fear

[paulpablo]

I have a big big fear of places with spooky atmospheres.  I don't know if this is normal for someone my age.  I'm 31.

I've only just discovered this in my new job.  We basically have to walk through massive vast very old warehouses locking them up, walking through the dark pretty often with just a torch. 

On the outside of these warehouses is fenced off woodlands, it's desolate enough for badgers to roam around.  It's basically a situation where if you see a person walking around it's pretty much guaranteed they either have some mental problem or bad intentions of stealing, because they would have had to climb over these fences in the middle of nowhere at some ungodly hour of the night.

 Among the people I work with there's varied opinions about the night shifts.  The two Africans I worked with hated the dark, they would even hate the evening shifts in winter when it gets dark early, a few other people I've spoke to said they wouldn't do it, but the other guards on the night shift seem to be immune to this type of fear.


The question is do any of you on this forum think you would experience this fear being in this type of situation?

I don't know why this mentality arises, I have no belief in ghosts and the chances of a break in at these warehouses is slim to none, but my imagination just wanders.

[Longhorn]

Um.

I'm not crying and terrified just thinking about it, why TT_TT

[Edwardo Piet]

It would take less than that to spook me out...

... just going for a walk at night to the shops in the neighborhood where I live is spooky enough for me.

I can't stand thugs.

[Angrboda]

I think we're programmed by evolution to be afraid of dark places. It's a precaution against wild animals that hunt at night, and to sleep in places of safety.

[Edwardo Piet]

No doubt

[brewer]

How long have you been doing this job? The fear may dissipate with time.

[MTL]

I have a big big fear of places with spooky atmospheres.  I don't know if this is normal for someone my age.  I'm 31.

I've only just discovered this in my new job.  We basically have to walk through massive vast very old warehouses locking them up, walking through the dark pretty often with just a torch. 

On the outside of these warehouses is fenced off woodlands, it's desolate enough for badgers to roam around.  It's basically a situation where if you see a person walking around it's pretty much guaranteed they either have some mental problem or bad intentions of stealing, because they would have had to climb over these fences in the middle of nowhere at some ungodly hour of the night.

 Among the people I work with there's varied opinions about the night shifts.  The two Africans I worked with hated the dark, they would even hate the evening shifts in winter when it gets dark early, a few other people I've spoke to said they wouldn't do it, but the other guards on the night shift seem to be immune to this type of fear.


The question is do any of you on this forum think you would experience this fear being in this type of situation?

I don't know why this mentality arises, I have no belief in ghosts and the chances of a break in at these warehouses is slim to none, but my imagination just wanders.

I don't blame you for feeling creeped-out, that is natural, even if not everyone is affected by such fears.

However, I would urge you to never panic, and to keep a cool head.

On the other hand, while I don't know exactly the nature of the places you are in,
I do think it would be naive to say there is nothing to be afraid of.

I've done a little Urban Exploration in my time, and places like that offer a host of dangers
and it IS worth being aware of just how many things can hurt you, kill you, or make you very sick, in a place like that;

if you're not aware of these dangers, then you shouldn't even be there.

wild animals (especially potentially rabid animals)

dangerous, unpredictable people,

dangerous devices that can injure you, hidden in the grass by people, to trap animals;
or in some locations, unexploded ordnances;
or potentially even radioactive materials, again, depending on location.

Injury, tetanus from rusty nails,
or exposure to undesirable materials.

For instance, in big empty dark spaces, you will often get bats.

Bats are often vectors of rabies;

but even if they are NOT rabid,
if they roost in a place like that,
often a layer of their guano (droppings)
will cover everything below,
and when it dries out, and is disturbed by your feet,
the dust from it is not something you want to breathe;
you can contract respiratory ailments or parasitic infections like Toxoplasmosis.

That would scare me far more than any ghost would.

Risk of rusty stairwells, walkways, or unstable old floors collapsing underneath me,
hidden holes or wells in the ground with rotten wooden covers obscured by grass or leaves,
or heavy things falling from above,
of old asbestos or other unknown, potentially toxic or carcinogenic materials, heavy metals,
acid, gas, fumes, stuff like that;
risk of live electrical wires coming into contact with water you have to walk through,
flammable or explosive materials;

or, since you said it's a fenced-off wooded area,
I would indeed worry about badgers and other animals,

but I would worry even more about dangerous spider bites, snakes, bees or wasps nests, allergens,
....or even just TICKS....that might be vectors of Lyme disease.


I don't say all this to scare you more;
I acknowledge such places can generally be creepy,
but there are plenty of real dangers to be informed about in isolated industrial spaces like that,
especially at night, especially in the woods...

....without worrying about ghosts or curses!!

EDIT: Having said all that, I worry far more about crime, identity theft, tripping over my dog on the stairs, burning myself on the stove, hackers, car accidents and drunk drivers, than I do about toxoplasmosis or asbestos or radiation poisoning.

[Iroscato]

I used to be shit-scared of the dark, but in recent years I've pretty much gotten over it. The only time it made a brief resurgence was when I learned about Slenderman. That shit took root in my brain for some time, even though I knew it was bullshit :|

[Strider]

OP, I used to have the same problem in regards to solo camping trips. Being alone at night in the woods used to really freak me out to the point where I barely slept. Our fear of the dark is a primal instinct so it's normal to have. I imagine many more people have it than would like to admit to it. Here's what helped me:

First, check the place out in the daytime. Look all around. It looks exactly the same at night; you just can't see it as well. Second, realize that in most cases, you are the most dangerous thing there. Seriously, this helped me a lot. If I am out alone in the woods, I am going to be the most dangerous thing around barring some other person in the vicinity. This may not be entirely true in some scenarios (bear country for example), but it at least gives a mental boost. Of course, your situation is a bit different so your mileage my vary. Third and last, you will get accustomed to it in time if you continue to do it!

[AFTT47]

That type of fear has definitely faded in me over the years. I big part of that may be that I've been a scuba instructor and a professional boat captain - both occupations that place a high premium on being level-headed. I've had it drilled into me that safety is always best served by cool analysis of a situation and calm, effective action informed by that analysis. I tend to push reactionary fear down as a result. I'm sure age has a bit to do with it too.