I think about this at night when my eyes are forced to attempt to make sense of the low light levels in a dark room. I know my room isn’t grainy and grey-scale - that’s just the best my eyes and brain can do at night. It’s interesting to look around and try to imagine the proper colors and shapes of things, reckoning the difference between what I know and what I see in the moment.

With our brains constantly making things up to explain gaps in information, it’s no wonder kids think they see “monsters” in the dark. It’s also no wonder that nightlights work well to keep said “monsters” away.