Why do people love horror so much? It seems like we can’t get enough of bloody killers and scary monsters attacking helpless victims, we flock to the latest summer blockbuster that features jump scares and realistic (or grotesquely unrealistic) effects, we seem to love puzzling games with complex horrific scenarios and consequences and creepy books that leave us on breathtaking cliff hangers. Sometimes people are so enthusiastic about horror, that horror is the only genre they really want to experience.
But why do people love the horror genre so much? Why do we like to feel afraid, creeped out, stressed, nervous, and/or tense for hours on end? Wouldn’t it make more sense to shy away from scenarios that cause us to feel fear?
In psychology, sometimes getting exposed to the things that scare us cause those same things to lose their power over our minds and emotions. Could watching, playing, or reading things of the horror genre do the same thing? Is it because we want to face our fears in a safe environment where we know nothing bad can really happen to us? Or is it that we seek the rush and excitement of a good thrill?
Let’s get into it!
While Sigmund Freud is most well-known for his overly sexualized outlook on human development and personality traits, (I know, that dude gets weird sometimes), he also came up with an interesting concept known as “Catharsis” which is something I tend to agree with to a certain extent. Catharsis is where a person sometimes needs to release very strong emotions that may or not be repressed due to societal norms and customs. He proposed that sometimes people need to explore the darker parts of their psyche in a harmless manner in order to better understand themselves and deal with their more negative emotions.
Horror movies, games, and books tend to provoke an emotional response in the participant or viewer, sometimes your heart will race when the protagonist is being chased by the evil monster or serial killer, fear might cause you to shiver or jump when a terrifying scene appears on the screen or is described to you on the page. I remember imagining little Danny trying to escape from the ghosts of the overlook when I was reading the shining for the first time, and I broke out in goose bumps and had nightmares for a week during several moments of it, but I still eagerly finished the book no matter how scared I felt. It was awesome.
Psychologists theorize that it is cathartic to voluntarily allow horror to be induced into their lives, especially if you are in a known safe environment where nothing (hopefully) can get you. You know that the horror you are witnessing is not real, cannot hurt you, and is ultimately able to be stopped at any time you choose. This feeling of control is also a good thing for people to experience, as it can make you feel confident that no matter how bad, dark, or frightening the situation might be, you can still handle it.
Alternatively it might make you too scared to leave your house for fear of being killed by some dude with a chainsaw or attacked by aliens but, hey, to each their own 🙂
Fun Fact: If you happen to get particularly scared or disgusted during a film or game that features violent imagery and scary scenarios, congratulations! Studies show that more empathetic people tend to get more affected by horror than non-empathetic people. Those same studies also showed that people with higher levels of deceitfulness tend to be less affected, so, if you don’t get scared or disgusted by horror movies, um, yea, you might be a psychopath, or just more emotionally stable, depending on the person.
The horror genre causes people to experience adrenaline rushes and feelings of excitement. These types of media, ones that deal with horror, allow us to explore our fears, and curiosity for things that frighten us. They provide us with unexpected and new experiences, which can cause us to feel interest and intrigue. Horror genre media allows us to understand and confront the things that we are instinctively afraid of, such as sharp objects, poisonous or creepy insects (Clowns), or even more terrifying subjects, such as madness and death. These things can be explored in a safe environment and allow us to evaluate them without risk of harm.
In the end, people also simply want to have fun, and for some reason, some of us (a lot of us) find pleasure in feeling afraid. Watching a horror movie, playing a horror game, or reading a horror book, all of these things can make us happy. I love nothing more than huddling on the couch with my loved ones, munching popcorn and snacks, and shrieking in terror whenever a jump scare appears on the screen. I love movies that have me wondering what I would do in that situation, and games where I am in control of the character, and I have to try to survive or escape. I love books where I am literally reliving each and every sentence in my head, terrified and breathless waiting to know what happens next. In the end, why we are addicted to horror is anyone’s guess. Scientists and psychologists try to explain it, but each person’s experience with horror is unique to them. Why do you love horror? Tell us in the comments!
