Next week an age-old tradition—-with a plethora of new twists—will be celebrated—Halloween. Scary ghosts, goblins, and mechanical manipulations are already in action. I was in a local retailer recently and a big, ugly, scary creature jumped out at me. I wasn’t scared. I was in that department. I knew all the stuff was simply merchandise striving for my attention—and credit card. Fake fright merchandising has become a commercial staple; Here where I live, former malls, become staging arenas for strolls through ghastly, gruesome, grisly—quite realistic scenes—and long lines form. Some of these productions last for weeks.

Scary thrills range from roller coasters to horror houses—simplistic or spectacular—such are already cropping up to celebrate Halloween. Scary becomes Scarred—or scared to death. Medical science says a person can be scared to death, literally. Oh, you’ve probably said, “That nearly scared me to death!” But you’re still alive. This from Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials: (It is) caused by your brain’s fight-or-flight response occurring after physical or emotional stress.This is also called broken heart syndrome or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Stress-induced cardiomyopathy means stress has caused (most often temporary) dysfunction or failure of the heart muscle. “The symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack,” according to cardiac surgeon A. Marc Gillinov, MD

Many people enjoy being scared; they seek out—and gladly pay great sums of $$$ for horror movies, thrill rides, adventures that frighten. An article in 2924 Behavioral Health posits research that being scared can not only be fun but also good for you. Fear arises out of our flight-fight DNA. When threatened, or feeling threatened, our entire being leaps into the protection mode. That is good. It is basic survival.

Usually we are pretty sure we are safe when we put ourselves into scary situations, and those same impulses leap into action. I characterize it like the ubiquitous “Emergency Alert System” test that interrupts broadcasts. Here is one of those occasions when being scared can be a life-saving benefit. In such cases, being scarred can be—if not a benefit—well, a least is a blessing.

I see a paradox here. It is a little like the car I bought a couple of years ago; if I veered out of my lane, a signal beeped, if I failed to buckle my seatbelt, again, a beeping—and so on with safety signals. The fun of driving a car is interrupted when danger lurks. The alarm is for protection; in a word you are scared so you won’t be scarred! It harks back to the primeval flight-fight warning system that comes with your brain.

This Halloween let your fun only scare you—don’t let it scar you. We human beings are far more advanced than new vehicles that warn us of impending hazards; we can find both safety and fun in our daily encounters. The Psalmist virtually exulted over how magnificently and intricately God made us human beings.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2024