All Episodes

February 27, 2025 41 mins

In an era marked by global uncertainty, it’s natural to feel a sense of anxiety about the future. So, this week on Doing Well: The Wellbeing Science Insights Podcast, host Lu Ngo interviews behavioral scientist Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D. on how the practice of morbid curiosity can, unexpectedly, offer benefits to our well-being.

Based at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D. investigates the evolutionary and psychological underpinnings of our fascination with the darker side of life. Impressively, Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D. is in the midst of writing his first book on the science behind morbid curiosity and our fascination with horror, true crime, the paranormal, and other spooky parts of life. Slated for publishing by Penguin Random House, the book will dive into how enjoyment of scary entertainment is related to personality, mental health, and the evolution of our species.

In this episode, Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D. sheds light on the surprising connection between morbid curiosity and well-being, sharing that those who practice morbid curiosity wind up learning valuable lessons from their seemingly carefree experiences of visiting haunted houses or spiraling into a rabbit hole of apocalyptic films, leading them to rank highly in positive resilience during the pandemic.

Together, Lu and Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D. exchange ideas for how to practice morbid curiosity, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the endeavor. So, tune in this week for an eye-opening discussion chock full of evidence-based knowledge, entertaining personal anecdotes, and more!

Connect with Coltan Scrivner, Ph.D.’s social media on: Website: http://www.coltanscrivner.com/ and https://coltanscrivner.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MorbidPsych

Explore LMSL at https://lifemanagementsciencelabs.com/ and visit http://we.lmsl.net/ for additional information about Wellbeing Science Labs.

Follow us on social media to stay updated: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wellbeingsciencelabs  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellbeing.science.labs/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellbeing.science.labs/  LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/showcase/wellbeing-science-labs  Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeScienceLabs  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wellbeing.science.labs  

You can also subscribe and listen to our podcasts on your preferred podcasting platforms: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/doing-well-the-wellbeing-science-insights-podcast/id1648515329  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/63Gni7VN4Ca6IicSuttwQL Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7cd001d1-b7ba-4b22-a0f3-17c1a9c6e818/doing-well-the-wellbeing-science-insights-podcast   iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/338-doing-well-the-wellbeing-s-102890038/   Podbean: https://wellbeingscienceinsights.podbean.com/   PlayerFM: https://player.fm/series/3402363   Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/doing-well-the-wellbeing-scien-4914859  

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.