Little fun happens in horror movies: characters die, go insane, or are possessed by evil spirits. And yet we do not turn off the movie in disgust, but continue to follow the plot, even if we close our eyes at the most terrible moments. What is it with us?
We are first introduced to fear in early childhood. It accompanies any exploration and discovery, any step into the unknown. Overcoming it, we not without reason feel like heroes. Thus, the experience of fear for us is associated not only with a potential threat, but also with a reward for defeating it.
Chemistry to help
In reality, fear is designed to inform about impending danger and prepare for a collision with it. At this time, the body produces adrenaline and norepinephrine – the hormones of fear and rage, respectively.
Adrenaline puts the body on high alert: the heart rate increases, providing oxygen to the blood, the liver increases glucose production, and fats are burned, supplying the body with energy. Norepinephrine is responsible for psychological preparation: it causes rage, excitement and pleasure from risk. Both hormones can cause tremors: it is because of them that our knees tremble treacherously.
Fear and its associated chemistry prepare us to face physical threats.
As a result, we receive a short-term boost of power that allows us to go beyond our own limits, to accomplish what we considered impossible for ourselves. But you can’t stay in this state for long. “The constant release of adrenaline increases the likelihood of developing diseases and makes us more suggestible,” explains psychologist, art therapist Elena Dyachenko.
Fear and its associated chemistry prepares us to face physical threats. We become faster, stronger and begin to rely more on instincts, but consciousness, on the contrary, becomes dull. That is why, in any crisis, responsible persons, as well as psychologists, urge us not to panic.
The threats of the modern world require us not only to perform physical feats, but also to assess the situation. We must decide for ourselves when to attack and when a more subtle approach is required. We tend to try to make our lives safer and avoid fear. Another thing is art!
Endurance exercise
Why do we need horror on the screen? There is no one to run from and no one to beat, because we are reliably separated from the source of fear. So why do we like to be afraid along with unfortunate heroes so much?
We may be preparing for real-world threats, researchers from Aarhus University (Denmark) suggested1. A survey of 1070 viewers showed that when watching horror films, we try on the situations that occur on the screen. This allows us to understand our own limits and prepare strategies and techniques that will help us survive dangerous situations.
The researchers also note that men prefer scarier materials than women, and more often watch horror alone, while women prefer to be afraid in the company.
In addition, empathizing with the characters on the screen, we prove to ourselves that we can cope with real fears. It is important to remember, however, that this is just an exercise. “Such a safe overcoming sometimes becomes the only one,” warns Elena Dyachenko. “Instead of dealing with the challenges of real life, we choose to stay in the safety of entertaining fear.”
Scream or be silent?
From childhood, we know the best way to cope with fear is to hide under the covers. But the best does not mean the only one.
The Haunted House is a popular attraction in amusement parks. But not everyone goes there to enjoy fear. Some come for company and try to survive this adventure with minimal losses. Media specialist Matthias Klasen and psychologist Mark Andersen interviewed 280 visitors to the local “Haunted House”2to determine how they deal with their experiences.
Those who wanted to be more frightened tried to feel the atmosphere, convince themselves of the reality of what was happening, get used to the role, and also scream as much and louder as possible. And those who tried to avoid being frightened tried to find something funny in the situation, averted their eyes and stayed close to their friends.
my favorite horror
Some horror movies make us sleep with the lights on, while others are instantly forgotten. Is it possible to say what level of fear is optimal? Psychologist Mark Andersen3 tried to answer this question: he observed the heartbeats of 110 volunteers as they passed the Haunted House ride, where they were frightened in various ways, and established a relationship between levels of pleasure and fear.
Participants in the experiment considered the best episodes that caused them a short-term and slight deviation from the usual heart rhythm. And if the heart was beating too hard or did not want to calm down, then the pleasure quickly faded away. But it was not possible to find a universal formula, for everyone the right combination of fear and pleasure turned out to be different.
Not everyone likes horror movies, that’s a fact. But those who love have reasons: “Firstly, we love the feeling of power that adrenaline gives, and secondly, if we are faced with something scary in the real world, entertaining fear helps to overcome this trauma.” – explains Elena Dyachenko. We gain power over fear by being able to choose a movie of our choice and interrupt it at any time, and we are convinced by experience that it is possible to survive a strong fear, remaining unharmed.
1. M. Clasen et al. Horror, personality, and threat simulation… Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences 14(3). November 2018.
2. M. Clasen et al. Adrenaline junkies and white-knucklers… Poetics, Volume 73, April 2019.
3. M. Malmdorf Andersen et al. Playing With Fear: A Field Study in Recreational Horror. Psychol Sci. 2020 Dec; 31(12).