Denver Haunted Houses Are Not For Everyone

What is it about Halloween that transforms ordinary people into seekers of anything dark and unknown? Cemeteries at night, horror films by the dozen or one of the most popular and oldest traditions – the Denver haunted houses!

Denver haunted houses are defined as buildings that are the center for supernatural occurrences or paranormal phenomena. A house is said to be “possessed” or “haunted” when Satan or ghosts take up residence. Some cases involve otherwise normal people hearing strange noises or having visions of dead people or of objects moving with no visible means of locomotion. That is the type of illusion that most actors, animatronics, sound, lighting and other special effects bring to today’s haunted house making them such excellent scary venues. It is estimated that there are over 3,000 Denver haunted houses operating every year.

A haunted house should terrify, mystify, shock and disorient its patrons and then let them laugh at their own fears upon exiting. Fear is one of the strongest emotions a human being can experience. There are two basic types of fear good Denver haunted houses can generate; first, the “boo” scare. This is the cheapest but most sought after fright. In the human psyche, there are no lingering effects from this threat. It is accomplished by simply introducing a shocking element by surprise. While causing a scream and a jump in blood pressure, the effects wear off quickly when the person realizes there is no real threat. Chainsaws are typically the favorite for invoking this type of fright. Second is the “lingering” fear. This type of fear is actually a deep sense of dread of what is to come. Approximately 70% of the population is afraid of the dark and their imagination goes into overdrive for what they perceive might happen. The boo scare is the release of this dread. Without the release, the lingering fear can bother guests even after they have left the Denver haunted houses.