The Unknown

Why we fear the dark

People say that you can grow out of the fear of the dark once you grow up. That it's only a childhood fear. But as an adolescent teenager, sometimes I still fear the dark corner of the house that the lights won't illuminate. I still sprint up the stairs as fast as I can when I come up from the basement in fear that something will grab me. I still freak out and fumble for the flashlight on my phone when the power goes out. I think that we're afraid of the dark not because of darkness itself, but because of what it hides. When it is completely dark, it takes away one of our senses, leaving us vulnerable and oblivious to our surrounding. And that's when relief comes to you in waves when the lights are turned on in a room.

But nowadays, we are in a room, safe from the outside world. But then there's another threat to us: mental one. We often find ourselves careening deeper into our own minds and subconscious psyche. The demons we hide away during the daytime, our deep-rooted worries and sadness and fears, all begin to reappear and creep back into our awareness. Whether the darkness lets our imagination paint potential monsters and threats in the shadows or coaxes out our internal knots, it ultimately stems from a fear of the unknown.