Why is darkness scary?

[Feralbreed]

Let's think about this.

Nobody wants to be left in the dark. Even a place that has no horror elements in daylight,
a place or an area you might even know very well, becomes scary once it gets dark. A few people want to voluntarily stay in the dark, even if they know there's nothing in there with them...

Or is there people who are comfortable walking the streets and byways at night?

Are you clear that something is out there? Hiding and waiting, or is it just scary because we watch too many horror movies?

It is fascinating especially in modern times where we don't have to fear any predatory animals jumping out to kill us. Still, we stay close to our technological fires...our lights, where we feel safe.

Please tell me.

 

[Radeonx]

Because sometimes, there are ninjas in the dark.
And if you've ever had a ninja jump out at you, you'd better be scared.

 

[curlycrouton]

The majority of fears stem from an aversion to the unknown, the intimidating and the uncertain.

What sums up these attributes better than darkness?

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

Probably because we can't all see well in the dark.
makes it unknown to us.
we fear the unknown.
I'm used to walking in the dark. I do it enough, carrying a 360 back from my friends house sometimes. normally between midnight and 6am.
I'm always more worried about the xbox than myself.

 

[HardRockSamurai]

What ISN'T scary about darkness? Just look at it!

 

[Aptspire]

You have to EMBRACE it
swat I did anyway...

 

[StarStruckStrumpets]

Nobody is scared of the dark, we've lived with the dark for centuries. What we are afraid of, is what lurks within it.

Anyway, the dark doesn't bother me, my biggest phobia is signing for things. I hate those damned dotted lines!

 

[Legion]

Instinct. In our evolutionary history we had good reason to fear darkness because we were not the top predators on the planet and what was in the darkness could kill us.

 

[Skeleon]

Because it reminds me of that crappy movie, "Alone in the Dark".

 

[khaimera]

That game was not scary at all. It was complete crap.

 

[RetroViruses]

You don't know what is around you, what could jump at you, what could happen. Is that your favourite cat, or a rabid racoon? Your brother, or a burglar. You stepping on a creaky floor, someone opening a creepy door. Our mind assumes the worst, simply to protect itself from anything that might occur.

 

[Jamis]

Darkness is scary because it represents the unknown. People fear what they don't know, or can't explain. Darkness holds boogeymen. I find the darkness invigorating. It's warm and familliar. I feel better, more energized at night.

 

[Jedoro]

I've got a knife in my pocket at all times, and I'm very confident in my fighting abilities.

The darkness does not scare me, but I can see why people are afraid of it, with the "unknown" and whatnot.

 

[Caliostro]

Because we have an irrational fear of what we don't know. And that fear comes out the most once you're in pitch black, and you can't rely on your eyes, which is what we rely on the most throughout our lives.

Personally I love the dark... But I do try to purge myself of the irrational and illogical.

 

[Grand_Arcana]

You don't know what is around you, what could jump at you, what could happen. Is that your favourite cat, or a rabid racoon? Your brother, or a burglar. You stepping on a creaky floor, someone opening a creepy door. Our mind assumes the worst, simply to protect itself from anything that might occur.

Nobody is scared of the dark, we've lived with the dark for centuries. What we are afraid of, is what lurks within it.

-snip-

This & That. I was never afraid of the dark, but of the things that could use my lack of vision to its advantage. Also, crime, if you're out at night.

 

[Feralbreed]

Because it reminds me of that crappy movie, "Alone in the Dark".

Ha! Good answer!

But think about that, there it is once again. It was one of the first horror games (I might be wrong here) and immediately it invented the name "Alone in the dark" because what's more scary?

 

[ae86gamer]

Honestly, I wasn't afraid of the dark until I played Fatal Frame when I was nine.


I'm still scared of the dark... and of old time cameras.

 

[Gigaguy64]

The majority of fears stem from an aversion to the unknown, the intimidating and the uncertain.

What sums up these attributes better than darkness?

what he said.
people fear the unknown and what they cant see.

 

[Ryuk2]

Darkness is scary because you can't see. I win and where is my prize?
Seriously, when you see something in the light it's ok, because you SEE it, but when you see just some black void moving in the pitch black darkness you'll wonder what's there and there will be thought about killers or just muggers in your mind.
Have you been out after dark? Or your just talking about games?

 

[Gigaguy64]

Honestly, I wasn't afraid of the dark until I played Fatal Frame when I was nine.


I'm still scared of the dark... and of old time cameras.

ok, now my skin is crawling.
the only game that has scared me recently is Bioshock.
what i thought was a statue in a corner turned out to be a splicer.
good thing i had the shotgun equiped.