Why we love to be scared out of our wits

October is the month of Halloween. Even though we don’t celebrate it here in Kenya, our obsession with scary stories is universal.

Many of us enjoy popular horror movies like Us and Get Out as well as series like The Walking Dead. As children, most of us enjoyed the Goosebumps horror story books.

One reason we love horror is because it stimulates us, both physically and mentally. Believe it or not, the stimulation can be good, taking the form of excitement. When it’s bad, it takes the form of fear.

Both the positive and negative stimulations happen in our bodies. At the scariest moment, like a jump scare in a movie, adrenaline is released and surging energy produced in the body. That energy surge makes us feel good.

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Another reason is catharsis. We consume horror to purge ourselves of negative emotions pent up inside us. It’s like when you are angry and punch a pillow to feel better.

Or when people play violent video games to release stress. Once the release of the fear happens through various physical reactions, we feel good. All the negative piling emotions leave us along with the fear and anxiety—or at the very least they are reduced.

A third reason is that consuming horror gives us a sense of control.

Firstly, because the scary story is fictional, we can psychologically and physically distance ourselves from what is happening. So, we feel like it won’t affect so much.

Sense of justice

Secondly, we like the villain to be defeated. Although the bad guy doesn’t always lose in horror stories, the victim wins many times.

This gives us a sense of justice in an unfair world where the wicked often go unpunished.

The next time you enjoy a good horror story, don’t feel so guilty. At the end of the day, it’s just our weird way of coping with this crazy life.

Ms Otieno is a communication specialist and lawyer. [email protected].