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When we are afraid, our palms sweat, our heart rate increases, and our muscles tense up. If the fear passes, a pleasant feeling remains. We figure out what is behind it – just relief or something more
When we are afraid, our palms sweat, our heart rate increases, and our muscles tense up. If the fear passes, a pleasant feeling remains. We figure out what is behind it – just relief or something more
Fight or run
The fear response is controlled by the amygdala, a bundle of neurons located in the center of the brain. In a frightened situation, it stimulates the hypothalamus, which in turn activates two areas in the body—the nervous system and the adrenal cortex. Together, they produce a sharp release of hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) and trigger the “fight or flight” response.
The fight-or-flight response plays a significant role in our survival, as it helps us deal with danger more effectively by mobilizing resources. For example, if you are crossing a road and a car is rushing towards you, you will most likely have time to jump away.
Where Fear Begins
Dr Charlotte Lawrenson, a neuroscientist at the University of Bristol, notes: “While we understand some aspects of the neural response to fear and how the amygdala coordinates behavior, there is still much that is unknown. We don’t know exactly where in the brain the feeling of fear originates, but most likely it appears as a result of the joint work of several areas of the brain.
When we face a potential threat, two pathways are activated in the brain, she says. The first one is fast. Information is transmitted to the hypothalamus, which allows you to immediately respond to danger. The second one is slower. Information is transmitted to the cerebral cortex, its uppermost layer, associated with consciousness, thinking and memory. The cortex analyzes the threat and allows us to determine whether we are really in danger.
A window into collective fears
Fear is an ancient emotion, and chilling narratives are rooted in human history. In early societies such tales were used to warn children of the dangers they might face. For example, they often featured wolves and other predators. In addition, fairy tales reflected collective fears, which later turned into films. For example, in the 1954 science fiction film, the fearsome monster Godzilla was created by radiation. This plot twist testifies to the general anxiety caused by nuclear attacks during World War II.
Horror films often feature technology: robots rebelling against their creator, or murderous AI. In the late 1970s and 1980s, Michael Myers (the psychopathic killer from the Halloween movie series) and Freddy Krueger appeared on the screen. This happened in parallel with the fact that serial killers flooded the news reports and entrenched in the public mind as one of the sources of danger. In March 2020, the number of downloads of the film about the deadly pandemic “Contagion” increased dramatically. People literally wanted to watch a horror movie about their reality. Mark Malmdorf-Andersen, an associate professor at Aarhus University in Denmark, and his colleagues explain this by saying that horror films have an educational potential for managing uncertainty.
Malmdorf-Andersen explores the cognitive processes associated with play and learning. He notes that spending time in fictional movie worlds works as an opportunity to write your own instructions for worst-case scenarios. A study of horror movie fans during the pandemic found they were more mentally resilient than those who didn’t like scary movies. Associate Professor emphasizes: “They have already encountered similar scenarios in the cinema and could use this experience to navigate the new realities. It may be that experiencing fear in a recreational format in general helps to improve emotion regulation and develop skills to overcome real-life dangers.
Golden mean
To study the relationship between pleasure and fear, Malmdorf-Andersen and his colleagues at Aarhus University studied a group of people who visited a haunted house ride. There guests were frightened by zombies, maniacs with chainsaws and other evil spirits. The scientists videotaped the volunteers, monitored their heart rate and asked them how they felt at different points in the experiment.
The results of the study showed that people enjoy the opportunity to be a little outside their comfort zone, but they do not like to go too far out of it. Malmdorf-Andersen emphasizes: “Our results suggest that there may be a “golden mean” between fear and pleasure—a specific psychological state in which the context is not too frightening, but also does not look too safe and familiar. It seems that it is at this point that the maximum level of positive emotions is reached. In it, a surge of fear followed by relief leads to the release of endorphins and dopamine, which causes euphoria.
It is important to remember that all people are different. Everyone has their own idea of what is scary. It is this that separates the harmless fun and genuine horror. Intense fear can escalate into a panic attack or lead to increased stress scores.