Horror stories trigger physiological fear responses, which in turn reduces cortisol levels. They are a kind of “mental training” or “exposure therapy” for people with various forms of stress or anxiety.
While many horror stories grapple with fear of the unknown, there are elements within and without the narrative of cozy horror stories that bring the work in question into a safer, more knowable realm, allowing for a sense of comfort to take hold.
"If someone is feeling anxious, they may find that horror helps them stop ruminating about other things in their life," Scrivner says. "Horror forces the viewer to focus -- the monster on the screen pulls us in and focuses our attention."
Experiencing these fears in a controlled environment lets us have those feelings in a safe space where we know they can't really hurt us. A horror movie can also serve as a distraction if we're in a time of intense stress, and help us to regulate our nervous system as we use tools like deep breathing to calm down.
We are flooded with a sense of relief, which makes us feel good and safe once again. Some researchers theorize that individuals who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may become conditioned by the analgesic effect of certain types of movies and seek out stressful films to release more endorphins.
What horror films teach us about ourselves and being human | Dr. Steven Schlozman | TEDxNashville
What is the psychology of people who enjoy horror?
Horror entertainment can trigger the fight-or-flight response, which comes with a boost in adrenaline, endorphins, and dopamine. The brain can then process surroundings and conclude that the experience is not a genuine threat. This knowledge of personal safety is one reason horror fans habitually watch scary movies.
What does psychology say about people who like horror?
Those who are not so empathic can enjoy horror more. This is because those with a higher level of empathy tend to feel more negatively about the distress situations others experience, like people being tormented by a devious murderer in a film. Gender and age also appear to matter.
Horror movies can be a form of escapism for those struggling with anxiety. Instead of facing their issues straight on, it may be easier to drown them in another person's narrative.
Watching horrific images can trigger unwanted thoughts and feelings and increased levels of anxiety or panic, and even increase our sensitivity to startle-eliciting stimuli, making those of us who are anxious more likely to respond negatively and misinterpret the sensations as real threats.
Scary movies might feel oddly comforting to those with trauma-induced anxiety. The years leading up to a child's fifth birthday are crucial for the brain. Traumatic events we experience during our early years can lead to the onset of memory problems, anxiety, emotional dysregulation issues, and even PTSD.
But fear of the unknown is only half of the big picture of horror tropes. The only other baseline terror that matches it, in terms of getting to the root of horror stories, is the fear of isolation. Not only are we afraid of facing something we don't understand, we're afraid we might have to do it alone.
Scary stories tap into this primal fear. During moments of terror the body releases a rush of the hormones adrenaline, endorphins and dopamine. This is called the "fight or flight" response, preparing the body to either fight the danger or run away from it. We become faster and stronger.
Psychology studies will tell us that individuals who crave and love horror are interested in it because they have a higher sensation-seeking trait. This means they have a higher penchant for wanting to experience thrilling and exciting situations.
Dr. Kerr describes it as our body “ramping us up into 'go' mode.” Watching a scary movie can trigger this response, because you perceive a threat more quickly than you can distinguish whether it's real or imagined. This involuntary response can have a major effect on your body, causing it to release adrenaline.
Done right, it can serve as quite a purging experience. While other genres are too afraid to even approach gritty issues, horror movies are unique in that they tackle the grittiness head-on! The subject material is often mature and more intellectual than it seems on the surface, this can be very enticing.
You might get some relief from feelings of anxiety and depression→ As described above, watching a horror movie will release adrenaline throughout your body. The adrenaline will help to stabilize your mood and decrease your anxiety and depression in the short term.
For example, if a person spends many hours a day watching scary movies, they may eventually come to believe that the world is a scary place and may therefore fear leaving their home. The person may show similar symptoms of PTSD, but are not directly experiencing it.
According to science findings, people may seek out horror movies for all sorts of reasons, such as triggering chemicals in their brains, to help them plan for worst case scenarios, or to practice coping strategies and control.
What do you call a person who loves horror movies?
These individuals are called "horrorphiles." The term "horrorphile" comes from the Greek word "philia," which means love or affection. Therefore, someone who is a horrorphile is a person who has a great fondness or love for horror films, books, and other forms of media.
That's because the dopamine release related to the “rest-and-digest” brain response causes an increased sense of well-being. At the same time, there is a psychological benefit to experiencing something that seems scary or risky and then coming out the other end safe and well.
Researchers have found that highly sensitive people (HSPs) are wired differently. The environment around them can often overstimulate them, and their high degree of empathy means that watching horror movies can often be an experience too intense or too uncomfortable for them.
Many people believe that horror fans have low empathy. The claim that horror fans lack empathy is rooted in a flawed interpretation of a 2005 meta-analysis. Some morbidly curious people score high in empathy. Horror fans and morbidly curious people may be less coldhearted than the average person, research suggests.
No, enjoying horror movies is not a red flag that someone is a "nutjob." People have a wide range of interests and preferences when it comes to entertainment, and enjoying horror movies is just one of many possible tastes.
What are certain traits horror fans generally share?
But the survey did unmask some interesting trends. People higher in a personality trait called thrill-seeking tended to watch and enjoy horror more. (Thrill seekers often seek out new and intense experiences.)
