Why Some Fear The Dark

 


A blog writer named Jim Lafleur wrote a very interesting piece about what he, according to his own personal experience, believes to be lurking in the dark and which may be a reason as to why some people, especially small children, fear the dark.  In his post, Lafleur describes how at night when he would turn out the lights that strange shapes in the darkness would take form, that the shadows within his bedroom would take on a life that they never had in the light, activity that would take place which could be described as poltergeist activity, that even when he started sleeping with the lights on, the evil presence would not go away entirely, but simply retreat into the dark corners and recesses of his bedroom, and most disturbing of all, he describes a morning when he looked into his bathroom mirror and found that there was something not right about himself; his shadow no longer moving in sync with his movements, feeling diminished and a shell of himself, and a being looking right back at him in reflections through his very eyes, thus describing what can only be demonic possession.
 
But Lafleur is not the only one to experience a presence inhabiting the darkness or to witness manifestations of that presence as there are others, including myself, who can attest to the same thing.
 
For me it began as a small child when my uncle had come to live with us for a while and continued to persist from time to time afterward over the years and it was those frightful experiences that caused me to become afraid of the dark.  I would wake up in the middle of the night to the sight of terrifying figures of various sizes and forms and what I did not see, but it wasn’t just what I saw, I would also hear sounds as well and the times that these beings would manifest themselves, both visually and audibly would not only be at night, but sometimes even in the very early daylight hours; as the night was just beginning to end.
 
The beings appeared mostly in humanoid forms; sometimes taking on the forms of ogres and then there was a time when one manifested itself in the form of a large bird of prey and then one in the form of a walking flower; but none of these beings ever invoked anything pleasant, but always fear and they did not appear to me just at home.  They would even sometimes appear and manifest themselves in other places as well.
 
Over time, their visitations dissipated as I grew older and I was made to believe that the supernatural manifestations were just figments of my imagination, but there would be times when I, even during the day, would sense the evil presence within the house and on rare occasions, I would still see manifestations of the supernatural.
 
It wasn’t until after I had repented of my sins and gave myself over to Jesus that these dark forces for a time had all but disappeared, but then, during a time of great duress, they returned again in the form of frightening sleep paralysis episodes during which times I could do nothing but cry out to the Lord for deliverance, and then shortly before my wife were married, during the late night drive home as my eyes would get tired, I would see brief manifestations; one of a T-rex coming around the corner of distant street block, a humanoid figure in another location that just disappeared into thin air, and then one foggy night, I briefly saw dogs running around in the street and as soon as I saw them, I slammed on my breaks fearing I might hit one of them, but they suddenly vanished and if I remember correctly, the fog from which they came out of vanished with them.  Now could those manifestations in the year that I got married have been the mere product of being drowsy from my wife’s apartment? Possibly, but then again, who knows?
 
Now, unlike Lafleur, I do not recall experiencing poltergeist activity, at least not in the manner that he has, nor have I ever been possessed by a demon (thank God), but looking back on my own experiences, the things I saw were too well detailed and defined to just be tricks of light and shadow and neither could they have been just mere products of the imagination; they would often manifest themselves when I wasn’t even thinking about them and they would appear in forms that were not even products of my imagination.
 
Fear of the dark, as fear of anything else can come from nothing but either firsthand experience or from stories and accounts from others, but as for myself, my fear of the dark was from firsthand experience.
 
There is something within the dark whose power is not as strong in the light that just lives for the purpose of instilling fear and terror into its victims and to make sure that they don’t get a good night’s rest or even worse.
 
I do not have as much dread of the dark as I used to, though I still fear it enough to where the most darkest places are not any place I want to be for very long.   I still look for a light source as quickly as possible or a place in which there is still some measure of light as I still sense that there are things in the dark that could strike at any moment.
 
In my childhood days, when I was forced to sleep without a light on or when the power would go out, I would stay very still in my bed and even place the covers over my head or I would move to any source of light that I could and just stay there and try not to think about anything that any unseen powers in the dark could manipulate and bring into being to cause any degree of harm and to this day, I still feel that way about the dark and so take care to guard my thoughts in hopes that those entities within the darkness will not be able to find anything that they can use to assume twisted and malevolent forms.
 
Sometimes, the darkness even appears to transform ordinary objects into a twisted and nightmarish images of their normal and natural forms.
 
