Why do people like to be afraid? Experts explain why fear feels good: ScienceAlert

As a teenager, love meant football games, homecoming dresses, and haunted houses. My friends organized a group trip to a local fairground. There, a barn turned into a house of horrors, and while we waited in line, expecting even deeper horrors to befall us once we got inside, masked men wielded chainsaws (without chains) to attack us. They were cutting our ankles.

I’m not the only one who loves a good scare. halloween attraction company american ghost It is estimated that Americans spend more than $500 million a year on haunted house admission fees just for the privilege of being scared. And many horror fans don’t limit their horror entertainment to the spooky season, they devour horror movies, horror shows, and books all year round.

To some people, this obsession with horror may seem tone-deaf. School shootings, child abuse, war, the list of real-life horrors is endless. When the world offers such a large amount of real horror, why seek out horrors made for entertainment?

As a developmental psychologist who writes dark thrillers on the side, I’m intrigued by the intersection of psychology and horror. To explain what causes this fascination with fear, I point to the theory that emotions evolved as a universal human experience. because they help us survive. Creating fear in the safety of life is fun and a way to train people for real danger.

fear becomes comfortable

A controlled fear experience allows you to click the remote, close the book, or walk out of the haunted house whenever you want, providing the physiological high caused by fear without any real risk. I will.

When you feel like you are under threat, adrenaline surges in your body. The evolutionary fight-or-flight response is activated.. Your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes deeper and faster, and your blood pressure increases. your body is preparing To protect yourself from danger or escape as quickly as possible.

This physical response is extremely important when faced with a real threat. Experiencing controlled fear, like the jump scares on zombie TV shows, allows you to enjoy this energizing feeling, similar to a runner’s high, without any danger. And when dealing with threats, your body releases the neurotransmitter dopaminebrings a sense of joy and relief.

In one studyresearchers found that people who visited a high-intensity haunted house as a controlled fear experience had lower brain activity in response to the stimulus and less anxiety following the exposure.

This finding suggests that exposing yourself to horror movies, scary stories, or suspenseful video games can actually calm you down afterwards. This effect may also be the reason why my husband and I choose to watch zombie shows to relax after a busy day at work.

ties that bind

The essential motivation for humans is “sensation.” belong to a social group. The Surgeon General says Americans who miss those connections are: epidemic of lonelinessit leaves people At risk of mental and physical health problems.

Passing through Experiencing intense fear together strengthens bonds. between individuals. A good example is Veterans who fought togethera “family” made of a group of natural disaster survivors, and first responders.

I’m a volunteer firefighter, and the unique connection that comes from sharing an intense threat, such as walking into a burning building together, manifests itself in deep emotional bonds with my colleagues.

We often notice an increase in fire department morale and camaraderie after a major fire outbreak. Every time I think about my firefighting partners, even if the event happened months or years ago, I get a flood of positive emotions.

Controlled fear experiences artificially create similar bonding opportunities. Exposure to stress not only triggers the fight-or-flight response, but in many situations psychologists“Trends and friends” system.

When humans perceive a threat, they seek to procreate and form social and emotional bonds for protection and comfort. This system is primarily regulated by the following regulations: Oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone”.

This tendency and the reactions of friends are especially likely if you experience stress around others with whom you already have established good social connections. When we encounter stressors within our social networks, oxytocin levels increase and social coping strategies are initiated.

As a result, when you and your friends enjoy a scary experience like a haunted house, you set the stage for an emotional connection to the people next to you.

Sitting in the dark and watching a scary movie with a friend or navigating a haunted corn maze on a date is good for your health because it helps strengthen your social connections.

1 ounce of prevention = 1 pound of cure

Controlling your fear experience is also a way to prepare for the worst. At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the movie “contagion” and “outbreak” Trending on streaming platforms As people around the world shelter in place at home. By observing threat scenarios unfold in a controlled manner through the media, we can learn about our fears and prepare emotionally for future threats.

For example, researchers at Aarhus University recreational fear lab In Denmark, a study found that people who regularly Consumed horror media was psychologically more resilient more than non-horror fans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scientists suggest that this resilience may be the result of a type of training these fans undergo. They were practicing dealing with the fear and anxiety caused by their preferred forms of entertainment. As a result, they are better equipped to deal with the real horrors caused by the pandemic.

When I’m not teaching, I’m an avid reader of crime novels. She also writes psychological thrillers under the pen name Sarah K. Stevens. As a reader and writer, I’ve noticed similar themes in the books I’m drawn to. They all tie into my own deep-seated fears. mothers who fail their children in some way, women manipulated into obedience, and many misogynistic antagonists.

I like writing and reading about my fears. And I like seeing the bad guys get their free desserts in the end. Because it gives me a way to control the narrative. By understanding these stories, you can rehearse in your mind how you would react if this type of situation appeared in real life.

survive and thrive

In the case of controlled fear experiences, scaring oneself is an important technique for surviving and adapting in a frightening world. By tapping into powerful positive emotions, strengthening your social network, and preparing for your worst fears, you’ll be able to make the most of every day.

Next time you’re choosing between a light comedy or a spooky thriller for movie night, opt for the wholesome dark side.

Sarah CollatProfessor of Psychology, pennsylvania state university

This article is republished from conversation Under Creative Commons License. please read original article.