Halloween may be one of the scariest holidays of the year, but people seem to take delight in being scared in every season. What’s the appeal of ghost stories, horror movies, frightening novels, and things that go bump in the night? Experts have a few theories:
· We like the adrenaline. Fear has the same adrenaline-producing effect as excitement. It feels good. Scary movies, stories, and books are methods of releasing adrenaline in a controlled environment.
· Shared fear helps us bond. The “creeps” create social bonding. Activities like telling ghost stories around a campfire or watching a scary movie together allow us to form ties with strangers as well as family and friends.
· Horror helps us deal with real-life terrors. We can deal with the very real horrors of modern times by transforming them into fictional movies and stories in which the monsters and bad guys are always caught and punished.
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