Thrill Seeking Introduction

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Halloween in many western countries is a festival that celebrates the spooky, ranging from whimsical depictions of the supernatural to very serious haunted houses intended to frighten. Similar festivals for the dead in other cultures can also range from lighthearted to solemn, with intentions of memorializing or protecting the living from the dead. While ceremonies and festivals can be aimed at keeping the spirits of the dead happy or showing them the path to the afterlife, they also serve a purpose for the living- memorialization and coping with loss.

Scary movies and video games are popular forms of media, and have been for decades, thrilling and shocking audiences worldwide. Research shows that movies, video games, and even decorations in a yard can create genuine feelings of fear, as if the viewer was part of the experience they see simulated (Strohl, Bantinaki, Lowenstein 2012), so why do we enjoy them so much?

- Sonja JOhnson