Scary Facts
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* What scares us? A random sampling of 15 Los Angeles-area adults comes up with: rats, mice, freeways, reckless drivers, sharks, death, the devil, snakes, flying, tests, needles, cockroaches, cemeteries, dark alleys, accident victims and ticks.
* According to a 1990 Gallup poll of 1,236 adults, 1 in 4 believes in ghosts; 1 in 4 also believes he or she has had a telepathic experience.
* According to the experts, people who like to scare others are probably getting an adrenaline high from all that power, what with people shaking in their boots.
* People who like to be scared might be trying to conquer a long-term fear. Then again, they might just be excitement seekers. Asked what scares her, one woman replied, “The shower scene in ‘Psycho.’ I’ve seen it 20 times.”
* To reduce intense fears in patients, mental health professionals sometimes use repeated--and gradual--exposure to the thing that scares. It is important that the patient be in a relaxed state.
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