Unexplainable This episode is haunted and spooky
10 snips
Oct 27, 2025 
Mathias Clasen and Marc Andersen, co-directors of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University, explore why people voluntarily seek fear through horror. They discuss how recreational fear helps people learn to cope with real threats and the intriguing Goldilocks principle of horror, which suggests that moderate fear is most enjoyable. Their research includes studying haunted house visitors to understand fear and enjoyment dynamics and even correlating horror fandom with lower distress during the pandemic. They propose new therapies utilizing controlled fear experiences.
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The Paradox Of Horror
- Matthias Clasen studies why people voluntarily seek out fear despite its evolutionary costs.
- He calls this the paradox of horror and pursued cross-disciplinary research to investigate it.
Haunted Fish Factory Study
- Matthias and Marc tested participants inside a real haunted house with actors, cameras, and heart-rate monitors.
- The experience was chaotic and bonding, including being forced through scares multiple times.
Goldilocks Zone Of Fear
- Their haunted-house data showed an inverted U-shape: moderate fear produced the most enjoyment.
- Too little or too much fear reduced enjoyment, suggesting a Goldilocks zone for recreational fear.
