Why haunted houses can be social equalizers
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Haunted houses are high-reactivity zones where jump scares are encouraged and yelling is allowed — a social equalizer for all who dare enter.
The big picture: Some enthusiasts with ADHD or autism may feel scary-good about haunted houses, says Greg Siegle, who is researching autism and threat reactivity systems at the University of Pittsburgh.
- They are places where people with ADHD or autism, who often find themselves masking their naturally big reactions, are free to let their emotions loose.
What they're saying: "Looking at the eyes of creatures and haunted houses is scary for everyone," says Siegle, who is autistic and a haunted house fan.
Haunted houses might feel freeing for those with ADHD, for additional reasons, he says.
- ADHD is characterized by an attention system that can flip from one thing to the next in a distressing way, making it hard to pay attention to one thing, Siegle tells Axios.
- But in a haunted house, a zombie might scream in your face and a bright light probably shows you where to go, so "your attention is going to be grasped," Siegle says.
- And after a haunted house, certain brain systems shut down "and all of the flitting that ADHD people do, that shuts down, and I think a lot of the experience of being ADHD might go away for a little while."
Yes, but: Reactions to horror can be different for everyone — and not every person with ADHD or autism will enjoy a haunted house.
Our thought bubble: Siegle's insight rings true for me — a haunted house lover with mild ADHD.
- The morning after attending Halloween Horror Nights, I interviewed Siegle and noticed that my usually all-over-the-place brain was much quieter, and I wasn't anxious about our interview.
- I also realized that the first haunted house I visited felt much scarier than the last one, suggesting that my brain got less reactive later in the night.
The bottom line: Siegle says society, in general, could learn from haunts how to create environments where all takers are on a level playing field.
