Abstract

The night as a whole is an experience marked for its silence, stillness and eeriness, often inducing a psychologically and emotionally distinct response than day. With the night rolling after our days, the silence pushes the return to the self to ponder about the morality and purpose of its being. This study aims to understand why nighttime evokes a deeper sense of meaning and stillness compared to the day. Taking on an interdisciplinary qualitative approach, this study combines analysis from literature, thoughts from philosophers and mystics, neuroscience’s dropping and increasing of particular hormones and cultural/religious traditions, to shed light on just how much the night impacts us. This paper finds that the night is seen as a trait across works of literature, psychological proof of our savagery during said hours, the path to one’s self in a philosophical view and the will to strengthen the connection with the Divine and traditions passed for generations, simulating religion and culture. It ultimately paints the portrait of the portrayal of night across different fields and how human’s inner monologue is undeniably manipulated by the hours. At length, showing just how vulnerable we truly are.