It’s that time of year again.
As pumpkin-spiced lattes hit high street coffee shops, fake cobwebs fill supermarket seasonal aisles, and Freddie Krueger makes a comeback at the multiplexes, Halloween is fast approaching.
With All Hallows’ Eve comes the inexplicable human desire to scare ourselves witless.
Except, of course, there could be an explanation after all. And it’s science that has the answer.
The fight-or-flight response is evolutionarily vital but doesn’t explain why we intentionally scare ourselves
Scientists don’t know exactly where in our brains fear comes from, but scary stories are likely to be as old as we are.
Potentially dangerous situations kickstart our bodies’ fight-or-flight response, which is a vital survival mechanism. Our brains work quickly to ascertain if the danger is real, and the best way to deal with it, and then store that knowledge for next time.
As human beings, we then pass this information on, sometimes in the form of scary stories or folklore. This is an important part of our shared cultural learning and, especially early in human history, would undoubtedly have saved lives.
The fight-or-flight process is a complicated one. Involving multiple areas of the brain, it begins in a bundle of neurons known as the “amygdala”, which messages the hypothalamus when something potentially scary occurs. This sends adrenaline coursing through our systems, giving us the energy boost – among other benefits – that we might need to combat the perceived threat.
But how does this system work when we put ourselves in a scary situation, like a cinema during a horror film, for example? Here, the scares are anticipated and no longer need to trigger a fight-or-flight response. So why would we put ourselves through it?
Campfire tales, scary movies, and live-action fright-fests tap into our subconscious fears
In August 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, killing 100,000 men, women, and children. It was a turning point in human history and a chapter that we’re still drawn to today (see the success of Christopher Nolan’s recent film, Oppenheimer).
However, rather than biopics about the leading Manhattan Project scientists, the cinema of the 1950s played on wider societal fears about nuclear power and the effects of radiation. This fear gave rise to Godzilla in 1954, followed by a spate of similar creature features.
Them! (1954), Tarantula (1955) and It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) are just three of the big hitters from that decade, featuring irradiated ants, spiders, and octopus, respectively.
Since then, the subject of our collective fears (not to mention the quality of the CGI) has changed. From the rise of technology in the 70s to serial killer films of the 80s, our desire to be scared remains. When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in early 2020, films and books about super-flus and contagions topped bestseller lists.
It appears that living out these scenarios from the safety of our homes and cinemas can help us to come to terms with these events, and even improve our resilience.
A little scare can be a good thing but be wary of going too far
Testing our boundaries, whether as children or adults, plays an important role in our development and ability to manage difficult situations.
Playing out a worst-case scenario can help us to make sense of it. This might be the threat of nuclear war, a deadly pandemic, or the rise of sentient robots.
This safe space allows us to take enjoyment from the body’s fight-or-flight response. Whatever you do for fun this Halloween, the key to your enjoyment could be maintaining just the right level of fear.
Pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone can cause the body to feel a good kind of fear, releasing endorphins and dopamine that can lead to elation. But straying too far from our comfort zones – or scaring ourselves too effectively – can have negative consequences.
Studies suggest that risky or scary play as a child can help to protect against anxiety, but too much fear in adulthood could act as a catalyst for it.
The problem is that everyone has their own level. This means that what might be harmless (if slightly scary) fun for you, could be petrifying for someone else.
Get in touch
We might not be able to protect you from A Nightmare on Elm Street, but if financial fears are keeping you from resting easy, be sure to get in touch.
Please email hello@globeifa.co.uk or call us on 020 8891 0711 to discuss how Globe IFA’s expert financial advisors can help. And happy Halloween!
