Sure, they scared the crap out of me at times when I was a kid, and
even a bit now, but I always kept coming back to them and always enjoyed the
feelings elicited while watching them. I just came across some research by pure
accident that suggests watching alarming movies is not only good for physical
health but mental health as well.
Research
Right away I did what I always do when I hear new
information, I feel it out and remain open minded. Yes, I was skeptical at
first but the more I dug, the more things made sense.
The general belief out there is that these movies are not
healthy for you and often activate denser energies within the body. I have to
say that I agree in some ways, but at the same time I never felt any negative
effects personally other than the phobias I created in my own head about the
girl from The Exorcist.
We Love
Getting Scared
Researchers also suggest that we are able to experience
positive and negative feelings at the same time. In this case, one might view
being scared as negative, while viewing having a good time as being positive.
Research has shown that people LOVE getting scared. So while they are being
scared, they are actually having a great time and their body’s are secreting
chemicals that prove the experience.
Research suggests it is obvious that what is taking place on
the screen has no connection with reality and therefore does not arouse
traumatic situations. In fact, watching what is happening on screen can
actually strengthen the counteraction of the development of phobias. As the
brain senses danger it produces additional energy directed at the activeness of
neurotransmitters – glutamate, dopamine and serotonin. As a result, the body remains
in a state of combat readiness for some time.
we love
to get scaredd
Another interesting factor is that a potential threat signal
passes through the brain, specifically through the hypothalamus. Since the
hypothalamus deals with the glandular system, it initiates the release of adrenaline which causes the release of opiates
which in turn creates an anesthetic type effect. This causes the phobic
reaction to shut down and trains the brain to have a similar reaction in real
life situations. In a sense, watching a horror movie is almost like a training
ground for the body and psyche.
Even the National Institute of Mental Health suggests
watching alarming movies only creates small levels of stress which is
considered harmless.
Dealing
with our fears
Research done by Dr. Mathias Clasen suggests watching horror
movies is great for our DNA as although we have memory deep down to deal with
situations that may frighten us, our current environments often don’t put us in
that state. Watching a horror movie acts as an emotional simulator for this and
triggers our DNA to respond.
In my opinion, having the memory or experience of something
scaring you can also be a breeding ground for you to face and overcome your own
fears as well. From my personal experience of dealing with some of my fears
around horror movies, it has created a level of confidence in facing things
that scare me and has allowed me to navigate my mind and emotions more
clearly in other areas of my life.
The
other side to the coin
Now of course there is always a flip side to a story, in
this case based on anecdotal evidence alone, horror movies can cause
disruptions in sleep patterns and can cause increased fear in certain
situations if the mind relates the fear back to a movie it has previously seen.
We can also be triggered by things in real life at times if they have happened
in a alarming movie we watched.
Some suggest that alarming movies, more so slasher films,
desensitize us to violence at times. Although the scientific evidence doesn’t
suggest this, in fact it suggests the brain knows the difference and is
actually better prepared in real life situations, there might still be
something to be said about this.
Final
Thoughts
We can allow the images, sounds and scenes to terrify us and we can
build it up in our minds, fear it and let it take over, or we can choose to
work to go beyond them. I don’t say this only as a fan of horror movies but
because I feel that we are capable of these things and our fears only happen
within the mind anyway – which of course isn’t who we are.
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