Nyctophobia also known as scotophobia is derived from the Greek word Nuktos meaning night or darkness. Many people avoid any night routine or dark places because of intense and irrelevant fear of darkness. This can lead to interruptions in a person's everyday life. A person afflicted with this phobia is not scared of finding paranormal element in the darkness but is scared of the darkness for no specific reason. The phobia can be triggered by mere anticipation or thought of being in the dark. Astronaut Chris Hadfield and this kind of phobia.
Nyctophobia is one of the most common phobias in people especially in children. According to studies, 90 percent of children go through intense fear of darkness and night. If left untreated, this phobia can be brought into adulthood. Possible causes of the phobia are trauma or distressing events related to darkness. This can be a strong reason to develop nyctophobia.
Mental health issues can also be a trigger to this kind of phobia. If a person suffered different types of depression previously, this can also trigger the fear of darkness. Nyctophobia also has been associated with the evolution of mankind. People used to go hunting at nighttime and they may encounter wild beasts as there are many predators who are nocturnal. Darkness traditionally has also been considered as the abode of evil and paranormal beings according to an article by Healthtopia.
The commander of the International Space Station and an astronaut who walked twice in space, Chris Hadfield, shares this phobia with millions around the world. He had become a celebrity when the video he made in space performing Space Oddity by David Bowie was viewed 34 million times on YouTube. However, he states that before becoming an astronaut, he had to overcome his fear of the dark.
Recently, Chris Hadfield had authored a children's book entitled, The Darkest Dark. He said that the intent of the book was to show that it is fine to be afraid and that the real essence of life is to find ways to be brave. In a show, he talked about conquering fear and not letting it cripple you. He said he studied why he was afraid and looked the difference between fear and danger he is facing.
He went on to say that sometimes people think that they are too old to learn but according to Hadfield, each day is new and we should all take a look at the fascinating things that goes around in the world as reported in the Sunday Post.
