Why We Love to be Scared 為什麼人們喜歡受驚嚇?
For all of their stomach-turning(1) gore, horror films and haunted houses attract people in droves(2). This ability of the human brain to turn fear on its head could be a key to treating phobias(3) and anxiety disorders, according to scientists.
When people get scared, their bodies automatically triggers the "fight or flight" response—their heart rates increase, they breathe faster, their muscles tense, and their attention focuses for quick and effective responses to threats.
"It's nature's way of protecting us," said clinical psychologist David Rudd.
If the brain knows there is no risk of really being harmed, it experiences this adrenaline(4) rush as enjoyable, Rudd explained. The key to enjoying such thrills lies in knowing how to properly gauge(5) the risk of harm.
"Young children may overestimate the risk of harm and experience true 'fear.' When that happens you see the child cling to a parent and cry, convinced there's a very real chance of harm," Rudd told LiveScience. On the other hand, "adults may well scream but quickly follow it with a laugh since they readily recognize there's no chance for real harm."
This phenomenon also explains why people can enjoy skydiving(6), bungee(7) jumping and extreme sports.
"In these cases, those engaging in high-risk activities will tell you that the risk is lowered by their training and precautions(8)," enabling them to enjoy the experience, Rudd said. The key structure in the brain responsible for this effect is likely the amygdala(9), he added, which is key to forming and storing memories linked with emotions.
The ability to enjoy fear makes evolutionary sense, said environmental psychologist Frank McAndrew.
"We're motivated to seek out this kind of stimulation to explore new possibilities, to find new sources of food, better places to live and good allies," McAndrew said. "People enjoy deviations(10) from the norm—a change of pace, within limits."
1. stomach-turning：反胃的
2. drove：一大群
3. phobia：恐怖症
4. adrenaline:腎上腺素
5. gauge：估量 編輯:趙露) 無數的人們被那些令人反胃的血漬、恐怖電影和鬼屋深深吸引著。科學家稱人腦對恐怖事物的反應將是治療恐怖症和焦慮症的關鍵。
當人們受到驚嚇，他們的身體會自動啟動「鬥或逃」反應—他們的心率升高、呼吸加快、肌肉緊縮、注意力隨時準備快速有效地應對威脅。
臨床心理學家大衛·拉德說：「這是自我保護的自然反應。」
拉德解釋說：「如果大腦知道並不存在真正的危險，就會把這種腎上腺素大量分泌當作享受。享受恐懼的關鍵是知道如何準確估計受驚嚇的風險。」
拉德對《生命科學》雜誌說：「小孩可能會過高估計受驚嚇風險，感覺到真正的『恐怖。』這時候你會看見小孩緊緊抓住父母哭起來，認為真的有可能受傷。成年人雖然也會尖叫，但隨後意識到並沒有真正的風險的時候就會笑出來。」
這個現象也能解釋為什麼人們喜歡跳傘、蹦極和極限運動。
拉德說：「這時人們相信如果訓練有素、小心謹慎就能降低高風險運動的危險，於是他們很享受這個過程。大腦中負責這一反應的關鍵部位和杏仁核十分相似。杏仁核負責形成和儲存與情緒有關的記憶。」
環境心理學家弗蘭克·麥克安德魯說享受恐怖的能力是進化的表現。
「我們被此種需求驅使探索新的可能，尋找新的食物來源、更好的居住地和好的合作夥伴。人們在一定限度內享受非正常事物—一種節奏的變化。」
中國國際廣播電臺 譯
6. skydiving：跳傘運動
7. bungee：橡皮筋
8. precaution：防範，警惕
9. amygdala：扁桃體，杏仁體
10. deviation：背離，偏離