I watched The Grudge today. It brushed up on just about everything: the stairs, the long hallway, the shadow, the child's cry, the thing under the blanket, the full bathtub, the shower, the closet, the dark.... No, the clown wasn't there, but that's American. I must admit I was watching that movie with both hands covering my eyes and I almost cried; some quiet screams escaped. I am still not fully over the fear of the dark, and the only reason why I'm not scared of the hallway is that I don't live with one anymore. I used to be afraid that there were sharks under my bed; then I rationalized there was some sort of invisible fire around my bed for protection, but eventually that turned scary too.
Where do these childhood fears come from? Don't mention Jung.
My friend started saying something about how our brain doesn't fully take in all the information since it's a little slow so it fills in the gaps by itself (somehow that's supposed to be related to fears, but I don't see it). Anyone can tell more?

I used to be afraid of the washing machine and furnace.

Why?

Because I didn't understand the technology behind them. It seemed like black magic; something inherently evil..

We fear the things we don't understand. This is natural instinct.

Yet the childhood fears are so common.
Besides, what's there to not understand under your blanket, especially if you're a kid? (Don't mention Freud) Well, k, how about the staircase and the long hallway?

I watched The Grudge today. It brushed up on just about everything: the stairs, the long hallway, the shadow, the child's cry, the thing under the blanket, the full bathtub, the shower, the closet, the dark.... No, the clown wasn't there, but that's American. I must admit I was watching that movie with both hands covering my eyes and I almost cried; some quiet screams escaped. I am still not fully over the fear of the dark, and the only reason why I'm not scared of the hallway is that I don't live with one anymore. I used to be afraid that there were sharks under my bed; then I rationalized there was some sort of invisible fire around my bed for protection, but eventually that turned scary too.
Where do these childhood fears come from? Don't mention Jung.
My friend started saying something about how our brain doesn't fully take in all the information since it's a little slow so it fills in the gaps by itself (somehow that's supposed to be related to fears, but I don't see it). Anyone can tell more?
Interesting question. I read one study years ago where someone commented that childhood fears were the result of remembering nightmares that the child has had.

I remember when I was a small child my father used to tell me ghost stories before tucking me so tightly into bed that moving was difficult, and then he'd walk to the door and just before he'd turn out the light he'd point to my bed and say that he thought something was moving under there.. the light would be switched off and he'd close the door with a chuckle. It's a wonder I'm not in a mental hospital... Anywho, the result would be a scream from me and he'd run back in, undo the tight bedding and hold me and show me that there was nothing under the bed. After a while, I was no longer scared of what was under the bed or of his ghost stories. I used to enjoy them actually and it became a game between us. Either that or I'd developed nerves of steel.

In truth, who really knows. Sometimes some of these fears carry on into adulthood. A fear of the dark is a fear of the unknown and is apparently quite common. We fear what we cannot see. Being in a dark room, we are unaware of anything around us. Our imagination takes off and next thing you know, you feel fear. I sometimes feel uncomfortable when in a dark room by myself. Must be a family trait because all my cousins are the same, and have always been like that since childhood. Maybe their fears rubbed off on me, I really don't know. Either that or I'm still getting over my father's bed time stories. I don't mind walking down a dark hallway or a dark passage outside, but for some reason I sometimes feel a slight prickling on the back of my neck. Slight anxiety maybe... who really knows. When I do feel such feelings of anxiety, I tend to just shrug it off and keep on my way regardless. For me, I guess the anxiety comes from not being in control. Other times I relish sitting in a dark room and enjoying the peace and tranquility. I've been known to drive out by myself into the country side and pull up on the side of the darkest road I can find and just sitting on the bonnet enjoying the darkness and looking at the stars. Go figure.

I guess as you age, your fears shift from the external to the internal. For example, some 40 year old may not be afraid of long hallways like the child, but he'll be terrified about his retirement plan, cancer and heart disease while the kid could care less.

Heh! True.