Why Scare Yourself to Death for Fun
“I don’t like anything terrible,” you tell people as if it’s some kind of allergy. You won’t go to haunted houses, you wouldn’t dream of playing the new Resident Evil, and you keep crossing your fingers in the hope that your movie friends won’t choose a horror movie. What if I told you that scaring yourself is actually good for your mind, body, and soul?
Fear clears the head
Some people go for a run or meditate to clear their heads, but the creepy story also works. When you are scared, your body goes into fight or flight mode. Your heart rate rises, your palms sweat, and you get an adrenaline rush . As Dr. John Mayer , a psychologist and writer, explains, the excitement of fear pushes you into the present and helps you forget about the anxieties and pressures of the real world that you felt before. According to him, “it works like an eraser for the mind.”
When you are scared, you also release happiness hormones. Exciting activities like scary movies and creepy games activate the dopamine response in the brain, according to psychiatrist David Zald . Dopamine , also known as the brain pleasure chemical, plays an important role in everything from sleep to motivation to sex. In short, it feels good when it happens and scary things do it. This is why many people, myself included, think horror is so much fun. However, Zald notes that some people’s brains are less susceptible to this type of dopamine release than others. You may not be in the mood to be a thrill seeker, but even so, there are many other reasons to give fear a chance.
Controlled terror brings catharsis
Think back to the last time you watched a horror movie. How did you feel afterwards? Maybe a little leaked? Maybe you revalued the routine of your life? I usually think about how nice it is that I’m not being chased by an unkillable slasher, or I’m being chased by a demon who wants to rip my face off and put it on like a mask.
Horror can be a means of causing catharsis or getting rid of emotions. While experiencing these terrifying things, deep down you know that you are in a safe place, but at the same time you can feel everything that the characters are doing. According to psychotherapist Anita Morse , horror is in many ways similar to the tragic Greek theater . You watch it, you feel it, and then there is an emotional release, and all your pent-up frustrations fly out the window. A lot of horror turns around and with a satisfactory and fair resolution. When it’s over, it’s like breathing out after holding your breath. You feel refined. You survived the horror alive and can now move on with a pure emotional layer.
Horror movies can burn calories and boost your immune system
How about a movie that can really destroy the calorie content of the chocolate bar you chew in the movie theater? According to one study , watching a horror movie can burn an average of 113 extra calories, which is the equivalent of walking for 30 minutes. And some of the films in the study, such as The Shining , Jaws , The Exorcist, and Alien , burned 150 or more calories. As lead researcher Dr. Richard McKenzie , formerly of the University of Westminster, explains, adrenaline burns those extra calories :
As the heart rate increases and blood circulation through the body accelerates, adrenaline rises in the body. It is this burst of fast-acting adrenaline, produced during short bursts of intense stress (or, in this case, caused by fear), is known to reduce appetite, increase basal metabolic rate, and ultimately burn higher calorie levels.
It’s like light cardio, but instead of walking on a treadmill, you try not to pee in your pants. But keep in mind that although the study was conducted by a real specialist in cell metabolism and physiology in a real medical facility, it was not peer reviewed, used a small sample, and was not published in any journals. So don’t assume that watching scary movies all day is the next big weight loss trend. It’s just the added bonus of activating your fight-or-flight response for fans.
However, this adrenaline rush does more than just burn a few calories. One study published in the journal Stress suggests it may increase your white blood cell count and strengthen your immune system. Study participants who watched the classic horror movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre showed an increase in white blood cell counts comparable to the levels you would find in those battling a minor infection. More white blood cells in the body means more protection against disease.
Terrifying Experiences Create Opportunities for Bonding
Nothing brings people closer than sharing painful experiences. This is in part due to another hormone your body releases when you’re scared: oxytocin . The hormone is known to promote prosocial behavior and, according to Christina Kendall, Ph.D. , can actually help people bond with one another . As Kendall explains, scary things activate the survival instinct in the brain, which is to team up with other people and increase our chances of survival.
This is why you say to your interlocutor: “Nothing is happening!” Look right in front of a big blob of roller coasters, you stand back-to-back and grab each other’s hands as you navigate the haunted house, and you cuddle up on the couch as you watch a scary movie. Suddenly, nothing is more important than the people you are with. This intimacy persists after the experience. You give a triumphant high-five as you exit the roller coaster, you chat excitedly about the scariest parts of the haunted house when you’re safe on the street, and you keep huddling on the couch even after the movie ends.
We also enjoy comparing ourselves to other people. Jeffrey Goldstein , professor of psychology and an expert on violence and entertainment at the University of Utrecht, suggests that scary things in a group give us the opportunity to show our friends that we are strong enough to accept it . Basically, it is an opportunity to demonstrate your worth to your social group or “tribe” and, in some way, show them that you are ready to endure all the hardships. This basic social value may not be immediately apparent to you when you chat about movie monsters, but it further eases your potential for bonding. Let’s say, for example, you are going to a theme park with two friends. One is ready to ride a roller coaster with you, and the other is not. By the end of the day, you will feel much closer to a friend who is willing to risk the nausea and sore throat from screaming with you. The people you were with during these events are no longer just friends or partners – they are survivors. Together you “saw some shit” and no one can take it away.
Overcoming horror can make you more confident.
If you want to boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, try playing it through a scary video game or watching an entire horror movie at home alone in the dark. Margie Kerr , a sociologist who studies fear, says that experiencing what you think is intimidating has the same effect on your brain as it does any other task . In fact, this sense of accomplishment can be on the same level as running a race, completing a long book, or completing a number of other difficult tasks. And that sense of accomplishment breeds the confidence to try to achieve more .
In its most basic form, horror is a playground where we can safely confront and overcome our fears. You can always stop the movie or close the scary book you are reading if you need to. But when you finally break through, it’s like you have overcome the same terrifying experiences as the protagonists. When they come out on top, so do we. This can be especially helpful for children who are still learning worldly customs. As a child walks through a scary story, they learn to deal with fear in a low-stakes environment, which prepares them mentally for the time they face real fear in the real world as they get older. Remember, no one is born with courage – it is deserved.