During Halloween, we play with fear, turning what is often considered a negative experience into a source of fun and amusement. This week on Psyche we are doing something similar, exploring our relationship with fear from a range of personal and professional perspectives. If you are an anxious person, you have a specific phobia that troubles you, or you’d simply like to be bolder and more adventurous in life, I’m sure you will find something to inspire you.

Among the highlights is a new Guide on how to overcome the fear of fear itself. In Ideas, we hear what Aristotle had to say about being courageous and ‘fearing well’, and neuroscientists tell us about their research into the intoxicating reward of avoiding your fears. There’s a Turning Point from an arachnophobe who formed a bond with a bathroom spider; a Video explainer on the terrifying experience of sleep paralysis; a Note to Self on a memory technique to help you face your fears with more confidence; plus much more.

As Seneca said – ‘we are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality’. I hope this Psyche themed week helps you calibrate your fears to match your reality. Happy Halloween!

The neural reward that makes avoiding your fears feel so good

We’re told that facing our fears can help us overcome them – but this misses the other intoxicating part of the equation

by Muhammad Badarnee and Mohammed R Milad

How to overcome a fear of fear

When you become afraid of your own reaction to perceived threats, it creates a vicious cycle. Here’s how to break free

by Nick Wignall

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