Some real - life events that might have inspired the'monster in the closet' story include electrical problems in the house. Faulty wiring can cause lights in the closet to flicker, creating a spooky atmosphere. Also, if there are bugs or insects in the closet, their movement and buzzing sounds can be misinterpreted as something more sinister. And in some cases, a child might have heard an adult talking about something scary in the context of the closet, like a repairman saying there's a problem in the closet that needs fixing but making it sound mysterious, which then plants the idea of a monster in the child's mind.
One real - life event could be the presence of rodents in the closet. The scratching sounds they make at night can easily be mistaken for a'monster'. Another is when old houses have drafts that cause things in the closet to move slightly, like clothes hanging on a rod. This movement can create an eerie feeling, as if something is alive in there.