Q and A with JMU’s Lindsey Harvell-Bowman

Lindsey Harvell-Bowman, professor of communication studies and an affiliated faculty member in the department of psychology at James Madison University, studies how people cope with death anxiety and why we’re drawn to fear. As Halloween approaches, she explains the psychology behind why activities like haunted houses, horror movies, and ghost stories make us feel so alive. 

Q: How does your research explain why people enjoy fear or horror-related activities, like Halloween? 

In general, if we are scared but we survive, that is an adrenaline rush. And while being scared reminds us of death, it can also remind us that we can overcome that fear (and consequently death). We like to be scared because it reminds us of living. It makes us feel alive. 

Q: What’s one interesting or unexpected insight from your work that could help people understand their fascination with death or fear? 

One thing we know is that when we see something that reminds us of death, our immediate reaction is to push it away. In our research on flight anxiety and airplane safety messages, we found that that is one of the reasons why individuals may not pay attention (or recall) the safety messages played on airplanes prior to departure; we found that flight anxiety has the same psychological impact as death anxiety does. And, that is a bit terrifying, given the consequences of that fear (e.g., in-flight incidents with unruly passengers, airport shootings, etc.).  

Q: How might individual differences in anxiety or mortality awareness affect how people experience Halloween or horror-themed events? 

I think in America we have made Halloween a fun event. For children, I don't think they particularly think it's a scary thing - it's a time to dress up as your favorite superhero or princess. That makes sense, as children are not developed enough to contemplate their own death as we do as an adult. As adults, we take Halloween to a different level: we go to haunted houses where people chase us with chainsaws. Why? Because when we escape it safely, we feel alive. And that reminds us, either unconsciously or consciously, that while death is inevitable, maybe when faced with it (enter scary man with chain saw), maybe we can escape it and prolong death a little longer because we've done it before. The same kind of reasoning is also applied to scary movies.  

Q: If someone wanted to better understand the psychology behind fear and mortality, what’s a simple concept or takeaway you’d recommend? 

We fear death because we want to live. Charles Darwin argues that none of us would be here right now if we (and our ancestors) didn't have some desire to live.  

Q: What can people learn about themselves by engaging with themes of fear and death in a safe, playful setting like Halloween? 

Any time we engage in a scary activity, we learn things about ourselves and others that are with us during the scary event. Oftentimes, if we are really scared, it will have similar effects as near-death experiences, like a desire to be closer to our friends and family. Scary things can bring people closer together. We all know that the chainsaw man at the haunted house isn't actually going to kill us; it's a safe way to engage in fear without real consequences like death.  

Q: Any tips for celebrating Halloween in a way that’s fun but also safe for those sensitive to death-related thoughts? 

I think staying away from any of the violent pieces of Halloween and focusing on the fun pumpkin faces or the children dressed in fun characters is what I would recommend to anybody who has death on the forefront of their mind. Or, do not engage in the holiday at all and take a break. We are lucky that as humans in America, we can choose what we are exposed to.