Fear of what is in the dark

Researchers have hypothesised that this innate fear stems from a point of human history when we were nowhere near the top predators we are today. Before tech, our ancestors were constantly on the look-out for predators that wanted nothing more than to chow down on human sandwiches. To make that even scarier, most of these predators hunted at night - a time of day when we are especially vulnerable to attack because of our relatively poor eyesight.

Although this might sound like a no-win situation for those affected by such fear, there are fixes to counter the phobia and allow a person to live a normal and healthy life—daytime and nighttime alike. Using both proven techniques and detailed therapy sessions, the root of the problem can be found, treated and overcome so that the darkness that once controlled them will become nothing more than an annoyance when the sun goes down.

What causes someone to fear the dark? For children, the fear of monsters coming out at night or scary creatures lurking under the bed or in the closet is common.

Covering themselves with blankets and keeping a flashlight on under the covers is a way to fend off the unknown and prevent anything lurking in the shadows from scaring them. Most of the time, this childlike fear disappears as a young one grows and matures, but it can stay within a person through adulthood.

Children start fearing the dark at an early age. Normal fear of the dark for adults consists of their inability to know what lies ahead—basically, fear of the unknown.

This, in itself, is a fear most of us share. Being unable to identify, expose and prevent threats that are shrouded in darkness are all contributing factors to that fear. If a devastating, life-changing event occurred at night or on the streets in near darkness such as a mugging, car accident or physical accident , it could very well stay in the mind of an adult for years. They correlate their horrific experience with the dark. As a result, when darkness falls around them, they relive the event, which causes both physical and emotional reactions.

More often than not, viewers might stop the movie just to turn on lights around the house. These included looking under their bed to make sure there were no creepy-crawlies and checking exterior, interior and closet doors to ensure nothing was going in or coming out. Nyctophobia symptoms mirror those of other anxiety disorders and phobias, such as agoraphobia the fear of crowded places.

Emotionally, a person with nyctophobia has to deal with an additional load of problems in their mind. But I'll be honest, I do still count on my Phoebe Buffay-esque run to get up the stairs f. Weight Loss. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Taraji P. Accessible Beauty Products For All. I know that all of my anxiety-boosting, heart-pounding responses to the dark are irrational.

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Evolutionarily, it was an advantage. As they age, people typically learn to disregard that link in everyday life. Darkness can up the spook factor of a novel situation, but most of us eventually become comfortable enough to ditch the night-light in their own homes. Not all, though: In one U. But the connection to poor sleeping habits also makes it easy to mistake fear of the dark for other fears, or for more general anxiety.