Often regarded as an emotion to be avoided, fear may have some unexpected positive aspects. In fact, a Danish study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity claims that recreational fear can have a positive effect on inflammation.
Researchers at Aarhus University came to this surprising conclusion after conducting an experiment involving 113 participants who visited the Dystopia haunted house in Denmark, wearing devices to monitor their levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).
This compound is produced by the liver in response to inflammation in the body. The concentration of hs-CRP in the blood increases rapidly in the presence of infection, injury or chronic inflammatory disease.
The scientists also took blood samples from the volunteers before, just after, and three days after their visit to the haunted house to analyse the evolution of this biomarker.
At first glance, they found that the level of inflammation did not vary significantly in any of the participants. But on closer inspection, an intriguing trend emerged: participants with mild inflammation prior to the start of the experiment saw their hs-CRP levels decrease significantly within three days of their visit to Dystopia.
In addition, the research team observed an overall reduction in the number of immune cells in all participants, potentially indicating a calming effect on the immune system. “Our findings suggest that recreational fear might help the body recalibrate immune responses,” the researchers explained.
In other words, this emotion is potentially beneficial to the body: recreational fear could have a regulating effect on inflammation, comparable to that of cold exposure, for example.
“This and prior research may be revealing a potential structural connection in the relationship between mental states and inflammation,” the experts wrote. “While anxiety appears linked to low-grade, chronic inflammation, fear may be associated with the peak and subsequent resolution of inflammation.”
However, the researchers stress the need for further research, given the methodological limitations they encountered in their study. Nevertheless, the findings are encouraging: in the future, perhaps doctors might prescribe a visit to a haunted house or a horror-movie night for patients with chronic inflammatory diseases!