Why is being scared so fun? - Margee Kerr

翻译人员: Zhao Harry 校对人员: Lan Yi

Somewhere right now, people are lining up to scare themselves,

此时此刻，世界上的某个地方，人们正排着队的体验恐惧

maybe with a thrill ride or horror movie.

或许是刺激的游乐设施，或许是恐怖电影。

In fact, in October of 2015 alone,

事实上，仅仅2015年10月这一个月期间，

about 28 million people visited a haunted house in the U.S.

美国就有近2800万人次选择到鬼屋寻求刺激。

But many consider this behavior perplexing,

很多人认为这种寻求刺激惊吓的行为令人费解，

asking the question,

他们提出了这样的问题：

"What could possibly be fun about being scared?"

“感受恐惧，寻求刺激有那么好玩么？”

Fear has a bad rap, but it's not all bad.

诚然，“恐惧”这个词名声不佳，但也并非全无是处。

For starters, fear can actually feel pretty good.

对于新人而言，恐惧确实是个有趣的东西。

When a threat triggers our fight or flight response,

当刺激活动引发了我们类似搏斗或飞行的反应时，

our bodies prepare for danger

我们的身体就会释放激素，改变大脑和身体的机能，

by releasing chemicals that change how our brains and bodies function.

以此来应对即将到来的危险或者说“恐惧".

This automatic response jumpstarts systems that can aid in survival.

这套自发的快速反应系统能够帮助我们更好的生存。

They do this by making sure we have enough energy

它通过关闭某些不必要的系统，

and are protected from feeling pain,

如批判性思维等来确保我们有充足的能量，

while shutting down nonessential systems, like critical thought.

从而保护我们，减轻或免除我们的疼痛。

Feeling pain-free and energized,

想想吧，当我们充分感受着恐惧或痛苦，

while not getting caught up in worrisome thoughts that normally occupy our brains,

大脑中却未充斥着真正身处致命危机时的忧患思绪，

that all sounds great,

这是多么爽的感受啊。

and it can be because this response is similar, though not exactly the same

而这是可行的，因为恐惧刺激产生的情绪和感受

to what we experience in positive, high-arousal states,

同那些常见的正向高唤醒情绪的反应大同小异，

like excitement, happiness, and even during sex.

比如激动、高兴甚至性行为。

The difference lays in the context.

他们的区别就在于处境不同，当真正身处险境时

If we're in real danger, we're focused on survival, not fun.

我们更多关注的是如何生存而非享受恐惧。

But when we trigger this high arousal response in a safe place,

但是当我们在安全的环境中尝试这种高唤醒情绪时

we can switch over to enjoying the natural high of being scared.

就能够全身心的去感受这种恐惧带来的纯天然“高潮”。

It's why people on roller coasters can go from screaming to laughing within moments.

这就是为什么人们在乘坐过山车时能够在瞬息间完成尖叫和大笑的转变。

Your body is already in a euphoric state.

我们的身体其实早已处于愉悦状态了，

You're just relabeling the experience.

我们只是在自我催眠，好像自己真的身处险境一样。

And though the threat response is universal,

研究表明，虽然这种这种“恐惧愉悦”现象十分普遍，

research shows differences between individuals

却仍会因个体的不同体现出些许差异。

in how the chemicals associated with the threat response work.

这种区别体现在激素刺激产生愉悦感的过程中。

This explains why some are more prone to thrill-seeking than others.

这就解释了为什么有些人更热衷于去寻求刺激，感受恐惧。

Other normal physical differences explain

另外的一些正常生理现象的区别则解释了

why some may love the dizziness associated with a loop-de-loop,

为何有些人喜爱转圈带来的眩晕感，

while loathing the stomach-drop sensation of a steep roller coaster,

却讨厌过山车带来的胃部翻江倒海的感觉；

or why some squeal with delight inside a haunted house,

为何有些人在鬼屋中兴奋的尖叫，

but retreat in terror if taken to an actual cemetery.

却不敢到真正的墓园当中。

Fear brings more than just a fun, natural high.

恐惧带来的不仅是兴奋和“高潮”。

Doing things that we're afraid of can give us a nice boost of self-esteem.

尝试挑战我们害怕的东西对于树立自尊自信益处颇多。

Like any personal challenge,

就像很多个人挑战一样，

whether it's running a race or finishing a long book,

无论是完成了一次跑步比赛，还是读完了一本篇幅很长的书，

when we make it through to the end,

当坚持到最后时，

we feel a sense of accomplishment.

我们都会很有成就感。

This is true even if we know we're not really in any danger.

这是事实，即便早已知晓我们并非真正身处险境。

Our thinking brains may know the zombies aren't real,

大脑告诉我们僵尸并不存在，

but our bodies tell us otherwise.

但我们的身体反应却并非如此。

The fear feels real,

恐惧的感受非常真实，

so when we make it through alive,

因此当我们挑战成功时，

the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment also feel real.

那种满足感和成就感同样真实。

This is a great evolutionary adaptation.

这是一种强大的进化与适应能力。

Those who had the right balance of bravery and wit

有些人能够很好的辨别鲁莽和智慧，

to know when to push through the fear and when to retreat

他们知道何时需要勇往直前，何时需要急流勇退，

were rewarded with survival,

而他们获得的奖赏则是“生存"，

new food,

新的食物，

and new lands.

新的栖息地。

Finally, fear can bring people together.

最后，恐惧还能提高人们的凝聚力。

Emotions can be contagious,

情绪是极富感染性的，

and when you see your friend scream and laugh,

无论你看到朋友在尖叫或大笑，

you feel compelled to do the same.

都会不自觉的想和他做同样的事情。

This is because we make sense of what our friends are experiencing

这是因为我们会再创情境，

by recreating the experience ourselves.

来使自己感受朋友正在经历的情绪。

In fact, the parts of the brain that are active when our friend screams

事实上，当我们看到看到朋友正在尖叫时，

are active in us when we watch them.

我们自身对应恐惧和尖叫的大脑部分也会活跃起来。

This not only intensifies our own emotional experience,

这不仅会加强我们自身的情绪体验，

but makes us feel closer to those we're with.

也会拉近我们与身边同伴的距离。

The feeling of closeness during times of fear

恐惧期间产生的亲近感是体内某种激素刺激产生的，

is aided by the hormone oxytocin released during fight or flight.

而这种激素和我们在搏斗或飞行时产生的是相同的。

Fear is a powerful emotional experience,

恐惧是种强烈的情绪体验，

and anything that triggers a strong reaction

任何引发这种强烈反应的刺激，

is going to be stored in our memory really well.

都会在我们的头脑中留下鲜活的记忆。

You don't want to forget what can hurt you.

你不会忘记那些会对你造成伤害的事物。

So if your memory of watching a horror film with your friends is positive

所以当你和同伴一起看恐怖电影的记忆十分刺激，

and left you with a sense of satisfaction,

并且带给你极大的满足感时，

then you'll want to do it over and over again.

你就会不断的期望再次尝试。