Muscles tensing, heart rate rising, heavy breathing, mind racing.

It’s around the time of year when scaring thrives, with haunted houses and scary movies galore. But why do people enjoy this kind of creepy entertainment?

“I think it is the arousal and people love the excitement of being scared,” psychology teacher Tony Borchert said. “Not only that, but people also get an adrenaline boost when scared.”

According to the Washington Post, when our bodies prepare themselves for a dangerous situation (the state fear puts us in), that is when we reach something close to a high. This is closely related to the flight or fight response, which has been our survival mechanism for generations.

“I have always liked haunted houses, I like to see if people can scare me and I enjoy getting scared because it is exciting,” senior Michael Palmer said. “It gets my blood rushing, and it is just plain fun to see what I can go through until I am truly scared.”

So, why do people enjoy being scared? Basically, when people get scared, their bodies release adrenaline which activates the flight or fight response. This can essentially cause a high, and for most, that is where the real excitement lies in getting scared.