There's something disconcerting about the dark to me, even in the comfort of my own home. Perhaps it's because there's no light, no way to be reassured that something might be out there, and you have to endure the relentless, unforgiving darkness alone.
I'm one for leaving a light on, just for reassuring purposes, even if I know my way round my house well enough. There is the risk of tripping up, of course, but I don't turn the light on for that, rather I do so because I'd prefer to not breathe amongst a wall of shadows which I can't see.
No, I'm not afraid of ghosts, I don't believe ghosts exist. I understand why people believe in them, the idea of an afterlife is warm to them and the prospect of a cold death is something no one truly wants. In the dark I'm not escaping ghosts, rather I'm escaping the strange, unsettling feeling you get when something feels off, even if it's not necessarily off.
There used to be a light switch in my house that, when pressed, took a few seconds to illuminate, and I can remember feeling slightly put off by this when I was much younger. The slight wait for the light to activate, so I could see the staircase and proceed without any concern that something might happen. Obviously nothing ever happened, and nothing will probably ever occur, but the anxiety remains.
Maybe it's because when you're alone in the dark, you're accompanied by your thoughts. There are no other murmurs around, so you're left with your anxiety to get through the darkness; no one will suddenly awake to hold your hand, so you have to go alone. So it's better to rush through, instead of being careful of your surroundings.
It's not surprising humans have an innate fear of the dark or of the unknown; in prehistorical times, that could mean death. They didn't have electric torches to guide them, after all, and they didn't work night shifts either - straight to bed at night. The dark hasn't changed since then, either, aside from the relentless light pollution, so the fear appropriately remains.
I'll keep a light on to be reassured, even though there's no inherent reason to. Anything to keep the darkness away.
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