October 6, 2025
Telling stories is a way of tuning into the human experience, and I think this is the truest of spooky tales.
Sharing stories is how we get closer to others; we seek understanding as naturally curious creatures. So, what can we do with experiences we don’t understand? We work through them in the theatre of the mind, where the unknown lurks. As a child, I was obsessed with Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, and he really said it best, “There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man…It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone”.
Some may not understand the appeal of being scared on purpose. But creating a safe space to allow yourself to be scared can help your mind learn to handle fear. And sharing the experience of a scary story with a group can also help with bonding! Oxytocin is a hormone released in times of stress, and it helps with building feelings of attachment and trust.
Many spooky tales also have an important cautionary lesson and end with hope. We can all empathize with making a mistake or going through a difficult time. Dark and strange tales remind us to keep going, to keep fighting until dawn finally breaks.
If you’re looking for a way to build your relationships with the help of releasing oxytocin, share these great spooky tales with your family and friends!
From the Story Center Collection:
Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadio Hearn
More Ghosts, Ghosts, Ghosts edited by Helen Hoke
Which Was Witch? Tales of Ghosts and Magic from Korea edited by Eleanore Myers Jewett
Spooky Anthology Shows
Twilight Zone Essential Episodes
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 1
Creepshow (Season 1, 2019 series)
Looking for a fun spooky event? Join The Story Center for a visit from Lawrence, Kansas-based author Rachel McCarthy James for a discussion of her new nonfiction book, Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder, a brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history. Register now!
Just as foundational is our need of scary stories, and I hope you will check some out this holiday season at whatever fright level you are comfortable with. Happy Halloween!
Simaran Singh
Story Center Associate
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