Unexplained nocturnal noise is more terrifying than an identified animal.

Evidence

I was awoke by a heavy breathing, a noise something like sawing under the floor, and a pushing and upheaving, all very loud. My candle was all burned, and, in truth, I dared not stir. — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 134

Categorization

• QUESTION: What was actually under the floor? Worth chasing whether the account names it, or leaves it deliberately unresolved.
• XREF: connects to: Noise perceived as a danger signal triggers fight-or-flight responses even during sleep — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 1052; Unidentified or invisible sounds are perceived as coming from behind the head — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 289; Subconscious sound processing treats noise as danger signals during sleep — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1468

Broader Connections

• Unidentified or invisible sounds are perceived as coming from behind the head #corroborates (0.90) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 289
• Noise perceived as a danger signal triggers fight-or-flight responses even during sleep #complicates (0.85) — Gordon Hempton, John Grossmann, One Square Inch of Silence- One Man’s…, 1052
• Subconscious sound processing treats noise as danger signals during sleep #complicates (0.75) — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology, 1468