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Murder Mystery

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and what this tendency reveals about our minds.
Duration
58m
Broadcast on
01 Dec 2025
Audio Format
other

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and what this tendency reveals about our minds.

In this episode, you'll learn:

*Why there's often a surge of interest in scary entertainment after a violent or tragic incident in the real world. 

*The potential evolutionary roots of our curiosity about scary events or violent stories.

*What researchers have found about the impact of scary movies and books on the people who watch them. 

*How horror content can be a vehicle for connecting with other people. 

*What we know about the personality traits of people who are drawn to dark and sinister stories. 

If you have a question or personal story related to today's episode that you'd be willing to share with the Hidden Brain audience, please record a voice memo on your phone and email it to us at [email protected]. Use the subject line "scary."  

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This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankhar Vedanta. We often think of the media we consume as food for the mind. The right books, the uplifting films, the inspiring podcasts, we believe that these will make us wiser, kinder, better people. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tse is supposed to have said, "Watch your thoughts, they become your words, watch your words, they become your actions, watch your actions, they become your habits, watch your habits, they become your character, watch your character, it becomes your destiny." By this logic, if we want to be good, kind, and ethical people, we should watch movies about good people, read books about kindness, and consume stories about high-minded individuals who always do the right thing. Glance at any list of best-sellers or movies that crush at the box office, and you don't see many high-minded plots and altruistic characters. Now, you find people who lie in cheat, family members who betray one another, friends who are not good friends. If we are what we consume, surely this does not bode well for us. Nowhere is this tension more acute than in stories of violence, gore, and killing, especially in horror movies. The goal of all the spattered blood, severed limbs, and blood-curdling shrieks is to make you horrified, not edified. If most of us want to be good people, what explains the enduring popularity of books and movies that show us not just the worst of human nature, but the worst that the human imagination can conjure. This week on Hidden Brain, and in a companion episode for Hidden Brain Plus, why we crane our necks to observe car crashes, endlessly gape at videos of natural disasters, and deliberately subject ourselves to tales of murder and mayhem. [MUSIC] Working as a dedicated fidelity advisor, I always ask, what's important to you? I'll look at those priorities and goals alongside your full financial picture to build a comprehensive plan designed to help grow and protect your wealth. With proactive portfolio insights and an eye on taxes, I'm here to help you make the most of your money. I'm Laura Maxwell, and I'm a dedicated fidelity advisor. Learn more at fidelity.com/wealth. Investment minimum supply, Fidelity brokerage services, LLC, member NYSE SIPC. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Pacific Life Insurance. You make promises throughout your life. For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has been helping you keep them by protecting those who matter most. Pacific Life, the power of a promise. Ask a financial professional how Pacific Life can help you create a more confident financial future. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska, and in New York, Pacific Life and Inuity, Phoenix, Arizona. Support for Hidden Brain comes from Land Rover. Even the boldest journey starts small with a single decision to go somewhere new. Purpose-built and courage-driven, the Defender 110 combines on-road presence with off-road capability. It looks tough because it is with a raised hood and an exterior engineered for durability. Inside, capability meets comfort with seating for five and the option for seven

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Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and what this tendency reveals about our minds.