But one thing I know for certain is that man was never meant to live in the dark or be a creature of the dark.  We by nature are light seekers and are dependent upon light sources to function in life.  In fact, the very first thing that God had spoken into being into the dark, formless, watery void that would become the earth was light (Gen. 1:1-5) and eventually, there is coming a day when there will be no darkness in the world that is yet to come (Rev. 21-22) but only light and the things of light for the evil things that dwell in the dark will be done away with as will all the evil of the world when the Almighty makes all things new for when God created the heavens and the earth, He never intended for there to be anything to cause fear in anyone nor did He ever create a world filled with terror or dread, not even within the dark places of the earth, because He made the world to be a place of goodness, peace, and harmony between God, man, and nature, but there arose one within the ranks of the heavenly host who would be the father of all that is dark and the source of all that that would bring fear and terror into the world where no fear and terror had once been and this one who would bring his evil, darkness, and dread into the world was once an angel, a covering cherub more specifically, named Lucifer who had once served a the throne of God but when he was lifted up in his pride, he thought to make himself equal with God and share in glory that belonged to God alone (Is. 14:11-21, Ezek. 28:12-19) and as a consequence, that angel who had been that covering cherub who served at the throne of God and all who sided with him were cast from the places they once held in Heaven and it was in that day that Lucifer then became better known as Satan who crept into the newly formed world and introduced his darkness into it by causing the first man Adam and the first woman Eve being Adam’s wife to commit a fateful act that they were warned of God to not do and that was the eating of a fruit from a certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having been warned that in the day that they ate thereof, they would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3) but through false promises of attaining to a state superior than the one in which they were created and by way of falsely assuring them that they would not surely die as they had been warned, but that they would instead become divine (Gen. 3:4-5) and when they had eaten of that forbidden fruit, instead of attaining a superior greatness, they were reduced to an inferior state than the one in which they were created and the sentence of death was pronounced upon them as they had been warned (Gen. 3:19) to which they both eventually succumbed but the sentence of death that was pronounced upon them did not stop with them but would be inherited by all of mankind since all of mankind descend from them because the corruption that entered into Adam and Eve upon eating of that forbidden fruit was then passed down to all of mankind (Rom. 5:12) and it is due to that inward corruption that we all die (Rom. 6:23) and that inherent corruption by which death receives its power is what we call sin; sin being not just an act or even an ill-spoken word, but the corrupted condition of our very nature that influences not only our actions, behavior, and what we say, but also our very thoughts, motives, and attitudes that in turn influence what is said and done, but the effects of sin do not stop even with man, but has affected even all of creation as it twists, distorts, corrupts, perverts, and eventually destroys all that it touches which is why it is written that even all of creation itself groans and travails in pain to this day (Rom. 8:19-22) which is why the world, in which there never used to be suffering and death is not filled with evil, suffering, misery, decay, corruption, and death, and because they chose to listen to the voice of the serpent instead of heeding the warning of God, no longer would mankind enjoy the once perfect liberty that they had beforehand and no longer would there exist that perfect peace and harmony between God, man, and nature that they had once enjoyed. 
 
And not only did the eating of that forbidden fruit subjugate mankind to the tyranny of sin and death, but it also gave Satan justification to claim lordship over the kingdoms, peoples, and nations of the world, (Mt. 4:8-9, Lk. 4:6-7) thereby diminishing the dominion over the earth that had once been given to man (Gen. 1:26) and while Adam and Eve knew what perfect liberty, peace, and harmony was like and even though they had once experienced an uninterrupted fellowship and relationship with their Maker, their disobedience not only separated them from the direct presence of their Creator and hindered their relationship with Him and made them subject to an inward sinful condition and death, but their actions also prevented the rest of us from ever knowing a perfect liberty, a perfect peace, and a perfect rest, and a perfect harmony with all of creation, and a perfect and uninterrupted relationship with our Creator, or immortality.  Their disobedience caused the rest of us to be born into sin, subject to die, and into a world in which evil, suffering, and death abound but God, in His love and mercy for us all, is not willing that any should perish in eternal damnation but that all would come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) for the Lord God Almighty is a God of love and mercy, taking no pleasure in judgment or punishment, but in showing goodness, grace, mercy, and love to all of mankind which He does display in many ways, but the greatest and most important act of love, grace, and mercy that God has displayed towards us is in Christ Jesus His only begotten Son, (Jn. 3:16) whom He sent into the world to take away our sins and by the shedding of His blood was redemption bought thereby satisfying both the demand for the penalty, which He, being without any sin (2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 4:15) took upon Himself, to be paid for all sin and granting mercy in His death upon the cross and by His resurrection are we made justified in Him (Rom. 4:25) so that anyone placing full trust in Him alone for the forgiveness of sin and salvation will not have to face eternal damnation, but be made a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and granted eternal life and it is in calling upon Him for the forgiveness of sins and believing that God raised Him from the dead that we are saved from an otherwise terrible everlasting judgment (Rom. 10:9, 13) and it is by Him are we reconciled to the Father from whom we had once been estranged (2 Cor. 5:18) and inwardly transformed and made anew (2 Cor. 5:17) and it is this inward cleansing of the soul and this regeneration which cause all who are willing to call upon Christ for it, submit to it, and embrace it to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven, (Mt. 6:33)
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty, (Jn. 14:6) no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, (Mt. 6:25-33) recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God,
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
 
