NORTH DAKOTA ( KXNET ) — Many Halloween activities are filled with things to trigger fear, but people still enjoy them.
Horror movies specifically have an even split between those who like them and those who would rather avoid them.
The leading question is, why do some people love scary activities while others hate them?
With horror movies, viewers know that what’s being played can’t hurt them, despite the experience being terrifying.
“When we think about triggers, we all come to our lives with a different story of experiences, and that’s a piece of it, but when we kind of pull the lens out a little bit more and take a look at all of our fears, they kind of fall into one of two buckets when we’re talking about an internal fear,” said Dr. Mary Poffenroth, a scientist and fear expert. “Either fear of not enough or fear of losing control.”
An example of losing control could be experiencing a jump scare. Another factor could be self-confidence.
“If you’re somebody that maybe is struggling with self-confidence … and [you’re] putting yourself into scary situations or scary movies or haunted houses like that, you may feel like that fear [of] not enough, of not being courageous enough or brave enough or tough enough,” said Poffenroth.
These feelings arise in the brain when a scary element is present, signaling to the body that there’s danger, even if that’s not true.
The rise of costs could impact your health insurance “In our brain, we have two almond-shaped structures, one on the left, one on the right, that we’re going to refer to as the amygdala,” said Poffenroth. “Even though the entire process is a little bit more complicated, in easier terms, it’s the amygdala that is going to be the driver of our fear response, and the amygdala works in an on-off switch, even though there’s a spectrum of intensity.”
The amygdala does two things: Signals if you’re in danger or signals that everything is safe.
“That amygdala can get turned on so easily in our modern world, and it’s super overprotective,” Poffenroth added. “It’s trying to get us to stay in the blanket cave as much as possible and not go out in the world because the world is big and scary — but that’s not truly living the life that we say that we want.”
Some people find an adrenaline rush when it comes to scary activities — feeling a strong sense of pride after overcoming something that was in their way.
“When we start to do scary stuff, and we overcome that kind of level or barrier, and then we level up, if you will — then we become more confident that we can handle bigger and bolder types of opportunities,” explained Poffenroth.
Sometimes, it’s personality that makes someone find enjoyment in scary things, which causes them to want to step out of their comfort zones.
“Sometimes that’s just a personality trait,” noted Poffenroth. “For me, I really enjoy pushing the boundaries of what I think I can do, what society says I’m allowed to do, and that’s just something I enjoy. When we overcome any obstacle, we not only feel better about ourselves, but we get those dopamine hits, and that reward center gets fired up. If we found it a positive experience, then we’ll want to do it more.”
Close Thanks for signing up!
Watch for us in your inbox.
Subscribe Now
Today's Top Stories
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KX NEWS.
Local News
Comments / 0