Sitting around the camp fire telling scary stories, going to the theaters the watch the newest horror movie, or visiting a haunted house to get a rush of adrenaline are all activities that many people around the world take part in. One thing they all have in common is that they are designed to scare people. So why do people enjoy being scared? Is it because of the adrenaline rush you get as you body enters a fight or flight phase or maybe people just have a hobby for doing scary things like some thrill seekers enjoy skydiving. Those reasons may all be true, however the scientific reason lives behind how your body reacts when you are placed in a scary situation.
According to a Healthline article, “…the positive feelings are caused by different neurotransmitters and hormones released when the body feels fear.”[1] Basically, when a person gets scared, your body triggers a flight or fight response, where chemicals and hormones are released to help escape danger. What research has shown is that those chemicals that are released actually help you feel good once the initially shock of getting scared goes away. Personally, I do not think that is true. Whenever I get scared, my heart is thumping in my chest, as if it is about to explode, and that is not what I would call a feel good moment.
Also included in the same article, it explained the difference between expecting to get scared vs getting scared unexpectedly. When you are expecting to get scared like during a horror film, your body still reacts with a flight of fight, but your brain cancels that reaction because it known what is going on and that you are not under a real threat. This way you calm down are able to feel the affects of the chemicals in your body, causing you to feel happier. Lets just hope that our brains are really accurate at predicting when you are actually under threat, so that in a situation that poses a real danger to you, your flight or fight response works properly.
Apparently, getting scared once in while is good form you, but only if you are expecting it. I am still not fully sold on this idea, but the research done by professionals in this field suggests otherwise.
Work Cited “The Science Behind Why We Like to Be Scared.” Healthline. Accessed November 03, 2018. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-we-like-to-be-scared#4.
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