Professor Peter Kinderman returns to the podcast to discuss why we like to be scared. With Halloween around the corner, people are flocking to horror films and preparing ghoulish costumes. But why do we do this?
For children the answer is easy, the candy. But for adults, our attraction to things that frighten us is a bit more complicated. One in six people in the UK experiences either anxiety or depression each week. And yet while many struggle with inner demons, they are also attracted to the macabre and the terrifying. It seems like a paradox but Peter Kinderman says taking part in Halloween traditions can be therapeutic.
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