Is being scared good for us? For many, Halloween is a chance to dress up, tell ghost stories and be a little bit afraid. But scientists say playing with fear prepares us for life.
Mild horror boosts resilience say researchers
Is being scared good for us? For many, Halloween is a chance to dress up, tell ghost stories and be a little bit afraid. But scientists say playing with fear prepares us for life.
Do you dare to be scared? Some scientists would like you to step into a dark, haunted house. Strange noises behind walls, slithering things under the bed. And when you least expect it: a hideous face at the window. Looking at you.
It is good to be scared, says Marc Malmdorf-Andersen at the Recreational Fear Lab in Denmark. His research follows volunteers through a haunted house to try and understand why we choose to be terrified.
Tonight is Halloween. An evening of ghosts and ghouls. It began more than 2,000 years ago with the Celtic festival of SamhainPronounced "Sowan", this Celtic festival marked the transition from the warmer half of the year into the winter months. It is still observed today by neopagans and Wiccans.. They lit fires and left food out so dead souls would leave the living alone. On All Hallows' EveAnother name for Halloween., many go looking for the thrill of a fright.
Palms sweat, skin prickles, heart quickens. Fear triggers a flood of hormonesChemicals created inside living creatures. They are used to send messages from one part of the body to another. through the body. Adrenaline boosts alertness. Cortisol raises blood pressure, sending nutrients to vital organs and blood to muscles. Glucose spikes, giving a vital burst of energy.
This fight-or-flight response was a matter of survival for our ancestors. The whiff of a bear or the twist of a snake put the body on a war footing, before the conscious brain was even aware of the threat. But is fear still good for us if the danger is not real?
Research suggests it is. One study found horror fans managed better during the pandemic.1 Another showed games involving fear can 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 "draft up your own instruction book for worst-case scenarios".
There is just one condition: it should not be too scary. In the haunted house, researchers found a "sweet spot" where fear is followed by relief and feel-good chemicals, endorphins and dopamine.
The problem is the sweet spot is different for everyone. Too much fear for too long stresses the body and has a lasting effect. Anxiety is the world's biggest mental health problem, affecting around 275 million people.3 For some, even the mildest jumpscare can trigger a panic attack.
And even if there are psychological benefits to mild horror, some are uncomfortable with the ethics of Halloween. Reverend J John says it "trivialises bad things" and treats violence and death as "kids' play".
A horror film or ghost story tricks our amygdalaAn almond-shaped structure in the middle of the brain that is thought to hold some of our oldest instincts, such as the "fight or flight" impulse., the part of the brain that triggers the fear response. The amygdala is sometimes called our "lizard brain" because it resembles those of reptiles. A popular belief is that it is older than our "mammalian brain" and home to our most primitive emotions.4
But this is not how brains work, say neuroscientists. Our minds are not like a haunted house, with some rooms older than others. They are complex webs of neural networks that have evolved together over millions of years.4
Fear is ancient but also changing. New things frighten us, like robots and nuclear war. But we also do new things with fear, like using artificial intelligence and virtual reality to make our worst nightmares come true - just for fun.
Is being scared good for us?
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.
Keywords
Samhain - Pronounced "Sowan", this Celtic festival marked the transition from the warmer half of the year into the winter months. It is still observed today by neopagans and Wiccans.
All Hallows' Eve - Another name for Halloween.
Hormones - Chemicals created inside living creatures. They are used to send messages from one part of the body to another.
Amygdala - An almond-shaped structure in the middle of the brain that is thought to hold some of our oldest instincts, such as the "fight or flight" impulse.
Mild horror boosts resilience say researchers
Glossary
Samhain - Pronounced "Sowan", this Celtic festival marked the transition from the warmer half of the year into the winter months. It is still observed today by neopagans and Wiccans.
All Hallows' Eve - Another name for Halloween.
Hormones - Chemicals created inside living creatures. They are used to send messages from one part of the body to another.
Amygdala - An almond-shaped structure in the middle of the brain that is thought to hold some of our oldest instincts, such as the “fight or flight” impulse.