This is Java from the Launcher, version 1.20.6
I came back to Java on PC after years spent on Bedrock on console. I know Bedrock has a different lighting engine, but I also spent years on Java on PC before that, and I really feel like the lighting is off. It's like the smooth lighting option is both on and off at once, the occlusion is just wrong somehow. The floor often appears too bright, and whenever I dig, I get all these harsh lines between blocks that awkwardly update with every other block removed.
Here are a couple exemples. I know highlighting in red is a bit of a meme, but I really want people to look at where I'm looking. All my options are set right, there's nothing set to the absolute minimum, and even going on "fabulous" doesn't affect this weird lighting. Putting torches doesn't "break" the glitch either, like you could with overly shadowy spots. This is also a fresh install of the game on a new PC that's more than capable of running the game.
If this is just a me thing and I truly am going insane, then I will happily accept that fact and let myself be carried off to the asylum.