Having never grown out of my childhood fear of the dark, I’m probably not the person you want by your side if things go a bit 28 Days Later.
But after learning about the potential benefits of fear exposure, I decided to try and build up my tolerance by visiting a bar where your heart rate sets the prices.
Halloween has come early to Clerkenwell, London, where The Kraken Rum has opened the “Shock Exchange” pop-up bar in the atmospheric catacombs.
The black spiced rum brand worked with Danish scientists at Aarhus University’s Recreational Fear Lab to design a “gauntlet of relentless horror” that punters must pass through to earn a beverage.
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With Daily Express colleagues Tara and Emily in tow for use as human shields, I braved the immersive horror experience.
Upon entry, we were fitted with heart rate monitors and made our way through a series of rooms filled with terrifying sights, eerie sounds and actors in monstrous costumes.
Professor Mathias Clasen, director of the Recreational Fear Lab, says fear “reduces people to their biological core”.
He adds: “Every neurologically normal individual is born with a fear system that tends to respond to relatively predictable things such as spiders, snakes, heights, deep water, darkness or social situations in which we are vulnerable.
“It was fun for us to share what we know about the physiology and psychology of fear for this experience, which is all about keeping fear down.
“The Kraken experience is about measuring heart rate which you can’t really control rationally.”
A creepy hospital room, demonic doll, hall of mirrors, and menacing figures that loomed out of the darkness were among the lurking terrors.
Our hearts began racing and our bodies prepared to trigger a fight or flight response as we stumbled over the uneven floor.
Your heart rate rises in preparation for an attack or other threat, Prof Clasen explains. “If you perceive potential danger, your whole system goes into alert mode with a range of predictable, swift, recalibrations in the body.
“One of those is increased heart rate, because you need to pump out a lot of energy to the big muscle groups so that you’re ready to run away or fight. It’s the nervous system preparing the organism for attack.”
Eventually we burst through the door to the bar, where our bravery (or lack of) decided how much we would have to cough up.
Tara came out on top, her heart rate rising by just 24 percent. This earned her the title of a “Bravest Beast”, 16th place on the night’s leaderboard and £3 cocktails.
Emily was slightly more spooked, with a 28 percent rise, and I proved my cowardly credentials with a 31 percent jump. We were dubbed “Strong Souls” and charged £5, narrowly avoiding falling into the “Wimps” category which would have seen us fork out £8 per cocktail.
As we made our way to the bar we were handed Kraken Adrenaline Shots – blood red beverages with a chilli kick, served in a giant syringe. After more than earning it, I calmed my nerves with a much-needed espresso rumtini.
Kraken’s Screamfest VII: Shock Exchange runs until Saturday.
