Why are we fascinated with "doomsday", the end of our own world? Psychologist decodes

Lately, the word "doomsday" is everywhere. Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga has been linked to prophecies about the end of the world; the glacier in Antarctica nicknamed "Doomsday" is making headlines as the planet warms, and even the recent total solar eclipse caused a scare. When people learned that the eclipse, the peak of the Perseids meteor shower and a six-planet parade were happening all on the same day, they started screaming "Doomsday" on social media.

Then there were the gravity loss rumours, as people claimed everything on Earth would become weightless on August 12 for some time. It was clearly something that could not happen, and even NASA clarified that it is not possible. But people continued to talk about these events, tying them to ominous times. Something as simple as the sky turning red, the water becoming orange, flies swarming over a city- everything has somehow been linked to "doomsday scenarios".

Why is it that people love talking about the end of the world? This planet is their home, so why would you deliberately talk about it reaching doomsday? What attracts people to the word itself - "doomsday" - when we know it doesn't mean anything good?

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Why are humans fascinated with talking about “doomsday”?

Dr Munia Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant Psychologist, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram, says, "Our fascination with the end of the world is hardly new. Every generation has had its own version of a doomsday prediction. What changes is the trigger." For example, this time it was the eclipse, meteor shower and the planetary parade. "When several interesting astronomical events happen around the same time, people naturally start looking for a connection," she said.

For many, there is an element of entertainment in it. It is similar to watching a horror film. We know we are safe, but we still enjoy the adrenaline of being frightened for a while. The momentary thrill of talking about doomsday can also be attributed to something deeper. "When life already feels unpredictable, a dramatic explanation can actually feel easier to process than uncertainty. Instead of 'I don't know what is going to happen,' the mind gets a definite story: This is what is going to happen,'" Bhattacharya says.

In the age of social media, it is important how we talk about any event. People of all age groups are accessing these platforms. When such claims spread, they might give one person a momentary adrenaline rush. But for someone else who doesn't understand how such things work, it might cause a scare. Scientists have flagged things like climate change and Artificial Intelligence as things that might trigger the end of the world. Sure, conversation is important, but when life is already hard, the best thing we can do is live in the moment.