SAEDNEWS: Sarah Kollat, a researcher and psychology instructor at Penn State University, explains why some people enjoy being scared, watching horror movies, and feeling good about it.
According to SaedNews, as reported by ISNA, one of the scariest childhood memories might be secretly watching horror movies. However, not everyone was just scared; for some, this fear was surprisingly enjoyable.
Experts refer to this as "good fear." Interestingly, an American company called "America Haunts" estimates that Americans spend over $500 million annually on admission fees to haunted houses solely for their scary and eerie atmosphere.
Many fear enthusiasts spend their time watching horror movies, shows, and reading horror books.
For others, this preoccupation with fear seems meaningless, especially when real-world horrors like war and child abuse fill the news. Why seek artificial scares when the world already offers real terror in abundance?
Sarah Kollat finds the intersection of psychology and fear fascinating. She explains that emotions have evolved as a universal human experience because they help us survive.
She says, creating fear in safe environments can be enjoyable and provides a way for people to practice and prepare for real-life dangers.
Controlled experiences of fear, where one can stop the fear at any time, such as pausing a scary movie, closing a horror book, or leaving a haunted house, offer the physiological peak of fear without any real danger.
When you perceive a threat, adrenaline levels in your body increase, activating the evolutionary "fight or flight" response. Your heart rate rises, you breathe faster and deeper, and your blood pressure increases, preparing your body to defend itself or flee quickly. This physical reaction is crucial when facing a real threat. Experiencing controlled fear allows you to enjoy this energized feeling without real danger. Once the threat is resolved, your body releases the neurotransmitter dopamine, creating feelings of pleasure and relaxation.
In a study, researchers found that people visiting so-called haunted houses for controlled fear showed less brain activity in response to stimuli and less anxiety after exposure.
This finding suggests that exposure to scary movies, stories, or thrilling video games can calm you. This effect could also explain why some couples relax at home with horror movies after a busy day.
A fundamental human drive is the feeling of belonging to a social group. According to Kollat, people who lack these social connections fall into a "loneliness epidemic," putting them at risk for mental and physical health issues.
Sharing intense fear experiences with a group strengthens bonds between individuals. Examples include war veterans who served together or natural disaster survivors.
Firefighters also acknowledge that the unique bond created through sharing terrifying threats, like entering a burning building, helps form deep emotional connections with colleagues.
Controlled fear experiences artificially create similar opportunities for bonding. Exposure to stress not only triggers the fight or flight response but also initiates what psychologists call the "tend and befriend" system in many situations.
A threat prompts humans to seek caregiving and create social-emotional bonds for protection and comfort. This system is largely regulated by the "love hormone," oxytocin.
The tend and befriend response is especially likely when you experience stress around people with whom you already have positive social relationships. When facing stressors within your social network, your oxytocin levels rise to initiate social coping strategies.
Consequently, when you experience recreational fear with friends, you prepare for the emotional phase of deepening your bond with them.
Kollat says sitting in the dark with friends watching a scary movie or navigating a haunted house is beneficial for your health as it helps strengthen your social connections.
Controlled fear experiences can also prepare you for worst-case scenarios. Think back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when watching movies like "Contagion" and "Outbreak" became popular as people were quarantined worldwide. By watching scenarios of dealing with threats through media, people could recognize their fears and emotionally prepare for future threats.
For example, researchers at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark found that people who regularly consume horror content were more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic than fans of non-horror content.
Scientists suggest this resilience may result from a form of unconscious training these fans undergo. They have practiced coping with fear and anxiety through their preferred form of entertainment. As a result, they were better prepared to manage the real fear brought by the pandemic.
Regarding controlled fear experiences, scaring yourself is a fundamental technique to help you survive and adapt to a scary world. By evoking positive and powerful emotions, strengthening social networks, and preparing for the worst fears, you can navigate life better.
So, the next time you are torn between watching a light-hearted comedy and a horror movie, you might want to choose the latter, knowing it's good for your health.
