Addicted to true crime, death and dark events? New research aims to find out the reasons for this.

For those of us addicted to true crime podcasts, dark tourism, or visiting cemeteries on vacation, a recently published study examines why we are the way we are. People love “grim events,” and as it turns out, a handful of different social and scientific factors cause our brains to desire them.

In a current study published in Annals of Tourism ResearchResearchers James Kennell and Metod Šuligoj explain why people are attracted to these organized events that are associated with death, disasters and suffering.

The term “dark events” has its roots in the development of dark tourism research over the past three decades. Originally used to describe commemorative events, it has come to encompass a wide range of activities, from Day of the Dead-themed hospitality events, true crime and murder tours, to immersive horror experiences and reenactments of historical battles.

Simply put, more and more people are seeking such experiences. So Kennell and Šuligoj decided to investigate why this was the case. However, they immediately realized that the current literature on this topic was rather sketchy.

According to the study, current research on dark events is limited because it primarily focuses on dark tourism.

“For this reason,” the authors write, “the literature overemphasizes the importance of travel and its economic and social impacts and fails to address grim events that would be worthy of investigation in their own right.”

To put it simply, most studies on this phenomenon rely on tourist engagement, spending and interest rather than the Dark Event itself.

Second, previous research has been based almost exclusively on case studies, meaning that few have attempted to link grim events through common characteristics or similarities.

To address this issue, Kennell and Šuligoj developed their new framework using theory synthesis. This method involved reviewing the literature and identifying key concepts from thanatology, dark tourism, dark leisure, and collective memory.

Due to its influence on dark tourism research, thanatology, the study of death and dying, was chosen as the domain theory. The methodological theories of dark tourism, dark leisure and collective memory were used to gain additional insights into the empirical study of dark events.

The researchers identified several themes that influence our increasing interest in death and grim events, and emphasized that all of these factors play a role in the increasing popularity of these topics.

First, the researchers address the simple fact that dark events can and will be commercialized. Economic aspects of dark events can be lucrativeand resources are spent promoting and advertising them to consumers. People like dark events because there is a market that sells them and we like to buy them.

Second, researchers focus on the political and social use of dark events to reinforce dominant cultural ideologies or create “contested memories” in complex political contexts. such as the reenactment of historical battles to make one side appear more honorable than the other, or events commemorating war victories.

The study also addresses the simple fact that some people simply explore their deviant side and appreciate the often darker and more violent nature of humanity. The study cites the popular “deathfests” that take place around the world, celebrating the dark and heavy metal scene and associated culture. In this context, the researchers also explore the fact that dark experiences that fall outside the hedonistic vein of deviant behavior can also represent a type of social or cultural catharsis, revisiting old hurts in an attempt to put them behind them.

Finally, the study deals with death itself and life in its presence, whether actual or symbolic, as well as the impact on the individual and the meaning he draws from these experiences.

“The fascination with dark events stems from a complex interplay of curiosity, thrill, cultural traditions, psychological exploration and the desire for communal and shared experiences,” explains study co-author Metod Šuligoj from the University of Primorska in Slovenia. “These events allow people to engage with issues such as death, disaster and suffering in ways that are meaningful, educational and sometimes transformative.”

The study concludes that, aside from the obvious need for further study, dark events encourage our self-reflection regarding our own mortality and that people often experience unique emotions when engaging with the subject. For some, they are transformative and for others, they can be arousing. In addition, they are commercially successful and, although there are ethical concerns about the commercialization of death or suffering, this does not stop the public's desire for more dark events.

“People are fascinated by dark events for a variety of reasons that are rooted in psychological, cultural and sociological aspects of human behaviour,” explained study co-author Dr. James Kennell of the University of Surrey in a press release“There is a natural human curiosity about the darker aspects of life, including death, tragedy and the macabre. Dark events often provide people with a safe and controlled environment to explore these themes.”