Nyctophobia

Nyctophobia is a limiting and disabling disease characterized by a frenzied fear of the darkness. It is triggered by the mind’s disfigured perceptivity of what would or could happen when in a dark environment. Despite its pervasive nature, there is a lack of etiological studies on it. The fear of darkness (nyctophobia) is a psychologically-impacted feeling of being disposition from a state of comfort to a frightening fear-evoking state. The fear of darkness or night has several non-clinical terminologies--lygophobia, scotophobia and achluophobia. The discomfort felt is in result to the psychological fright of dark environments or more specific, darkness. Nyctophobia is a phobia generally related to children but, according to J. Adrian Williams’ article titled, Indirect Hypnotic Therapy of Nyctophobia: A Case Report, many clinics with pediatric patients have a great chance of having adults who have nyctophobia. The same article states that “the phobia has been known to be extremely disruptive to adult patients and… incapacitating”