Thrills & Chills: The Psychology of Fear
It's that time of year when we celebrate something we usually hate: fear. We visit haunted houses and corn mazes or binge-watch the scariest horror movies. But our relationship with fear is complicated. In its most primitive form, fear is about survival \u2014 it raises our heart rates, redirects our blood flow, makes us faster and fiercer, all so we can face \u2014 or escape \u2014 serious threats. In other settings \u2014 where there's no real danger \u2014 fear can feel exhilarating, fun, and exciting. It can serve as a form of entertainment, or even help us focus and perform better. On this episode, we look at fear and how it overlaps with other emotions. We hear stories about why we love scary movies, overcoming paralyzing stage fright, and what happened to one man who completely lost his sense of fear.
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