Do you like being scared? Scientists want volunteers to go into a haunted house to find out why we enjoy being afraid.

It is good to be scared, says Marc Malmdorf-Andersen at the Recreational Fear Lab.

Tonight is Halloween. An evening when we go looking for a fright.

Palms sweat, skin prickles, heart quickens. Fear sends chemicals through the body. AdrenalineA hormone made by the body in response to a stressful or threatening situation. makes us alert. CortisolA hormone that helps the body deal with stress. sends blood to muscles with sugar for a burst of energy.

For our ancestors, this was a matter of life or death. The first sign of danger prepared the body to run before the brain was even aware of it. But is fear good for us if the danger is not real?

Scientists say yes. One study found horror fans managed better during the pandemic.¹ Another showed games involving fear protect children from anxiety.²

Enjoying fear is a "form of play", says Malmdorf-Andersen. It prepares us for the real world, a safe way to practice "worst-case scenarios".

Researchers found a "sweet spot" where fear is followed by relief and feel-good hormonesChemicals created inside living creatures. They are used to send messages from one part of the body to another..

But too much fear causes stress. Anxiety is the world's biggest mental health problem.³ For some, even a mild scare causes panic.

And even if there are benefits, some do not like Halloween. Reverend J John says it treats violence as "kids' play".

A scary film tricks the part of the brain that makes us feel fear. This is sometimes called our "lizard brain" and is thought to be older than our "mammal brain".

But this is not how brains work, say scientists. Our minds are not like a house, with some rooms older than others. They are complex networks that have changed over millions of years.⁴

Fear is ancient but also changing. New things frighten us. But we also do new things with fear, like using technology to make our worst nightmares come true - just for fun.

Yes: Fear is a safety mechanism to keep us alive. If we never experience fear in play, we will not be ready for real dangers. And pretend horror trains our brains to separate the real from the imaginary.

No: Fear is a horrible emotion. It distorts reality and makes us behave irrationally. It can also be addictive, leading people to go to greater extremes in search of thrills.

Or... All emotions distort reality. Love is a powerful drug, and so is fear. Strong feelings can cause harm and do good. Instead of avoiding intense emotions, we should try to understand them better.