Professionals agree that it's normal for children, ages 3-6 years, to be afraid of the dark. This developmental fear is usually outgrown by the time children reach adulthood. But what about adults?
As we grow older, we learn to rationalize things. But we also learn to fear what can't be seen. If we literally can't see what's in front of us, we begin to think about what COULD be there. Our minds start to play all kinds of tricks on us! Not to mention, many predators hunt at night!
There are a variety of words to describe fear of the dark:
- achluophobia - a fear of the dark that reaches pathological severity
- nyctophobia - a fear of night
- scotophobia - a fear of darkness
- lygophobia - a fear of twilight
