Go scare yourself! It's good for you

By Jen Christensen, CNN

Updated 0957 GMT (1757 HKT) October 28, 2016

"Christ in Limbo," painted by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch about 1575, told people what their fate would be if they didn't follow Christ. Today, Bosch may fascinate us for other reasons.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
"Christ in Limbo," painted by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch about 1575, told people what their fate would be if they didn't follow Christ. Today, Bosch may fascinate us for other reasons.
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This detail of hell from Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" triptych is admired for its painterly skill and may speak to us at a deeper psychological level.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
This detail of hell from Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delights" triptych is admired for its painterly skill and may speak to us at a deeper psychological level.
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"The Last Judgment" was painted by Giotto di Bondone on a wall of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Seeing scary images like this may give us a real rush of adrenaline.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
"The Last Judgment" was painted by Giotto di Bondone on a wall of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Seeing scary images like this may give us a real rush of adrenaline.
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We may love seeing zombies from "The Walking Dead" in part because we like to prove to ourselves that we can handle it.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
We may love seeing zombies from "The Walking Dead" in part because we like to prove to ourselves that we can handle it.
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Zombies from TV's "The Walking Dead" might also appeal because, when we watch the show with others, we can show them that we are tough enough to take the gore.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
Zombies from TV's "The Walking Dead" might also appeal because, when we watch the show with others, we can show them that we are tough enough to take the gore.
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After a real murder in Wisconsin, researchers observed that more people chose the movie "In Cold Blood" over a Disney film when both played nearby.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
After a real murder in Wisconsin, researchers observed that more people chose the movie "In Cold Blood" over a Disney film when both played nearby.
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Researchers say you should never force a child to visit a haunted house, particularly if they can't tell the difference between what is real and what isn't.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
Researchers say you should never force a child to visit a haunted house, particularly if they can't tell the difference between what is real and what isn't.
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Children traumatized by horror films, like the "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," or by haunted houses may avoid them for life.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
Children traumatized by horror films, like the "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," or by haunted houses may avoid them for life.
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Some people like seeing Freddy Krueger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" because they feel a sense of calm and happiness when the movie is over.
Photos: Why we love to scare ourselves silly
Some people like seeing Freddy Krueger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" because they feel a sense of calm and happiness when the movie is over.