Why Do We Like to Be Scared?

It was a chilly October night in New York City as my friend and I approached the stone building. A host of horrifying figures surrounded the entrance: a bloody clown, a ghostly woman in a white gown, a masked man holding a chain saw. 

Did we turn and run? We did not. This was a haunted house, and we were there with one goal: to be utterly and completely terrified. 

My friend and I are far from the only people who enjoy being frightened. Each fall, hordes of Americans pay good money to visit haunted houses. Others watch horror movies or share bloodcurdling tales. 

Yet fear is the body’s way of signaling that we’re in danger, and humans are generally wired to avoid frightening situations. So why do we sometimes seek them out?

We all know the sensation of being frightened—think of the chill that runs down your spine when you’re home alone and a floorboard creaks. But fear is more than just a feeling. It’s part of a complex biological reaction that takes place in your body when you’re confronted with a potential threat. 

It works like this: Sensing danger, your brain releases a flood of chemicals that cause your heart rate to increase and your blood to pump faster. You breathe more quickly, boosting your body’s oxygen supply. As a result of these physical changes, you become stronger, quicker, more alert. 

This response is called “fight-or-flight.” It’s a survival tool that was essential for our early ancestors, who regularly faced grave threats: venomous snakes, saber-toothed cats, spear-wielding enemies. Without the ability to quickly react—by fighting them off or running away—humans would likely have died out long ago. So our brains developed a powerful response to any sign of trouble. 

This automatic reaction is so strong that it can be triggered even when we know we’re not really in danger—like when we’re watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? or reading a creepy story, like “The Monkey’s Paw.”

It’s in situations such as these—when we’re certain that we’re safe—that fear can be fun. That’s in part due to chemicals released during fight-or-flight, says fear researcher Margee Kerr. When we don’t have to worry about real danger, those chemicals can create a feeling of exhilaration, as though we can take on anything.

“Choosing to do something that’s scary, but ultimately safe, lets you feel like you have accomplished something,” Kerr explains. And that feeling gives us a confidence boost.

Being with friends can also help make a scary experience fun. During fight-or-flight, our brain releases oxytocin, a chemical that promotes bonding. That’s why going on a terrifying roller coaster with a friend can make you feel closer. Plus, seeing a friend laugh on a stomach-twisting plummet encourages you to laugh too—even if you felt apprehensive when you first got on. All that can turn a hair-raising ride into a wonderful memory.

So if being scared can be fun, why isn’t everyone a fan of haunted houses and creepy stories? For one thing, the fear response differs from person to person. Research shows that some people’s brains release larger amounts of a feel-good chemical called dopamine when they become frightened. This may explain why some individuals enjoy being frightened more than others.

Our past experiences play a role as well. If you watched a terrifying movie when you were too young and hated it, for instance, you may never like horror films. And that’s perfectly fine. 

For fear to be fun, you must have choice and control over the experience, Kerr says. 

“Watching a scary movie because you were pressured into it is not going to be fun. It’s OK to say no,” she adds.

As for my friend and me, visiting the haunted house was something we wanted to do. When we emerged, our hearts were pounding and we were hoarse from screaming. But we were also smiling. We had just been scared out of our minds, and we had never had more fun.

^{This article was originally published in the October 2022 issue.}