by Sean Kelly

Created on: March 13, 2010   Last Updated: March 14, 2010

The truth about zombies is that they are absolutely terrifying. Human beings are terrified of the unknown. Fear of such stimuli is instinctual, like being afraid of the dark. Being afraid of the dark is a natural, instinctual element of being human, because it is a part of the fear of the unknown.

There could be something within the darkness, something humans cannot, or could not see. It could be friend or foe, of which we would not know until we made observation of the thing lurking in the shadows. That observation could come too late, as the creature hiding in the confines of the darkness could be a foe. 

Imagine a man or woman walking in the woods at night. Why they are walking in the woods at night is irrelevant, but for the sake of conversation, the person is an outside kind of person. As the person is walking it is getting darker and darker. 

Before long, the sun is down entirely and it is completely dark. Now, even the most avid outdoor enthusiast would know that bad things happen when they are in the woods and there is no light. 

Predatory animals do hunt at night, like big cats (mountain lions, bobcats, lynx), bears (grizzly and black), and in some areas, the dreaded badger (also know as the wolverine). Besides possessing physically attributes like razor sharp teeth and claws, strength of many men, and speed that makes track stars blush, they all can see at night as if they were walking around during the day. 

Humans possess terrible night vision, which I theorize is a prime reason of why we as a species are afraid of the dark. There is a reason why homes and buildings have so many lights on the outside.

Any one of those discussed animals could easily kill, and then consume a defenseless human being alone in the woods, at night. Imagine the fear instilled when the person hears the growl or roar, or smelled the animal (bears and badgers stink horribly).

That is like the zombie, the absolution of the unknown and the defilement of everything that was instilled since birth. God-fearing people believe in heaven, the afterlife and reincarnation. Other people believe that once you are dead, that’s the end of the story. 

It is truly unknown whether life exists after our time in our bodies has reached zero. But the thought of life after death as a zombie is a shell shock to many.  That is why zombies are so terrifying. Either nomenclature of zombie,

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