Why do people enjoy being scared? Does it have to do with the entertainment factor, or does the answer lie deeper in a person’s psyche? Let’s go through the inner workings of your brain to find out why you enjoy being terrified.
When we are scared, we get a release of dopamine and endorphins. This helps the body calm down and makes us feel more relaxed in a scary environment. Being scared is often known to bring you closer to the people around you, so if you are surrounded by people, you know it makes you feel like you have a safety net.
Being scared may even make some people feel good about themselves. There is no greater accomplishment then being able to get through a whole horror movie, or haunted house.
This feeling of being alive comes from the serotonin our body releases. It helps the brain work quicker and more efficiently, so putting yourself in a scary situation will result in an energy and mood boost.
Watching a horror movie may also keep you more alert. One reason for this is the amount of jump-scares to look out for. Freshman Mya Jeffas believes that jump-scares are the scariest part because, “you never know when they are coming.” This increased alertness causes peoples’ blood pressure to rise and this may even bring more oxygen into the muscles. While being scared, a person’s mind may be more focused. It helps remove other thoughts and keeps you focused on your surroundings, which is very important, not just in a scary environment, but also in everyday life.
However there are some people that don’t enjoy being scared. For example freshmen Christyna Tkatchov who hates being scared said, “It makes me feel uncertain. I do not enjoy it at all.” This is also a normal human reaction to being put in a scary situation.
Fear can teach us a lot about ourselves. It can show us how we react when faced with uncomfortable situations. It also shows how our minds and our bodies are all connected, and how our emotions can change based on our surroundings. Whether you love the adrenaline or choose to avoid being scared, fear is an important emotion that allows us to learn new things about ourselves and makes us feel more alive and alert.
