Benefits of Scaring Yourself for Fun
Whether it’s a roller coaster, a haunted house, or a horror movie, people love to scare themselves for fun. It may sound strange, but it turns out that making yourself feel fearful actually provides some pretty good perks.
In this TED-Ed YouTube video, Margie Kerr , a sociologist who studies fear, explains what happens to your brain when you are scared for fun. It turns out that fear is actually very beneficial if you can control the dose. Here are some reasons why:
- Fear seems good: your brain’s fight-or-flight response system puts you into an agitated, painless state of complete mental presence. Since you know that you are not in danger, you can enjoy the “high” of fear. It’s like being really happy, horny, or even sexually aroused.
- Fear can boost your self-esteem: Overcoming something that you think is intimidating has the same effect on your brain as doing any other task, like taking a run or completing a long book. You did it, you survived, and you feel successful.
- Fear unites people: we understand what other people experience in high emotional states, recreating this experience on our own. If your friend is scared and screaming, you will want to match his mental state and scream too, and this can create a bond for you.
That’s all. Being scared in a controlled environment is not only fun, but also beneficial for you and your relationship.
Why is it so much fun to be afraid? | Youtube