CHICAGO (NewsNation) Want a good excuse to watch a horror movie this Halloween? Well, you might be, because researchers have found that watching horror movies can actually reduce stress in everyday life.
“Never underestimate the therapeutic benefits of a good horror movie,” said forensic psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober.
Watching horror films activates the body’s threat response system, also known as “fight or flight,” Bober said. He explained that structures such as the prefrontal cortex, insula and amygdala are all involved in responding to threat.
However, each level of threat and how it is perceived depends on each individual. Some people might find something less scary than others.
When watching a horror movie in the comfort of your own home, Bober said it’s easier to face your fears without worrying that something will actually happen to you.
“The short-term stress of watching a horror movie can actually be good for your immune system and help you cope with other stresses in your life by teaching you to self-regulate your emotions,” said Bober.
Researchers have studied this and found that people who watch horror movies conform to what experts call an “inverted U curve,” meaning that if it’s not scary enough, it’s boring, or if it’s too scary, it’s overwhelming.
Bober said it also depends on each individual.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine found evidence suggesting that during the pandemic, people who watched horror films fared better because the films actually gave them something concrete to focus on for face their fears. Then, when they actually experienced fear in their lives, they learned to get used to it or self-regulate it.
“It actually had a therapeutic benefit,” Bober said.
Bober’s two personal favorites to watch are “The Exorcist” and “The Shining.”
He also said that it was found that people enjoyed horror films more when they watched them with other people who found horror films entertaining.
However, Bober cautioned that reality-based horror films tend to be scarier. But for fans of horror films, this means they are more entertaining and much more exhilarating to watch.
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