Light

“The longing for light is the longing for consciousness…”
-Carl Jung

Last Thursday, we had a very fun activity wherein we will answer the questions as fast as we can. There are several questions that were asked like what is the greatest gift that you received, the greatest advice that was given to you, and what are the positive and negative traits that you have. I thought that this activity will be easy because you just need to answer in a word or a phrase. On the contrary, this activity turned out to be a lot difficult than what I have expected. You have to dig deeper in your experiences to find out the “perfect” answer to each question.


What makes you feel safe? That is one of the most interesting questions during the activity. Suddenly, the word ‘light’ crossed my mind, and I decided to write ‘light’ as my answer to that question. Light in many cultures and religions mainly signifies a brand new start. For me, the two most important and chief meaning of light is it gives you the chance to see what you must/ like to see and the weightlessness of the term itself. I never sleep without a light. A simple light in a dark room tells me that I shall not fear. Light makes me feel safe whenever I sleep because it assures me that I can see everything that surrounds me.

When I underwent a psychological assessment when I was in high school, I learned the reason why I cannot sleep without light. I was a really naughty girl back then, my mother and sister who do not have the temperament to adjust with my behavior. They would usually lock me in our CR without leaving a light (the switch was outside). They would lock me up for about an hour (depending on what I did) while begging them to let me out. It was a very bad experience and since then, I cultivated phobia of darkness.

I think that you now know why I feel safe whenever there is light. It assures me that I am not locked up and that I can see everything around me. It lets me feel that I have control over my surroundings.