But our greatest fears come from our own minds. Many children, and some adults, are terrified of the monster under the bed. This is called the ‘sense of presence’ and is often associated with sleep paralysis, when you wake up unable to move.
These monsters are due to unusual activity in areas of the brain. Then there are all those ideas that we don’t like to face – our shame, guilt, anger, anxiety or whatever it may be. These seem far worse in the dark because our brains are deprived of the visual input that keeps them busy and suppresses those unwanted thoughts.
