Sometimes it seems like there are two types of people: those who love horror movies and those who hide under the covers while watching. It turns out that it's all about your character and upbringing.
Fear = Pleasure
Whether it's a lion chasing you across the real savannah, or a movie monster chasing a protagonist in a movie, the feeling of fear originates in the same place in our brain: in the amygdala. This is the area of the brain that is responsible for emotions and the fight-or-flight response. It is during this reaction that the body releases chemicals such as adrenaline and cortisol, which increase the heartbeat, raise blood pressure, and slow breathing.
It seems that for some reason, some people just enjoy feeling anxious and fearful more often than most of us. As a result, they may have a greater need to seek intense experiences in order to receive an adrenaline rush. These "thrill seekers" are usually eager to experience something that will help them achieve this state, such as skydiving or spicy food.
Studies show that men are more fond of horror films than women, which may be due to the fact that boys are raised from childhood to be fearless and unshakable.
“Once he meets a girl, a guy is not averse to inviting her to a movie theater to watch a horror movie, because girls are more likely to seek physical intimacy when they are afraid, and men also have the opportunity to demonstrate their courage,” explains Joan Cantor, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Childhood experiences can also strongly influence a person's attitude toward fear. Injuries associated with parental neglect, poverty and alcoholism can affect the amygdala in ways that make it more sensitive.
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On the other hand, positive childhood experiences associated with fear teach the brain that fear is entertainment. Psychologist Kelly Hopkins-Alvarez had a patient who told her that as a child he watched scary movies with his mother, and this gave him feeling safe, sometimes they even laughed together at the scary scenes. Thus, he learned not to confuse the cinematic horror story with real life.
Impressions immediately after watching a scary movie also need to be considered. After all, a movie puts you in a state of arousal, and arousal intensifies emotions. If, after watching, you will have a wonderful evening with friends, then positive feelings will consolidate good experiences in your mind, and you will not mind if it happens again. But if after watching, returning home, God forbid, you get into a car accident, then your brain will record this experience as bad, and next time you most likely will not want to watch a horror movie. Scary memories are harder to get out of your head than pleasant ones, so they are more likely to have a significant impact on your future behavior.
Fear coefficient variability
Attitudes towards horror movies can change. You can learn to control your fear. If you can manage to survive 90 minutes of watching a horror movie, you will feel more resistant to the effects of fear, which can actually make you fearless - that is, the next time you will be less afraid.
However, it should be borne in mind that children under 7 years old can hardly distinguish real threats from fictional ones; they should not watch horror films, because this can negatively affect the emotional state of the child. In addition, horror films should not be watched by both children and adults when the threats in the film look particularly realistic.
If you are one of those who love movies about zombies, monsters, maniacs and more, buy a ticket for a new horror movie and enjoy watching. If you hate horror movies, well, there are many good films of other genres for you.
Author: Svetlana Bodrik