Bored Panda got in touch with Frank T. McAndrew, Ph.D., a psychologist, professor, and essayist to learn more about why certain things fascinate and scare us at the same time. Seeing that it was just Halloween, we were curious to discover if we were more inclined to be frightened at certain times of the year.

“At Halloween, we are continually reminded by the decorations on houses and in stores as well as by the movies that are featured to think about spooky things. So yes, at this time of year the morbid and the creepy is in our thoughts more than at other times of year,” he shared with Bored Panda

Some people actively enjoy seeking out the morbid and spooky and seem to like the emotions associated with it, so we wanted to know what is the psychology behind that. “We are drawn to things that scare us (as long as we know they are not "real") because we can learn from them,” Frank T. McAndrew shared. 

“We can mentally rehearse strategies for dealing with possible future encounters with terrifying people and places, and we also learn some things about ourselves. What scares us the most? What are we prepared to deal with and what will simply be too much for us?” In a sense, just clicking on this article could have been your way of answering these questions. 

Lastly, Frank T. McAndrew explained some of the mental reasoning our brains might have when seeking out the creepy. “This self-knowledge can guide us toward and away from situations in a way that will be most beneficial to us.” You can find more information about Frank as well as his essays on his blog. 

Bored Panda also got in touch with Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist and expert on the morbid. We asked if Halloween in particular can cause some people to be more interested in this content. "People feel like it's less taboo or weird to be interested in creepy things around Halloween, so you see a lot more people acting on that interest around this time of year."

At the same time, we also wanted to know why some folks are so attracted to the morbid and seek it out. "Some people seek out experiences that make them feel scared because they enjoy the adrenaline rush," he shared with Bored Panda.

"Others enjoy the feeling of overcoming their fears when they experience safe instances of fear, like a horror movie or haunted house attraction. Some people even enjoy scary experiences because those experiences actually help them overcome the anxiety they may be facing." You can find more of Coltan Scrivner's work on his blog.