I feel like that would be a fairly normal response. Elevators are not typically found underwater so finding yourself in an underwater elevator is not going to be a particularly reassuring experience.

Apart from anything else a cube is not a particularly good shape for holding back water pressure

Fun fact about phobias!

You can frequently cure them with pills and a truly slight bit of effort!

Propranolol, a beta blocker that has been in use since the 60s mostly for blood pressure control, has few notable negative side effects, but it has the absolutely -lovely- side effect of blocking fear signals from the amygdala if you have the stones to expose yourself to your triggers while taking it. This exposure coupled with a totally not over-reacting nervous system, can mostly or totally cure phobias.

I watched a documentary about it, where they used it solely in conjunction with exposure therapy (not constantly taking the med), and they had amazing results on common fears like spiders and heights. I realized I had an old prescription, and went “well fuck, why not try to cure my social anxiety? That’s basically a phobia, anyway!” And so I started taking it again instead of the med I was on for blood pressure. The effect happens at doses too low to be noticeable if you don’t need the pressure reduction, but it also works when you have blood pressure doses.

Anyway after about a month of taking it and living life as normal I realized yep, it worked. I don’t panic about going out anymore.

So hey, if you have an irrational fear of something, talk to your doctor.

Here is a probably biased bit of info about it and how it works (it was the best I could find without doing tons of digging for the specific study on phobias, which used 40mg), direct from the people who make it.

https://propranolol.com/propranolol-for-anxiety/

To be fair, I also respond poorly to merely exiting my front door. So.

I recognize The Onion's headline font.

I did a study, and my findings are stunning. People with arachnophobia react with fear when confronted with spiders.

And I never even went to university. I posted my findings on Facebook and now I'm officially a scientist.

Sometimes I feel like this is how people are doing "studies". I'm pretty sure this article is from the Onion, but the "research" I've read about lately isn't far from this satirical one. Many are on the 'no shit Sherlock' level. The only thing I can think of reading it is "did you seriously waste precious resources and time on this bullshit?" like "studies" proving obviously made up lies from Trump as untrue, which it clearly is because rules of physics etc. You don't need a PhD to prove he's full of shit. Please, use your brain on finding a cure for cancer instead.

mad that subnautica 2 is DOA

Now cause a fire.

Just get over it.

I've seen a lot of those studies, lately