We like to watch documentaries about murders with a true crime theme, we go to scary houses to be scared, we watch movies with scary creatures, we wear creepy costumes and makeup on Halloween, we play horror themed games, we tell scary stories at camp, even in some countries crime scenes turned into museums There are even people who come to visit. In short, we have a strange curiosity and interest in things that we would never want to be involved in.

This interest of ours is an issue that has long puzzled scientists. This is evident from surprising research results our curiosity to experience fear, It extends deep into our evolutionary past! Moreover, it even benefits us. So how?

Darwin conducted an interesting experiment to investigate the phenomenon of attraction to fear.

Darwin put a bag containing a snake in a cage with monkeys at the London Zoo. One of the monkeys walked carefully to the bag, looked inside and He ran away screaming. Seeing this, another monkey walked over to the bag and did the same. Then another monkey, then another monkey, and then many monkeys did the same.

In Darwin’s definition, the monkeys had ‘satisfied their fear’. Moreover, this situation exists in most of the animal kingdom. For example, sometimes a weaker animal that encounters a predator becomes its killer. approaching the predator can look at it.

Overcoming scary events, games, experiences; It helps us meet the challenges that arise in the disturbing world we live in.

Our fascination with things that can harm us is the only way we can learn about the dangers we don’t face and practice our responses to them. gain calm, learning to adapt in the face of surprise and uncertainty; a fundamental evolutionary function.

By participating in games that simulate threatening situations, small mammals such as tiger and wolf cubs can quickly regain their mobility and emotional stability. That’s what people do too.

Let’s take a trip back to your childhood.

As a little child you saw your mother or father open their hands and arms like a monster. “I’ll catch you now!” Remember, he’s coming after you with a nice threat. There was pleasure in fear! The same goes for tickling, to which we are vulnerable. Under stress, To avoid being vulnerable to attacks We experience trying to maintain our motor controls.

Nowadays, increased safety measures for children increase anxiety among children.

Yes, safety is of course a good thing. However, we cannot ignore scientific facts. In recent years, exciting and frightening games for children have been abolished or safety has been increased in schools and parks. Anxiety that occurs in childhood It increases.

Excessive monitoring of children’s safety and hygiene, their ability to learn about themselves and skills to deal with scary/challenging situations it’s boring. Of course, safety should not be completely eliminated, but they should be given the opportunity to play games in which they can gain some independence.

To summarize…

The reason we strangely enjoy participating in events that scare us is that it is a way for us to cope with other frightening events in the world. “repetition mechanism”.

Moreover, not only we humans do this, but also animals. No matter how ‘advanced’ we are, our primitive instincts still exists!

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