The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-04-13
Dread of the Dark
nv 10. ADDINoToN sUUcH
Author OF The Riddle OF Person
Atty "PEy chOlogy and
Parsnthood." etc.

In some people dread OF the dark
amounts almost 20 a disease. In
deed. there are some in whom Il
vertically amounts TO disease.
A person so afflicted can on no
account be induced TO 40 alone into
dark room When tie sleeps he
feels dire need OF having night
light. how ever dim. Darkness be
ZONES truly appalling
Tho temptation II strong 20 De
spise such persons as towards. And
this il the attitude taken by most
person toward them.
Yet with regard 10 other things
than darkness they may be brave
az lions Nor is II deficiency in rea.
yoning power that causes ,hcm 20
have SO unrcasoning dread OF ihe
dark
Some OF the best educated and
most intelligent OF people have had
this dread In an extreme form.
Rousseau had H. Hobbies, the fam
Gus English philosopher had a. 80
badly that he kept light burning
IN his bedroom all night.
quite evidently there h. special
cause tor such an abnormal fear.
Modern psychology probing for this
cause. has found II in ldentically
The same cause nov known 10 give
rise To other morbid breads. such az
morbid dread OF cats or dogs or
heights
That Is 10 say. when a person is
abnomally afraid OF the dark Il Is
! rafe 10 assume thar as a child he
had experiences connected with the
dark that profoundly disturbed him
and that have never been fully IL
faced from his mind
Hc may. IL IL true. be- unable TO
recall any experiences OF the sort
But Investigation. by means OF psy-
Geological analysis. viii show that
| he did have them. and that subcun-
sciously he has not forgotten them
| even II be has no conscious remem-
brance OF them.
Hts dread OF the dark is. 80 20
speak. the outward and visible tok.
IN ef their continuing eXizteace in
his subconsciousness,
An interesting and striking con
| nrmation OF this rs found IN the eX.
| periencr of n southern taty, who
lived in ceaseIess dread OF The com.
Ing OF night. such vas her fear Of
! darkness.
Il was demonstrated 10 her that
her exaggerated fear vas due TO
supcrstitious terrors implanted in
her BY tales told 10 her By old Ne
croes on her fathers plantation SO
much did these tales upset her that
Nhea child she absolutely refused
20 sleep IN the dark
Having married and become the
mother OF two girls, she made IL a
point TO protect them from am
thing that might cause them 20
think OF the dark with alarm As
a result hey grew up entirely free
from their mothers morbid dread,
and would willingly enter the dark
est ard most dismal places
Herein h lesson for all parents
To train a child 20 be fearless IN.
der every circumstance It Is not
enough 10 teach him emotional con
troll in the time Of childhood. when
he Is specially sensitive and sug
gestible. he must be safeEuarded
: as much as possible from emotional
shocks Of any kind
Permit no one 10 frighten him by
! playing ghost" Permit no one Il
? tell him stories Of the gruesome oil
, the grimly supernatural Permit
7 nothing 20 enter his life that MAJ
! create in him a belief that darkness.
? holds special terrors.
1 Otheraise you may innict on YOU
p child a handicap % dread that vii
/ burden him all his days.
Z |