Bloody Mary is just a game. Why are we still scared of it?

The Raven Man. Bloody Mary. The Elevator Game. These are a few of the hundreds of games or rituals you can find on sites like Reddit and 4Chan.

Directions for how to play usually include a plea for readers to never attempt these games because they have left people scarred for life.

What's the appeal of fear?

RadioActive's Morgen White and Charlotte Engrav explore this question by talking to a bookstore owner who specializes in the occult and a sociologist who studies fear. They even attempt a ritual themselves.

This story was created in KUOW's RadioActive Intro to Journalism Workshop for 15- to 18-year-olds, with production support from Annika Prom. Edited by Jim Gates.

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The RadioActive theme song is by Prod Riddiman, Fabian Hernandez and Inline Sound Design.