What drives our morbid curiosity
Why do we love scary stories and films? Why are there so many true crime fans? We talk with psychologist Coltan Scrivner about our morbid curiosity.
Listen 50:26
(AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
‘Tis the season for ghouls, goblins, witches and ghosts. Halloween can be traced back to the Celts who marked the start of the cold, dark winter with bonfires, costumes and ritual celebrations to ward off the dead.
Coming up, why do we like to be frightened? Why do so many of us enjoy horror movies and roller coasters, devour crime stories and read fairy tales to our kids and grandkids. Our guest is behavioral scientist, Coltan Scrivner, who studies morbid curiosity, organizes zombie crawls and runs scary film festivals. He says scaring ourselves can have evolutionary and psychological benefits. It can even make us more empathetic.
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