And just as we are made spiritually alive in Christ, so also we will one day be delivered from bodily death itself when our present bodies are changed from that which was born into corruption into that which is without corruption (1 Cor. 15:51-55, 1 Thess. 4:13-18) but not only will we also see our bodies redeemed from death, just as our souls have been redeemed from eternal damnation, we will also witness creation itself being delivered from the curse of sin when the present prince of this world is cast out and receives his final sentence and defeat (Rev. 20:10-15) and when the creation is made anew, there will be no sin, no evil, no darkness, nor any curse.  There will be no death, no decay, nor any pain, nor any hardship, no oppression, no misery, no cruelty, no despair, or any grief for all of these things will have passed away with the old corrupted creation but instead, there will only be life, light, happiness, peace, and harmony before the Lord God Almighty and if you have not done so already and want to be part of a world in which there is no evil and in which there is no darkness in which any malevolent force can hide, then I urge you reader to call upon the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins because that is where deliverance from darkness begins because the forgiveness of sins means deliverance and rescue from what would otherwise be an eternity from an unrelenting punishment of never ending torment in the fires of hell in which there is nothing more than a permanent separation from God Almighty which means a permanent separation from His love, mercy, grace, and goodness, and for those who depart this life in an unrepentant state, eternal punishment is all that they have to look forward to because God who is sinless cannot allow that which is sin to enter into His Kingdom lest Heaven become as defiled as the earth has been. 
 
The only way into Heaven is through Jesus Christ who offered Himself up on our behalf and was raised again from the dead so that we will be justified in Him which is why it is our faith and trust in Him that admits us into Heaven and it is upon His inerrant and faultless merit that we enter into Heaven and not our own which, because of sin which dwells in us, falls short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) which is moral perfection but with the forgiveness of sins comes entry into that better world for which we long and all it takes to ensure your place in that world is a sincere prayer of repentance:
 
 
 
"Lord Jesus I need you.
 
 
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
 
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
 
 
Amen."
 
 
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
 
 
 
End notes:
 
 
 
1.  Jim Lafluer, “They Watch While You Sleep,” Once Upon A Substack, January 16, 2025
https://web.archive.org/web/20250116103811/https://jimlafleur.substack.com/p/they-watch-while-you-sleep
 
 
 
Scripture references:
 
 
 
1.  Genesis 1:1-5
 
2.  Revelation 21-22
 
3.  Genesis 2:16-17, 3:3
 
4.  Genesis 3:4-5
 
5.  Genesis 3:19
 
6.  Romans 5:12
 
7.  Romans 6:23
 
8.  Romans 8:19-22
 
9.  Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7
 
10.  Genesis 1:26
 
11.  2 Peter 3:9
 
12.  John 3:16
 
13. Corinthians 5:21
 
14.  Hebrews 4:15
 
15.  Romans 4:25
 
16.  Romans 10:9, 13
 
17.  2 Corinthians 5:17
 
18.  2 Corinthians 5:18
 
19.  Matthew 6:33
 
20.  John 14:6
 
21.  Revelation 21-22
 
22.  Matthew 6:25-33
 
23.  Matthew 10:28
 
24.  1 Corinthians 15:51-55
 
25.  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
 
26.  Revelation 20:10-15
 
27.  Romans 3:23