While there’s an inclination for one to banish – or at least chase away – one’s fears in real life, when it comes to getting a little tingle in front of a screen, most people don’t tend to mind.
The popular appeal of such sensations is reflected in streaming platforms’ ratings, with the horror series “Stranger Things” on Netflix, for instance, having surpassed one billion hours of viewing.
Without going so far as to talk about therapy, the experience of scaring yourself by watching the latest episode of “American Horror Story” or reading Stephen King on your sofa can help you overcome your anxieties. This is the concept of “recreational fear” described in the book “Le jour où j’ai apprivoisé ma peur” (“The day I tamed my fear”), by French psychologist Amélia Lobbé.
Recreational fear is fear that is intentionally sought – a mix of terror and fun. Lobbé takes care to differentiate between two types of recreational fear: those lived via real-life adventure, and those experienced through consuming fictional material such as movies, TV shows or novels.
In the first case, there is a risk of an accident, no matter how small. Parachute jumping, surfing, bungee jumping… there are a host of extreme sports that can put a person in danger.
In front of a book, there is essentially zero risk. It’s much easier to watch a terrifying movie than to sign up for an adventure sports session.
According to the psychologist, anxious people “usually have a lot of imagination and have a tendency to imagine the worst”. These activities allow their anxieties to take a material form, while providing ideas for solutions to get out of these situations.
“The goal is not just to scare yourself gratuitously,” Lobbé says. “Having extraordinary experiences as part of recreational fear allows you to acquire skills that can be transferred to other situations. This can help in launching a project, asking for a raise, or speaking in front of an audience.
“These are all everyday activities, but they require courage.”
An addictive sensation?
Experiencing fear triggers hormones to be secreted. Adrenaline increases the heart rate, causing physical reactions such as sweating and dilated pupils. The stress hormone, cortisol, causes muscles to tense.
“Even on the couch, the body gets ready to take action in real life,” Lobbé explains. The effects are the same whether for a TV or movie or reading a book.
When a person knows they are safe, the brain secretes endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. “The combination of circumstances results in a state of excitement and pleasure, all without danger. That’s what makes people addicted,” she says.
It’s important, however, to be careful that the experience doesn’t turn sour. “If your heart beats too fast, if you feel too stressed, the result will be counterproductive. Scaring yourself is not a therapy in and of itself,” Lobbé cautions, while emphasising the benefits of using this approach with a health professional.
“Faced with a phobia, there are different stages before confronting it, you have to expose yourself to your fears, first mentally and then physically. After a while, you get used to it. That’s how you overcome your fears.”