Plato contrasts a child's fear of the dark with the true tragedy: adults fearing the light of truth. Explore this call to ...

Fear is one of the most powerful forces an animal can experience. Some say it is the prime drive that keeps an organism alive. Others say that “fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that ...

Most of my columns attempt to resurrect fond memories of the past, but today’s column does not fit that mold. Rather, this column focuses on a gloomy aspect of our developmental years when we found ...

Halloween is almost here, and its presence is inescapable – from commercials and scary movies on TV to ghosts, goblins, and menacing figures in neighbors’ yards. And while it is an exciting and highly ...

Editor's note: Welcome to Familywise, a question and answer column about the joys and challenges of being parents. Margaret D. Sayers is a clinical psychologist in suburban Philadelphia who addresses ...

Nyctophobia, or an extreme fear of darkness, affects both children and adults, often stemming from past trauma, anxiety disorders, or evolutionary instincts. Symptoms include panic attacks, sweating, ...

Most kids are afraid of the dark. What you might not realize is that a fear of the dark remains a totally common thing, even into adulthood – and honestly, there’s a good reason for our natural ...