Why is everything so much scarier at night, even ordinary stuff?
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Your amygdala (seat of fear) has evolved to be slightly more active at night when venomous/poisonous animals strike out and when rogues/”bad actors” do what they do.
Your amygdala responds quicker than your cortex (seat of reasoning) under stressful conditions.
Humans evolved to be scared to venture out away from the group and fire at night. Humans have terrible night vision, and when we were evolving basic instincts we could easily be ambushed in night by predators. Those who were too scared to leave the safety of the group were more likely to survive and reproduce.
We are genetically wired to be scared of the dark. We don’t have night vision. Back in the old times, there were legit monsters that hunt in the shadows (there still are) and they would 100% try to eat us given the opportunity. We evolved to fear the dark in an effort to stay alive.
My theory:
One of your most important senses is limited, which make your other senses be more aware of everything else. You hear a sound, but without sight you’re not immediately able to relate the sound to something.
For example if you’re by the water in broad daylight and see a flock of ducks, you know they are there and subconsciously you know they’ll make a sound when they move. So when you hear water splashing, you can, without looking, relate that sound to the ducks taking off.
If you’re by the same body of water at night, you don’t see the ducks, and every noise is amplified because of the limited vision you have. You’re unable to mentally prepare (in lack of a better term) for them to make a sound. So you’re kind of left in a state of permanent anticipation.
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