From as far back as I can really remember along side my interest in the paranormal has been an obvious link to the dark. Having children myself now I am all too aware of the common fear which effects some of the next generation, the simple fear which creeps in as the lights dim low. However, this simple fear of what was hidden in the dark, in the unknown went beyond our children and if we are honest some of us worry a little about the shadows too.
I guess the idea for this post came about after I was re-introduced to what may lurk in the darker parts of my childrens room. Sometimes when you have kids, even a simple bedtime can spiral out of control when the room isn’t illuminated effectively.
After spending the past couple of years actively investigating haunted locations in the dark, I suppose the pitch black and shadowed filled rooms have become more than my friend. In fact walking through a darkened room has become second nature now. Perhaps that childhood programming which made me pause for a moment, theorise what maybe lurking in the shadows and then hunt for the light, has been phased out due to prolonged exposure. Still the very essence of both child like and adult fear of the dark still appears in every day life for me. Whether its my children practically begging sometimes for more light to help them sleep or some of my friends performing the ritual of pausing for a light switch. Either way, whatever age, all concerned must deep down fear the dark a little.
I believe that in a number of cases, probably more so with children the fear factor is fired by a belief that ghost generally come out to play at night. I know it was so as I grew up hearing ghost stories from friends and family members alike. Generally there was also a dusty old house involved too or darkened wood in the dead of night.
Of course this theory is totally unjustified as there are actually more reports of paranormal activity during the day than night! Possibly due to more of us being awake or simply because there are more background elements misunderstood as activity. So, why do we head out in the dead of night to seek our spirits? To be honest, no one has really managed a definitive answer on this, but I have a few ideas. First up, simply is the fact that its quiet at night and usually the only ones about at the locations we visit are us crazy ghost hunters. This does have its advantages for an investigator though, an ever so slightly controlled environment to investigate. I say slightly as an actual controlled environment is impossible to find, unless its a locked down labatory. Still doesn’t explain the walking around in the dark, surely the chances of mistaking those shadows for wandering spirits are greatly increased. Still investigating the paranormal isn’t always straight forward logically science and half the time our senses become the best tool available to us. Sometimes experience is the key.
Should we really be afraid of the dark? Who really knows! After all I have to admit, I’ve seen some pretty odd stuff when the lights are low and I’m pretty damn sure they are not just shadows! I guess that means that I will continue hunting around dark old buildings for the unexplained, which is fine by me as I enjoy it. The dark isn’t scary anyways, its what you find that throws you!
Are you afraid of the dark?