I dont like scary stuff, you tell peopleas if its an allergy of some kind.
When you get scared, your body engages its fight or flight mode.
Your heart rate spikes, your palms sweat, and you get hit with anadrenalinerush.
As he puts it, It works like an eraser for the mind.
You also release some happy hormones when youre terrified.
In short, it feels good to get a hit of it, and scary things do that.
Thats why many people, myself included, think horror is so much fun.
Controlled Horror Brings Catharsis
Think of the last time you watched a horror movie.
How did you feel afterward?
Maybe a little drained?
Maybe you had a newfound appreciation for the mundanity of your own life?
Horror can be a tool for inducingcatharsis, or the purging of your emotions.
As psychotherapistAnita Morseputs it, horror isa lot like tragic Greek theater.
A lot of horror wraps up with a satisfactory and just resolution as well.
So when its over, its like exhaling after holding your breath.
So dont go thinking watching scary movies all day is the next big weight loss trend.
Its just an added perk of activating your fight or flight response for funsies.
More white blood cells in your body means more defense against disease.
Terrifying Experiences Create Bonding Opportunities
Nothing brings people closer together than sharing a harrowing experience.
This is partly due to another hormone your body releases when you get spooked:Oxytocin.
Thats why you give your companion a here goes nothing!
Suddenly, nothing is more important than the people youre with.
That closeness continues after the experience too.
Say, for example, youre going to a theme park with two friends.
One is willing to ride the rollercoasters with you and the other isnt.
The people youre with during these experiences arent just friends or partners anymoretheyre fellow survivors.
Youve seen some shit together and nobody can take that away.
Andthat feeling of accomplishment breeds the confidence to try and accomplish more.
In its most basic form, horror provides a playground where we can confront and overcome our fears safely.
But when you finally power through, its like youve overcome the same terrifying experiences the protagonists did.
Remember, nobody is born with braveryits earned.
