both individual experiences and broader cultural taboos [11, 12].