With Halloween approaching, haunted houses are opening back up and people are lining up for a scary experience with their friends. But why is it a tradition to keep attending these haunted houses?
When people get scared, they often receive a short-lived sensation. This can be pinpointed to the neurotransmitters adrenaline and dopamine. “When we have adrenaline rushes, that’s a good feeling, it makes us more connected when we go with a group of friends,” psychology teacher Ann Berger stated.
Adrenaline is a chemical released by a person’s brain when they don’t feel safe. After finishing a haunted house, a wave of dopamine rushes through the body, which is why people are happy and laugh after they exit a haunted house. But an experience that is too intense can cause trauma and leave scars.
“I’m mainly looking to have a good balance of fun and a scary experience,” said senior Connor Schutte. Schutte and his friends attend many of the local haunted houses each year. Similarly, many local teenagers are drawn to the scarier haunted houses because of the excitement they feel during the experience.
However, some of the local haunted houses don’t meet the expectations teens hold. “It was a bit underwhelming,” said Schutte in a review of the QC Haunted Forest and Hayrack Ride. The Haunted Forest is popular with younger children as opposed to teenagers. If the experience wasn’t scary, there will be a small amount of “feel good” chemicals released and the experience will be less enjoyable.
Shock House and Factory of Fear are common places to visit around Halloween; both have a reputation for being the scariest haunted houses in the area. This draws attention from a big demographic of people in the Quad City area.
Some people are so eager for the thrill, they go to great lengths to please themselves. One haunted house in Tennesee, called McKamey Manor, is so extreme it was labeled as borderline torture. McKamey Manor has had reports of visitors’ teeth being pulled out, participants being waterboarded and SOMETHING. Despite the dangers of McKamey Manor, there are an estimated 27,000 people on the waiting list.
The reason people sign up for McKamey Manor can also be traced back to the brain. These people are rightfully labeled as ‘adrenaline junkies.’ The participants are addicted to the thrill of adrenaline. Their needs are rarely fulfilled, but McKamey Manor appeases their craving.
Though some haunted houses go to extreme measures, the tradition will remain. The excitement of the holiday tradition is consistent throughout all levels of attendants and for most, the local haunted houses meet their standards.
