As we approach Halloween, do you ever wonder why some of us like to be scared? From toddlers to grown people, being a bit (or even a lot) scared is an enjoyable sensation for some of us, as long as there’s no real danger. Science has an explanation!

When you participate in frightening activities, the brain is manipulated into a series of chemical reactions that produce “feel good” sensations. Several simultaneous processes occur in the body when being scared:

• The fight or flight impulse is triggered, causing the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol, both stress hormones.

• The adrenaline in turn causes dopamine and endorphins to rush in—which produce the good feelings.

• The heart rate and blood pressure go up and goosebumps may even pop up.

• The senses are intensified and any physical process that doesn’t help with surviving the fear, such as digestion, is temporarily suspended.

Fear that you choose to experience—scary movies, haunted houses, Halloween costumes with bulging eyes, blood and guts, rollercoaster rides and so on—provide the adrenaline, endorphins and dopamine without the stress that comes with real danger. When you know it’s “fun” and not actually dangerous, you can experience a positive fear while still feeling safe.

Take the example of the rollercoaster ride. It’s perfectly acceptable to shriek and scream at the top of your lungs. During a regular day, there are many types of stressors, but it’s not socially acceptable to scream and react the way you might want. In this way, choosing to put yourself in a fear-inducing situation can be cathartic. You not only get the adrenaline rush with endorphins, you also get to behave in a way that “lets it all out.”  In fact, you’re expected to react in an extreme way. You can behave like a child when reacting to scary movies, too! The result is that your mood improves—so no wonder people like horror movies and ghost stories!

Successfully enduring something scary or spooky can be satisfying—if you make it through a haunted house or the rollercoaster ride, you’ve proven you’re “tough”. The emotions you feel when engaging with something scary are magnified when you’re with other people. That’s why scary movies make for a great group night—you can indulge in camaraderie to support each other.

Being scared shows you different aspects of yourself you typically may not notice. How do you respond to challenges? How do you handle anxiety? How careful or how brash are you? In some respects, how you respond to fear provides a mirror image of part of your inner self.

Happy Halloween! Remember, if all the ghoulish fun becomes too much, Nikken has an array of calming and balancing tools just for you, so you can relax with magnetic and tourmaline technologies—and of course, the Kenko Sleep System helps you rest after all that spookiness.

1 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-do-we-like-to-get- scared/#:~:text=Nonthreatening%20scary%20situations%20%E2%80%94%20like%20visiting,and%20do pamine%20in%20your%20brain.