After an extensive selection process, two people have been chosen to take part in Liseberg’s ‘Peak Fear Experiment’. More than 1,640 applications were received from 22 countries, and the jury finally chose two participants for ‘The Peak Fear Experiment’ – Vicki Bååth, a teacher from Gamleby, Sweden and Helge Branscheidt, a hair- & makeup artist from Hamburg, Germany. The experiment will take place on Wednesday 11 October.

Three weeks ago, the Swedish amusement park Liseberg sent out a call for volunteers to participate in ‘The Peak Fear Experiment’ in collaboration with researchers from the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University. The applicants were told to be prepared to challenge their fears and explore the limits of recreational fear. Thousands of applications flooded in from around the world. When applications closed, a total of 1,640 applications had arrived from 22 countries. Now the participants have been selected:

Vicki Bååth, a 45-year-old teacher from Gamleby, Sweden:
‘I’m terrified of the dark but am still attracted to the challenge of being scared. I love experiencing fear. It allows me to express many emotions. I’ve somehow realised that being afraid can have positive effects, and reading about the research has given me an explanation for why I love being scared. This is the ultimate challenge for me – testing how far I can push my limits.’

Helge Branscheidt, a 38-year-old hair- & makeup artist from Hamburg, Germany:
‘I want to experience new things I’ve never experienced before. I’ve been a big fan of horror movies since childhood, even though I’m easily scared by so many things. My friends would describe me as a sensitive person who nevertheless loves being really scared. I’m curious to see if I’m up to this project, or if I’m too weak for it.’

The next step in the process for the participants in ‘The Peak Fear Experiment’ is travelling to the secret location where the experiment will be held. The participant’s trips are booked and they’ll be picked up at the train station in Gothenburg on Wednesday 11 October. The participants will undergo a physical examination before the fear experiment.

At the start of the experiment, researchers from the Recreational Fear Lab will be on location installing equipment to measure the participants’ reactions during ‘The Peak Fear Experiment’. However, the location and details of what will happen during the experiment are still being kept secret.

‘The unknown is an important element of the experiment, and is fundamental to this study of the limits for recreational fear. At Liseberg we’re very excited to see the results of “The Peak Fear Experiment” in the form of knowledge and insights, which we can later use to optimise future fear experiences in the amusement park,’ says Karl Svedung, Head of Marketing at Liseberg.

Since Halloween at Liseberg started in 2015, almost 2 million visitors have flocked to the amusement park to be scared and entertained by our Halloween attractions. Liseberg was recently named Europe’s best amusement park by the Park World Excellence Awards in Vienna.

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