<P> Fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children and, to a varying degree, adults . </P> <P> Fear of the dark is usually not a fear of darkness itself, but a fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness . Some degree of fear of the dark is natural, especially as a phase of child development . Most observers report that fear of the dark seldom appears before the age of 2 years . When fear of the dark reaches a degree that is severe enough to be considered pathological, it is sometimes called scotophobia (from σκότος--"darkness"), or lygophobia (from λυγή--"twilight"). </P> <P> Some researchers, beginning with Sigmund Freud, consider the fear of the dark to be a manifestation of separation anxiety disorder . </P>

Where does the fear of the dark come from