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The Dark Attraction: Why We're Drawn to Death, Crime, and Danger

clock11 min

Why can't we look away from true crime? Explore the psychology behind our morbid fascination through Coltan Scrivner's research, Andrew Huberman's neuroscience, and Ernest Becker's 'Denial of Death.' Discover how this seemingly dark attraction serves evolutionary purposes and why women are twice as likely to consume true crime content.

The Dark Attraction: Why We're Drawn to Death, Crime, and Danger
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How This Personalized Podcast Was Made

This podcast was created using BeFreed’s AI, based on selected books, the creator’s learning goals, and their preferred tone.

Huberman Lab Podcast
link
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/tools-for-managing-stress-and-anxiety
You Only Die Once
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/you-only-die-once-by-jodi-wellman
The psychology of evil
link
https://www.english-video.net/v/en/272
When Fear Is Near: Threat Imminence Elicits Prefrontal–Periaqueductal Gray Shifts in Humans
link
https://authors.library.caltech.edu/records/ck2a7-59059/latest
Modern Wisdom
link
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-modern-wisdom-30936734/episode/984-coltan-scrivner-why-290476123/
The Psychology of Curiosity: A Review and Reinterpretation
link
https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/american-psychological-association/the-psychology-of-curiosity-a-review-and-reinterpretation-cYHOqWFlEo
The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2032856.The_Gift_of_Fear
True‑crime podcast listening in the U.S.
link
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/20/true-crime-podcasts-are-popular-in-the-us-particularly-among-women-and-those-with-less-formal-education/
Social learning of fear
link
https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/social-learning-of-fear
The Sweet Spot: Suffering, Pleasure and the Key to a Good Life
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60572585-the-sweet-spot
Captured by True Crime: Why Are Women Drawn to Tales of Rape, Murder, and Serial Killers?
link
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550609355486?journalCode=sppa
The Science of Fear: How the Culture of Fear Manipulates Your Brain
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6499771-the-science-of-fear
The Denial of Death
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2761
The Wisdom of Psychopaths
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414641-the-wisdom-of-psychopaths
Hidden Brain
link
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/beyond-doomscrolling/
What Makes Online Content Viral?
link
https://www.citedrive.com/en/discovery/what-makes-online-content-viral/
The psychology of morbid curiosity: Development and initial validation of the Morbid Curiosity Scale
link
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886921005183
The Worm at the Core: On the Role of Death in Life
link
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26244923-the-worm-at-the-core
How good are you at calculating risk?
link
https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-likely-is-a-shark-attack-gerd-gigerenzer
Huberman Lab Podcast
link
https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-to-increase-motivation-and-drive
The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain
link
https://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain/1000
The behavioral immune system (and why it matters)
link
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/the-behavioral-immune-system-and-why-it-matters
Bad is Stronger than Good
link
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/bad-is-stronger-than-good-2
With the End in Mind
link
https://www.befreed.ai/book/with-the-end-in-mind-by-kathryn-mannix
Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World's Most Savage Murderers
link
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20344666
The Psychology Podcast
link
https://omny.fm/shows/the-psychology-podcast/the-science-of-morbid-curiosity-w-dr-coltan-scrivn
The Paradox of Pleasurable Fear
link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33339736/
Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States
link
https://sciencesources.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1051784
Playing With Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror
link
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7734554/
The True Crime Consumer Report
link
https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-true-crime-consumer-report-by-edison-research-and-audiochuck-debuts-at-podcast-movement/
The Pandora Effect: The Power and Peril of Curiosity
link
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27000178/
Doomscrolling dangers
link
https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/doomscrolling-dangers
Learning fears by observing others: the neural systems of social fear transmission
link
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2555428/
Modern Wisdom
link
https://www.tapesearch.com/episode/552-dr-kevin-dutton-understanding-the-wisdom-of-psychopaths/2yK6iyqAgDp4hE2ddwDbQM
Why Horror Seduces
link
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34927466
Negativity drives online news consumption
link
https://nyuscholars.nyu.edu/en/publications/negativity-drives-online-news-consumption
What fear can teach us
link
https://www.english-video.net/v/en/1637
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Input question

Why are we so fascinated by true crime and dangerous things?

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@Matt, YC alum
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likes108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
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comments254
likes17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
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comments37
likes483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
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"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn
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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA
platform
comments12
likes117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw
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"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum
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comments12
likes108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC
platform
comments254
likes17

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore
platform
starstarstarstarstar

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful
platform
comments96
likes4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP
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"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon
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comments201
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke
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"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn
platform
comments37
likes483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu
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