The Why Files

Why We Like to be Scared

Humans are weird animals. Sure we're terrified of ghosts, monsters, snakes, spiders and all kinds of other things; both real and imagined. That's normal. Healthy, even. So why do we actually ENJOY being afraid by experiencing these things on purpose. There is a science of fear that explains why being frightened can be fun, at least for some people. Enjoying fear seems like a contradiction, but horror movies are a billion dollar business. And throw in horror TV, and horror gaming? That's billions more. Halloween spending is about 8 billion a year. And roller coasters? The scarier the ride, the longer the line. So we are definitely fascinated by being afraid. Let's find out why.