There is a fine line between spooky movies and horror films. Spooky movies are especially popular around this time of year as the leaves change and Trader Joe’s snacks become pumpkin-flavored. Perhaps they feature a chatty ghost or a trick-or-treating family mishap. Horror movies, on the other hand, are a perpetual cultural obsession regardless of the changing of the seasons. They tend to contain gruesome images and an underlying anxiety of not knowing what lies around the corner. Voluntarily being scared may seem like a twisted form of entertainment. Nevertheless, whether you love them or detest them, research has been done on the psychological benefits of horror films. Joy and horror may not be as paradoxical as you think.
Biology of Fear
As many biological queries lead, let us trace back to the Stone Age. Our ancestors lived in constant fear of threat. We no longer face the same perpetual fear, so watching a horror movie places us back in our evolutionary roots. After watching the film, we have an innate sense of pride for mastering the “threat” we just endured.
When watching a scary film, your body responds in certain ways. Maybe your palms start to sweat or your hearts start racing — this is your flight-or-flight mode kicking in, triggered by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS pumps our cortisol, the hormone linked with stress, and adrenaline, which is responsible for the heart racing. The SNS also pumps out endorphins, which produce the joy that closely resembles morphine. This may or may not lead you to wonder why these powerful hormones are not motivating us to run or start attacking our immediate surroundings. Luckily for our movie-watching buddies, our brain recognizes that the threat on the screen is not real, so our parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) takes over and allows us to somewhat relax.
All this biological talk is to say that you may feel your heart racing and muscles tensing, yet you are capable of sitting still and experiencing fear and joy simultaneously. Following a terrifying run-in with a clown, your body will be filled with feel-good chemicals and experience a high. As a plus, since your body is working overtime, you may even lose calories sitting down – the easiest workout there is.
Meditating in Fear
There are other benefits that are not as scientific. Fear is often based in a lack of sense of control. Being in a controlled environment, where you know that you can walk away or shut the screen whenever it gets too much, provides this sense of control we so frequently desire. Sometimes it helps to shut your surroundings and become absorbed in a fast-paced story. Suddenly your everyday stressors are replaced with how best to escape the theoretical axe murderer.
Despite these benefits, that does not mean everyone will have similar positive reactions. It is completely valid to become too overwhelmed or uncomfortable with horror. Part of maintaining control and agency over what you draw your attention to is knowing when to withdraw. Some of us are better off without the image of our childhood doll being a mouthpiece for the devil.
If you are still apprehensive, try out a horror film for yourself. Take on your fears and soak in the sense of accomplishment that you escaped alive and well. This Halloween, we are becoming extra creative with our meditation techniques.
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