As a lover of Halloween, I've often wondered why people like myself are drawn to all things spooky.
I have an overactive imagination. I always have.
For example, when I was little and shared a bedroom with my brothers, I used to lie awake at night staring at my older brother as he slept (not creepy at all) because I was convinced he would change into a werewolf at some point.
Now maybe most children aren't quite as weird as I was, but it is common for kids to be afraid of the dark, or scared that monsters are hiding in their closets or under their beds.
So as teens and adults, why do we purposely seek out the things that terrified us as kids?
Each fall, many of us fork over lots of money to anyone willing to try to scare us. We listen to ghost stories and watch movies featuring boogeymen or creepy, evil children or grotesque monsters. We visit haunted attractions where we are chased by chainsaw-wielding characters and stalked by cloaked individuals who whisper our names because our friends decided it would be funny to tell them.
So how is this fun again?
It's science!
The feelings we get from those spooky stories and attractions is similar to the adrenaline rush that thrill-seekers like skydivers and bungee jumpers crave, according to a WebMD article. The article suggests that we also get a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment after having been able to endure the anxiety.
An article on LiveScience.com states that being scared triggers the body's “fight-or-flight” response. It's the same thing that happens during a panic attack — the body's muscles tense, breathing is faster and the heart rate increases.
Now, anyone who has had a panic attack knows that those episodes are anything but fun. And that's where it differs.
The rush of adrenaline we get from a scary movie or haunted attraction is enjoyable, the article said, because the brain knows there isn't a real risk of being harmed.
...Or is there?
Kristina Serafini is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-324-1405 or kserafini@tribweb.com.
