• Question: why am i afraid of the dark?

    Asked by leeliebert to Damien, Rachael, Simon, Suzi, Tim on 17 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Tim Fosker

      Tim Fosker answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi @leeliebert

      I’m not sure why you personally are afraid of the dark, but it is not unusual to be afraid of the dark.

      In fact I’m afraid of the dark after watching a really scary movie – not being able to see anything seems to increase your imagination that something is there. Have you ever noticed how you seem to hear much quieter noises in the dark? When you remove one sense people tend to focus their attention on their other senses. The increased noises you hear can be quite scary, because you may not recognise them. People are often more scared in the dark when they are in a strange place, because the noises can be very strange.

      I hope that answers your question.

    • Photo: Rachael Ward

      Rachael Ward answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi @leeliebert

      Phobias are strange things and I’m not entirely sure why or how they originate. It can be after you’ve had a scary experience that you associate with that thing – in your case the dark, but sometimes theres no obvious explaination.

      I think in relation to the brain, phobias are often linked to an area of the brain called the amygdala. This area has a role in emotional reactions, including fear.

      I’m scared of heights and its really annoying so I can sympathise!

      I hope this answers your question

    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 17 Jun 2011:

      Hi @leeliebert
      There have been a few other questions about phobias and fears too – have a look here:
      /brainj11-zone/search/heights
      and
      /brainj11-zone/search/fear

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