A lack of understanding and the power of imagination are the two biggest contributors to the fear of the unknown. The reason why the a lack of understanding is a big contributor to Xenophobia is because people are naturally afraid of stepping outside of their comfort zones. The power of imagination is also a big contributor to xenophobia because it makes people imagine things or situations worse than they really are.

From a psychological point of view, Xenophobia constrains people from "living life to its fullest." Some people are so severally affected by xenophobia that they never go beyond what their used to. New experiences don't happen quite often or at all.

In The Lord of the Flies, Simon's death is a perfect example of why people react to the unknown with fear. In the novel, All the boys on the island were terrified of a beast that lingered about the forest. One day, Simon found out that the beast was fictional and went out to spread the news to the boys. Simon had found the boys during ceremonial dance in the dark, heavy rains. Unfortunately, the boys were so timorous of the beast that they mistaken Simon for the beast and killed him.

There is a cure to xenophobia. It is God. As long as people put their trust and faith in Him, then they don't have to worry about anything at all. God will lead people in directions they don't know and to places they don't understand, but as long as they have faith, then all they have to do is follow Him.