The Surprising Benefits of Watching Horror Movies
As Halloween approaches, many people are getting into the spirit by donning scary costumes and decorating their homes in eerie themes. While some individuals prefer to experience the holiday atmosphere by going about their daily routines or taking to the streets, there is a significant portion of the population that finds solace in the comfort of their own homes, indulging in the thrill of horror movies. Although the idea of fear may seem undesirable, it is a peculiar sensation that we humans are drawn to. Whether it be through the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster ride, the suspense of an escape room, or the chilling narratives presented in cinema, there is an inherent desire to confront our fears.
American health information media outlet, VeryWell Health, suggests that enjoying fear in a harmless and controlled manner can actually elicit feelings of happiness similar to those experienced during aerobic exercise. Psychologically speaking, encountering tension and fear within a safe environment can help alleviate the anxiety that tends to build up inside us. Dr. Coltan Scribner from the Leisure and Fear Research Institute at Aarhus University in Denmark explains, “The fear elicited through movies provides an opportunity for individuals under constant pressure to experience and alleviate their predictable anxieties. Unlike real-life anxiety, the anxiety felt within horror novels and movies is fully manageable and bound by a specific timeframe.”
Experts argue that experiencing a sudden stress response within a controlled situation can have a positive psychological impact on individuals. Psychiatrist Harold Hong from Newwaters Recovery in the United States explains, “The thrill derived from this acute stress response helps us feel alive and more deeply connected to our surroundings.”
When watching a horror film, our brains acknowledge the threats depicted on the screen as real, triggering the body’s fight-or-flight response. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released, leading to an increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and intensified breathlessness. Muscles may tense up in preparation for either fleeing or defending oneself in an emergency situation.
Conversely, the brain counters this response by releasing endorphins and dopamine, which help reduce stress, alleviate pain, and improve mood. It is this intricate chemical reaction that allows us to experience a peculiar sense of joy and pleasure even amidst the most extreme fear. Upon the film’s conclusion, one may feel a sense of reward and relief for having successfully navigated through a dangerous scenario.
Moreover, there is a therapeutic element to conquering fear through fear itself. Ryan Sultan, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, explains, “If someone with arachnophobia were to watch a movie featuring giant spiders, they would likely find it easier to react calmly when confronted with a real spider.” It is important to note that although the emotions evoked by movies can be overwhelming and potentially result in stress or anxiety-induced nightmares, these effects are typically short-lived and inconsequential.
So, as the Halloween season approaches, why not consider indulging in a horror movie marathon? Not only can it provide a unique form of entertainment, but it may also offer unexpected psychological benefits. Embrace the exhilaration, confront your fears, and experience a sense of relief and catharsis in the process.
You can relieve anxiety and feel relief in the midst of artificial fear and tension.
Entered 2023.10.27 21:30 Views 147 Entered 2023.10.27 21:30 Modified 2023.10.28 16:16 Views 147
Watching horror movies can relieve anxiety and make you feel more psychologically stable.[사진=게티이미지뱅크]In recent years, Halloween has become a festival where people gather in various costumes to enjoy it, but Halloween is just around the corner, with people wearing scary costumes or decorating places in spooky ways. Most people go about their daily lives or go out into the streets to feel the Halloween atmosphere, but there are also quite a few people who enjoy watching horror movies at home. This is because when we think of ‘Halloween,’ scary creatures like ghosts and zombies still come to mind.
‘Fear’ is an unwelcome guest for us, but it is also a strange entity that we want to ‘enjoy’ by being close to us. Although they scream all the time, they only watch horror films, enjoy thrilling ‘roller coasters’, and enjoy ‘escape rooms’ that depict murder scenes in a creepy atmosphere. Why on earth do we want to feel fear?
VeryWell Health, an American health information media, presented that enjoying fear that is not a real threat can provide a feeling of happiness similar to doing aerobic exercise. Experiencing tension and fear in a safe and controlled situation can help reduce anxiety that builds up inside.
Dr said. Coltan Scribner, from the Leisure and Fear Research Institute at Aarhus University in Denmark, in a paper, “The fear felt through movies is an opportunity for people who have been under pressure to hide their emotions to experience and alleviate predictable fear. anxiety.” He submitted, “Unlike the anxiety felt in reality, the anxiety felt in horror novels and movies can be fully enjoyed because it is very manageable and has a specific time.”
Experts believe that a sudden stress response in a controlled situation has a positive psychological effect. Harold Hong, a psychiatrist at Newwaters Recovery in the United States, explained, “The thrill we feel from this acute stress response helps us feel alive and live more immersed in our environment.”
When you watch a horror movie, part of your brain recognizes the threats you see as reality, triggering a fight-or-flight response in your body. Adrenaline and cortisol, known as stress hormones, are secreted, causing the heart to pound, blood pressure to rise, and breathing to become more difficult. Your muscles can become tense so you can run away or fight back in an emergency situation.
In response, the brain releases endorphins and dopamine, which reduce stress and pain and improve mood. This is why we feel a strange joy and pleasure even in the midst of extreme fear. When the film ends, you feel a sense of reward and relief for surviving a dangerous situation.
It is also worth looking forward to the ‘therapeutic’ effect of overcoming fear with fear. Ryan Sultan, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University in the US, said, “If you let someone who is afraid of spiders watch a movie about giant spiders, they will be able to react much more easily and calmly when they see a real spider.” Of course, the fear felt by movies, etc. can be so great that you may suffer nightmares due to stress or anxiety. However, most of them don’t last long, so it’s not a big problem.
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