Becca: I'll be in like a storage closet organizing something, doing something and someone will walk in and just say my name and I'm just so frightened. One tip that we're definitely learning is that you should avoid closets. We should not go into closets if there's anyone else around you within like a hundred foot radius. Margie: Well, I kind of like Becca. I have a pretty sensitive startle reflex and I am very quick to jump but I grew up really loving it.
Becca is 6-feet tall, bold and strong-willed. She’s also easily startled and paralyzed by fear — even a children’s haunted house can reduce her to tears. In this episode of How To!, we bring in sociologist Margee Kerr, author of Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear, to give us the lowdown on surviving scary situations. Can making fear more fun help Becca overcome her startle reflex in time for Halloween?
Do you have a problem that needs solving? Have you found the advice on our podcast helpful? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001.
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices