Do you have a terrible hiccup? Are you bored at a sleepover? Whatever the reason, getting scared isn't that simple, but if you do it can be very exciting. To scare yourself you need to have a little creativity - you can't just stand in front of the mirror, scream and expect to be truly afraid. Whether you want to jump from fright or if you want to be terrified for a long time, with the right strategies you can scare yourself!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Make yourself "jump in fright"
Step 1. Watch scary videos online
If you want to "jump from fright" - that feeling of fear when something unexpectedly surprises you - the shocking "popup" and "screamer" videos have become very popular thanks to the internet. Usually, these videos show quiet images or contexts to make you feel calm and then suddenly surprise you with a terrifying appearance and a sudden noise. If you've never seen one of these videos, it's almost impossible not to get scared.
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Are you ready to terrify yourself? Here is a short list of videos to watch - some will frighten you, others a little less. Click at your own risk! For best results, watch videos alone, in the dark, with headphones and in full screen mode.
- Video 1
- Video 2
- Video 3
- Video 4
- Video 5
- Video 6
Scare Yourself Step 2 Step 2. Watch a horror movie full of twists
A good horror movie will put you in tension for a couple of hours. Invite friends over and watch a never-before-seen movie together - if you're lucky, you'll jump in fright several times in a single night!
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Below you will find a list of horror movies with at least one shocking twist:
- Insidious
- The Descent - Descent into darkness
- The Ring
- The Exorcist III
- The thing
- Audition
- Mulholland Drive (although it is not a terror film, at the beginning there is a very scary scene).
Scare Yourself Step 3 Step 3. Play a scary video game
If it once seemed impossible that video games were more terrifying than horror movies, things have changed; some modern games, in fact, are truly terrifying. Compared to movies, video games allow you to experience events firsthand - and since you can control the events yourself, it's normal to be completely absorbed in the story (and therefore more vulnerable). Some of the scariest video games ever are listed below (although the list is very extensive):
- Slender (Windows, Mac) (Free Download)
- Amnesia: The Dark Descent (Windows, Mac, Linux)
- Most Silent Hill video games (available for different platforms - see page [1] for more information)
- Five Nights at Freddy's and the sequel Five Nights at Freddy's 2 (for Windows and smart phones)
- Condemned: Criminal Origins (Xbox 360 and Windows)
Scare Yourself Step 4 Step 4. If possible, visit a haunted house
Towards the end of September or October (as Halloween approaches), you are more likely to find horror houses to visit in your area. Entering a haunted house can be a very fun experience to share with friends or with your partner (it can even be an original idea for a date if your girlfriend is in the mood too). If you are very brave, consider going alone - many haunted house managers are proud of their ability to scare the unfortunate in an original way.
If you go to a haunted house, be sure to follow the etiquette even if you are very scared. It's all about common sense, for example, not touching the actors, not spoiling the jokes and so on. Read the article How to Avoid Making the Actors of the House of Horrors angry for more information
Scare Yourself Step 5 Step 5. Ask a friend to play a joke on you
Consider the idea of asking for help from a trusted friend to scare you if you are willing to put your fate in the hands of another. Tell him that you wish to be scared in the next few days and that he has to make sure you don't expect it. Be careful though - prepare to be scared to death at any moment!
Scare Yourself Step 6 Step 6. Put yourself in situations of feigned danger
Some like it so much to be scared to the point of deliberately seeking activities that make them feel unsafe, but actually safe. Does this seem ridiculous to you? If you've ever been on a roller coaster, it's exactly the same! Below you will find some ideas for some safe activities that will make you feel like your life is in danger:
- Go on a roller coaster or other attraction on a playground.
- Stand near the railing of an observation deck of a very tall building.
- Rock climbing (indoors; with harness).
- Watch an exciting IMAX movie.
- Go to a flight simulator (often available at museums, or other specialized facilities).
Scare Yourself Step 7 Step 7. Deal with a phobia
Phobias are intense and irrational fears of certain situations or activities. In many people they tend to literally freak out about something more than others, however, only about 4-5% of the population suffer from clinical (medically relevant) phobias. If your phobia is moderate (and not extreme), consider facing your fear to feel an adrenaline rush. Do it only if in the past you have not suffered from fainting or anxiety attacks triggered by your phobia.
- Not sure if you have a phobia? The most common phobias include: arachnophobia (fear of spiders); ophidiophobia (fear of snakes); acrophobia (fear of heights), necrophobia (fear of dead things), cynophobia (fear of dogs) and claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces). If any of these things terrify you, chances are you have a phobia.
- Note that, unlike the other activities listed in this section, there is the slightest (however real) possibility that the latter will cause a feeling of persistent distress. People with severe phobias may even become paralyzed with terror if they try to deal with the fear directly. In these cases, the phobia represents a more serious problem for which it is advisable to seek adequate psychological support - and not use it just for fun. Read the article on how to overcome a phobia for more information.
Method 2 of 2: Get the Chills
Scare Yourself Step 8 Step 1. Make your surroundings dark and quiet
If you are looking for a prolonged feeling of fear that will keep you awake all night, you need to start setting the scene. Wait for it to get dark (or go somewhere with no light, like a cellar or basement) and eliminate all sources of noise. The ideal is to be able to hear small objects, such as a marble falling to the ground - in this way, you will be scared even by small noises that you would not normally notice.
- Darkness is an effective "terror amplifier" - that is, anything scary is even scarier in the dark. The philosopher William Lyons argues that the fear of the dark is not caused by the absence of light, rather by "not knowing what is hidden in the dark". Silence amplifies this effect - for example, if you feel a piece of furniture moving in the dark, it's only natural to assume there's a serial killer in your room!
- Similarly, being alone greatly increases the feeling of fear. If you are alone, in fact, no one will be able to help you in case of danger - a far from reassuring thought.
Scare Yourself Step 9 Step 2. Read ghost stories
Even though it may seem like a stupid and childish idea, getting absorbed in a good ghost story is a fantastic way to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation for some time. Horror stories can be quite light or completely terrifying - it's up to you to decide. Below you will find some suggestions:
- If you have time, try reading a classic novel or short story. Classics like Stephen King's The Shining and Edgar Allan Poe's Ligeia are famous for a reason.
- Do you want a faster reading? Search the internet for collections of horror stories, such as these. On the web you will find hundreds of stories of this type thanks to a simple search.
- If you want to read stories you've never heard before, try visiting sites like [2], where users share bizarre events they have experienced firsthand.
Scare Yourself Step 10 Step 3. Read the stories of paranormal phenomena that actually occurred
Don't make-up horror stories scare you enough? Try reading the authentic stories. There are plenty of examples in history of deaths, disappearances and worse still without a valid explanation, so they are genuine ghost stories. Reading these tales can be more terrifying than made-up ones - these things really happened and no one knows why. Here are some examples:
- The Dyatlov Pass accident: In 1959, nine hikers encamped in the Ural Mountains of Russia met violent death from unknown causes. It was established that their tent had been torn from the inside. Some victims had senseless injuries, such as burned hands and fractured skulls with no apparent cause. A high level of radioactivity was found on the clothes of some hikers. To date, no official explanation has been formulated.
- Elisa Lam: The lifeless body of a 21-year-old Canadian tourist, who has been missing for a month, was found inside a water tank located on the roof of a hotel in Los Angeles. It is not known how or why the girl entered the tank. Furthermore, the surveillance camera recordings show the victim behaving in a bizarre way in the elevator, leading to the formation of the hypothesis that Elisa was afraid of being possessed.
- The witch of the Bells: Apparently, this story inspired the movie The Blair Witch Project. John Bell, a man originally from North Carolina, moved to Tennessee in the early 1800s. Here he began to testify to several unexplained phenomena until his early death caused by an illness. It is unclear which aspects of John's story are true and which are fictional.
Scare Yourself Step 11 Step 4. Go "out of your mind"
When you start to get nervous, it amplifies the effect by putting yourself in a disturbing mental condition. Basically, imagine that what you see and perceive is "unreal" and that the world around you does not exist. To trigger the thought, try looking at your face in the mirror in a dark and quiet room for some time. At the end you should feel a strange sensation, as if "I was out of your head", a truly chilling experience, especially if you are already quite nervous.
Alternatively, try to think of things that are impossible to imagine by nature. For example, sit in a dark room and imagine what it feels like to be dead. Or, imagine you have eyes on all sides of your head. Doing these things will be impossible, but you should start feeling very paranoid and introspective
Scare Yourself Step 12 Step 5. Think about all the terrible things that could happen right now
When you are scared enough, keep the tension by imagining all the terrible things that could happen to you. Below you will find a short list with some ideas - but feel free to explore your darkest fears. Sweet Dreams!
- Right now, a serial killer could leap out of your closet and kidnap you!
- Are you starting to gradually lose your head at the idea of suffering from dementia … or do you already suffer from it?
- It is possible to die in your sleep without even realizing it and these would be your last thoughts.
- A nuclear war may already have broken out and you have a few minutes left before all of humanity is razed to the ground.
- The universe could collapse into thin air in a fraction of a second, without any alarm. Some scientists have long argued that the universe was created spontaneously from nothing.
Scare Yourself Step 13 Step 6. If you are too afraid, remember - you are absolutely safe
Do you think you have exaggerated and are now truly terrified? Don't worry - everything will be fine. You are not really in danger, you are just sitting in a quiet, dark room and scaring yourself. There is no monster in the closet and tomorrow, like every day, you will wake up in your bed. Take deep breaths and try reading the article How to calm down to change your mood.
Advice
Take a break between one terrifying episode and the next - putting too much stress on your nerves is not good for your health and can make your concentration more difficult
Warnings
- Remember: if you suffer from severe phobias, consult a psychiatrist before dealing with them on your own.
- Do not tempt fate, avoid dangerous activities, such as jumping off a building.
