Join us for the Premiere on Youtube this evening, as we share our experience on a public investigation at Dudley Castle in the UK https://youtu.be/XrfBpSBYRxY

If fear was genuinely unpleasant in every way… none of us would be here. No horror podcasts. No ghost hunts. No haunted houses, no creepy castles, no late-night “why did I do this to myself?” binges of paranormal content with one eye covered by the doona! And yet — here you are. Voluntarily choosing to be unsettled. That’s not an accident. And it’s definitely not a flaw in your wiring. It’s your brain doing exactly what it was designed to do… just in a slightly mischievous, modern way. Fear is one of our oldest survival tools. And it is still a giant motivator! Long before it became entertainment, it kept us alive. A rustle in the bushes, a shadow where there shouldn’t be one, a sense that something isn’t right — fear sharpens attention, floods the body with adrenaline, and prepares us to act fast. Fight, flee, freeze. The classics. But here’s where it gets interesting. The same biological response that once saved us from predators is now being activated while we sit safely on the couch listening to a story about a haunted château or a poltergeist with a grudge. Your brain doesn’t entirely know the difference. When you hear a well-told scary story, your amygdala — the brain’s fear centre — lights up. Your heart rate increases. Your senses sharpen. Your body releases adrenaline, dopamine, and endorphins. It’s a chemical cocktail designed for survival… but experienced in a controlled, safe environment. That’s the key. Safe fear. This is what parents who ask us if their 10 year old can come on a tour fail to understand. There is a HUGE difference between SAFE FEAR and real fear. We've seen it when people have snuck in their under aged children into Maitland Gaol, one of our most haunted sites over the 7 years we were there and some times it was pretty devastating to see the fear in those kids eyes. Psychologists sometimes call this “benign masochism” — the enjoyment of negative sensations when we know, logically, that we’re not actually in danger. Roller coasters. Spicy food. Sad movies. Horror stories. We flirt with discomfort because the outcome is controlled.

Some moments from last night's tour, and ongoing discussion with son afterwards raised this question. Having recently lost a very much missed loved one, does this have any impact when investigating? If so, how? Is this something to be mindful of?

What makes you keep watching the youtubers who go out investigating? Do you have a special team that you watch and why?