Childhood Monsters Under the Bed — Adult Terrors and Fears

When I was a little kid, I actually did not believe there were "monsters" under my bed.

However, I did have a lively imagination, and I definitely did believe that there were "things lurking in the darkness." Mostly, I believed they were hiding in my closet, or in the ventilation/heating ducts. In addition, the Danish type electrical outlets looked like little "eyes," looking at me.

Of course, I had a lively imagination, and I mostly imagined all sorts of nasty things were living in our attic, and in the darker and more overgrown parts of the woods behind our house.

Sometimes, I can't help but wonder where these fears come from. Why are we so fearful of these things which — in a very tangible sense — do not actually appear to be there?

Is it truly generated by our imaginations, or are there some deeper "genetic memories" there?

I totally grok the idea that most humans have fears of the unknown. At the very least, we have some uncertainties. What's interesting is the fact that we choose to bestow that "unknown" with the faces of monsters; or our worst fears.

The puzzling thing there is that this "unknown" is typically assumed to be dark and evil, rather than benevolent. Were we taught that, or does it come naturally to us? I get that we are told things like "stranger, danger" when we are little kids, but is that enough to instill such seemingly deep rooted fears?

Sometimes, these fears manifest in our adulthood... except they now more often seem to happen in dreams and are now tinged with the realities of our actual experiences.

What are the metaphorical "monsters under the bed" we now fear?

For the longest time, I have periodically dreamed that I am back in high school — at my later/current 30-40-50-60 age — because I "forgot" to take one class or exam, and it turned out that I actually didn't really graduate. So there I am, in my 50s, with a bunch of high school kids who all think I must be dumb.

What fear is really bringing that to the surface.

In another scenario, I have to move out of my place on short notice. But there are so many boxes and so much stuff, and most of it belongs to other people, but I am the one who will get blamed and fined a late fee if the place isn't cleaned out. What's more, I don't have a moving truck, just a small garden cart I have to pull, myself.

What fear is bubbling to the surface, there?

Then I have airport dreams, in which I start with plenty of time to pack and catch my flight... but one setback and hassle after another sets me further and further back until I end up missing the flight... usually by a few minutes.

Those are the sorts of things that have become my adult monsters... we all have them, in some way... and they are often related to the same fears we had when we were little.

Even so, isolating the pattern and determining its roots can be a task that requires much patience!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful remainder of your week!

Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! I do my best to answer comments, even if it sometimes takes a few days!

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Created at 2024-02-29 02:03 PST
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