The Detroit times., 1917-04-13
Dread of the Dark
nv N. ApDfNoroN BRUcn
Author Of The Riddle OF Person
Atty" "PsycholoEy and
Psrenthood." etc.
In some people dread OF the dark

-
In some people dread OF the dark
amounts almost 10 a disease. In.
deed. there are some In whom II
vertically amounts TO a disease.
A person 40 AFFLICTED can on no
account be induced TO go alone into
dark room. When he sleeps be
feels dire need OF having a night.
light. however dim. Darkness be
comes truly appalling.
The temptation Is strong to de
spise such persons as towards. And
this IL the attitude taken BY most
person toward them,
Yet with regard TO other things
than darkness they may be brave
as lions. Nor Is II deficiency In rea.
soning power that causes them 20
have so unrsasonlng a dread OF the
dark.
Some of the best educated and
most intelligent OF people have had
this dread in an extreme form.
Rousseau had a. Hobbies. the fam.
Gus English philosopher. had Il so
badly that he kept a light burning
in his bedroom all night.
Quite evidently there In special
cause for such an abnormal fear
Modern psychology. probing for this
cause, has found Il in identicaliy
the same cause now known 10 give
rise to other morbid breads. such as
morbid dread OF cats or dogs or
heights.
That is to say, when a person is
ahnOrmally afraid OF the dark L. Ia
safe to assume that as a child be
had experiences connected with the
dark that profoundly disturbed him
and that have never been fully ef
faced from his mind
He may. II is true. be unable 10
| recall any experiences or the sort
But investigation. by means Of psy'
Geological analysis. will show that
ne did have them. and that subcon-
sciously he has not forgotten them.
even II he has no conscious remem
brance OF them.
His dread OF the dark h. 80 TO
speak. the outward and Visible tok
en- az their continuing existence in
his subconsciousness
An interesting and striking con
hrmstion OF this il found In the ex.
perience OF a southern lady. who
lived in ceaseless dread Of the com
ing OF night, such was her fear Of
darkness.
II was demonstrated 10 her that
her exaggerated fear was due 10
supersutious terrors implanted tn
her by tales told 20 her by old Ne
groes on her fathers plantation. So
much did these tales upset her that
when a child she absolutely refused
20 sleep In the dark.
Having married and become The
mother OF two girls. she made II a
point 10 protect them from any
| thing that might cause them 10
think OF the dark with alarm As
result they grew up entirely free
from their mothers morbid dread.
and would willingly enter the dark
est and most dismal places
Herein Ii a lesson for all parents.
To train a child TO be fearless IN
der every Circumstance II IL not
enough 10 teach him emotional con.
troll. In the time OF childhood, when
be is specially sensitive and sug
gestible. he must be safeguarded
as much as possible from emotional
shocks OF any kind.
Permit no one 10 brighten him BY
/ playing ghost" Permit no one "a
? tell him stories OF the gruesome or
the grimly supernatural Permit
r nothing 20 enter his life that may
create in him a belief that darkness
, holds special terrors.
Otherwise you may infict on youi
t. child a handicap OF dread that viii
burden him all his days.