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Anonymous
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carole said:Formidable, no, but scary, yes, because seeing something like that would be so totally unexpected . . .
Carole's comment highlights an interesting facet of our psychology, as adults at least: why is everything that is unfamiliar or surprising automatically perceived as 'scary'?
There is the obvious answer that a stance of caution & vigilance is the safest for the organism - treat as potentially harmful until proven otherwise. But is that the same as fear? We can be on-guard and ready for Fight or Flight without the adrenalin rush, although admittedly this is the most effective means of achieving that level of concentration and reaction.
But that approach is a long way from that of young children or animals, which often exhibit unfearful curiosity toward the unfamilar - until they learn otherwise.
And there's the clue. Our fear is a learned response. We learn, almost irrationally, to fear the unknown, often in spite of no proven threat, whether it be ghosts, stick men or harmless phobias.
It was G. K. Chesterton, I think, who said: "I don't believe in ghosts - but I'm afraid of them."
I suspect the fear reaction really stems from the Unknown's threat toward our closeted personal world views. It forces us to become flexible again in our thinking, and not rely on our tidy & comfortable, but restrictive view of the universe. And that, I submit, may be their very function - to break us out of the box of our own thinking. And with that achieved, there really is no need to provide proof of their existence, or even very frequent exposure. The task is accomplished - our minds are freed to relate to the universe again with a re-opened sense of wonder and healthy curiosity.