Introduction
Horror is one of the most popular genres in modern day around the world. This category allow the viewers to experience fear and has it’s own enduring presence among the peoples around the world. The cheap production cost of horror content paves the way for production of different contents associated with horror genre. Therefore people are drawn towards this engaging horror category.
But have you ever wondered why people like to put themselves in scary situations like watching horror movies, TV shows, web series or even touring haunted places? What is the reason that emphasizes peoples around the world to fall in love with this alluring horror genre? What is the psychology behind why people want to experience the intense feeling of fear?
We will be exploring the answers to all of these questions in this article.
Psychology behind horror genre:
• Thrilling sensation: The desire to feel fear induces thrillness and curiosity. This desire makes horror an exhilarating category among viewers consuming digital content.
• Suspensefull effects: While filming or producing the horror content the producers and directors add different elements like horror visual graphs, sound effects which creates the ecstasy of fear and thrillness among the viewers.
• Techniques to evoke fear: The elements associated with the horror content creates the sense of mystery, excitement, terror which makes horror a captivating genre.
• Hormonal impact: Consuming the horror content releases different hormones and chemicals in our brain. For example the release of adrenaline results in increased heart rate and level of excitement.
The release of these hormones in our brain encourages us to consume more horror content. Therefore horror genre becomes priority for adrenaline seeking persons.
• Safe environment: Viewers are actually aware with the fact that the threatening environment created while watching the horror shows is eventually fake and the show is intended for entertainment purpose.
Therefore awareness of personal safety in the frightening situations emphasizes viewers to consume more horror content.
Physiological Responses to fear:
A survival mechanism called acute stress response (fight or flight response) enable humans to take immediate action against the life threatening situations. Our body perceive the frightening situation as a real life threatening event.
Therefore when we consume the horror content weather it is by reading, watching the horror movies,TV shows or by visiting the haunted places, this mechanism enable our brain to send direct signals to the sympathetic nervous system which then triggers the rush of adrenaline and cortisol in our body.
The release of these chemical hormones in our body brings physical changes in our body which results in increased heart rate and blood pressure. There is more intake of oxygen as rate of breathing increases because of release of these hormones.
Although this mechanism activates under the real threat but it can make us feel invigorate and thrilled even under the situation where we actually know the environment is fake and safe.
How our brain process the frightening situation:
Different parts of our brain works together when we are in scary situations. Our brain works rapidly and take immediate action while comprehending the scary situations or perceived threat. Let’s see how our brain interpret and responds to fear:
• Amygdala: This part of our brain is the centre of fear. It activates other part of the brain when any threatening situation arises. This part recognises the menace immediately and activate the fight or flight response.
• Prefrontal cortex: This area provide contexts to the recognised threat. In frightening situations, it helps in determining whether the perceived threat is real danger or not.
• Hippocampus: This part helps in shaping the memory based on the past experiences. So sometimes when the past experience is so traumatic and you are exposed into an environment of fear, then this traumatic experience can make you more afraid in that environment and creates the intense feeling of fear.
• Hypothalamus: This part of the brain is associated with the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol which then triggers the acute stress response or fight-flight response.
• PAG(Priaqueductal gray): This part of our brain is associated with the regulation of pain and functioning of defense mechanism. It releases endorphins which then increases our heart rate in scary situations.
Why we love to be scared:
There are so many reasons that emphasizes us to put ourselves in seek of thrillness and curiosity by consuming horror content. The key points are:
• In every scary situations our brain releases adrenaline and dopamine, the hormones which increases the level of excitement and happiness.
• A technique called jump scare technique in which an unexpected event arrives which suddenly terrifies the viewers create the sense of mystery.
• We love to be scared in frightening situations because there is not any physical consequence in real life as the scary environment is fake and story is intended to entertainment purpose only.
• Catharsis is the process where we show our emotions, process our emotions and release them. Therefore some people after watching scary movies feel relaxed and relieved.
• Horror movies or always mysterious so the paranormal activities that is shown to the audience hits the human emotion which eventually creating the sense of vulnerability and satisfaction.
Conclusion:
The science behind horror is intriguing because it is a mixture of psychological and physiological response. We have understood everything about why we love to be scared.
What do you think about the popularity of the horror genre. Let us know if there is any horror movie or web series that create the intense feeling of fear. Common down about your favourite horror movie.