Darkness has posed an enigma to humankind since the beginning of time. From our most primal fears to our deep philosophical ponderings, the veil of night has stirred complex questions and emotions. Darkness represents the unknown – what cannot be seen or understood. Into this unknowable void, our minds have projected dangers, both real and imagined.
As diurnal creatures evolved to function during daylight hours, darkness brought vulnerabilities. Primitive humans were more exposed without the light of the sun to see approaching threats. In darkness, senses became limited and awareness shrank to a smaller sphere, fuelling fears of unseen predators or hostile forces. Darkness metaphorically came to symbolise danger on a deeper level too, as the veil over what was really “out there”.
Our ancestors externalised these fears into myths and legends, populating the night with demons and vengeful spirits. Darkness enabled the projection of humanity’s fears without form or boundaries. Monsters and malevolent entities became manifestations of humankind’s insecurity in an unknowable world. Across ancient cultures, darkness was associated with evil, ruin, chaos, wickedness and death.
While darkness harboured terrors, it also offered potential advantages that early humans harnessed. Concealment in darkness could aid ambush attacks or evade predators. Nocturnal hunting utilised this cover of darkness, expanding food sources. Some species even evolved biological advantages using darkness, such as night vision. Humans developed ways of creating artificial light through fire, expanding their active hours into the night and gaining advantages over other species.
Gradually, as human understanding grew, darkness ceased to purely represent danger or the diabolical. Philosophy and science uncovered more nuanced perspectives. Darkness came to symbolise profound human experiences and states of being, both positive and negative. Night brought rest and renewal, embraced by many religions. Darkness concealed internal as well as external realities, aptly representing human inwardness, introspection and mystery. It allowed humankind to gaze skywards and contemplate their place in the cosmos, discovering patterns in the stars.
Night invited spiritual and mystical experiences through fasting, prayer or psychedelic substances. Shamanic and esoteric traditions integrated darkness rituals for insight, divination and transcendence. Darkness nurtured profound artistic works exploring human depth, from the mystical paintings of Caspar David Friedrich to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. It afforded concealment for forbidden love, acts of compassion or resistance against oppression. Darkness both stimulated imagination and granted anonymity for subversion or dissent.
Paradoxically, while darkness obscures vision, it can enhance other senses and foster sensuality. Night awakens feelings through heightened intimacy, touching and smell. Romantic poetry and carnal pleasures often associate with nightfall. Darkness opened up new spaces for social interaction, festivity and play away from daylight constraints. Though veiling the external, darkness granted windows into inner realms of dreams, contemplation and the creative mind. It afforded space to step outside social norms and the rational, logical mind.
Contemporary understandings find darkness is actually vital for health, wellbeing and ecosystems. Our biological clocks are attuned to circadian rhythms of light and dark, disruption of which is linked to sickness. Total illumination excessively stimulates our retinas and disrupts natural hormone cycles. Nocturnal darkness is crucial for recovery, sleep and restorative processes in humans as well as wildlife and plant life. Darkness maintains biodiversity and natural balances through nocturnal hunting, feeding and specialized bioluminescent or infrared vision in creatures like bats, birds and deep sea creatures. Darkness is a constructive part of Earth’s cycles, not an anomaly to overcome.
Our modern urbanised civilization has attempted to banish darkness on a mass scale through electric lighting. Some philosophers have argued this disruption risks adverse psychological effects by diminishing our intimate relationships with natural cycles and awareness of mortality. While light extends productivity, it has arguably dulled some human sensitivities and curiosities sparked by darkness. Light pollution obliterates the night skies of ancestors who contemplated infinity above. Complete illumination attempts to resolve ancient fears but can undermine wellbeing by contradicting biological imperatives.
Far from disappearing Darkness retains conceptual richness with potential for insight. Its obscurity invites metaphors to represent humanity’s endless existential questions. Darkness symbolises our intra-personal exploration, self-knowledge and transitions to wisdom. It permits anonymity to honestly confront fears and vulnerabilities within. Though concealing the visible, darkness opens windows to human creativity, spirituality, relationships and wellbeing on profound levels largely unacknowledged in a utilitarian society. Darkness compels humility in recognising immense unknowns, beyond illumination’s narrow beam. While we extend boundaries using light technology, darkness may forever remain beyond full comprehension – yet central to human experiences of mystery, sensuality and sanctity. Though we attempt to illuminate every shadow with rational explanations, darkness will likely endure as a repository for profound human truths we cannot shed full light upon.
Andrew Stroud