From Fear to Fascination: Why We Find Pleasure in Experiencing Horror 

Posted by Dalia Saklaway on November 10, 2023 in cognitive neuroscience, Halloween Week, Movies, neuropsychology, Neuroscience | Leave a comment

There are two types of people in this world: those who love watching horror movies and those who don’t. Consuming horror and enjoying it seems like it would be an oxymoron. Shockingly enough, for many people, watching a movie about ghosts torturing people or going to a haunted amusement park where people in scary costumes chase you is their idea of a fun night. Even babies seem to be amused by the jump scares of a peek-a-boo game. As a non-horror lover myself, I’ve always wondered: why do some people willingly subject themselves to the unsettling world of horror? There have been a small handful of times where I had even been excited about plans to watch a horror movie with a group of friends. It turns out there could be reasons explaining why the darkened room, the eerie suspense, and the hair-raising anticipation of a spine-tingling jump-scare hold a special place in peoples’ hearts, even as they send chills down their spines. 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Fear on the Brain

Fear, a primal emotion, manifests in the intricate neural circuitry of the human brain. When faced with a threat, be it real or perceived, our brains elicit responses designed to ensure our survival. A key player in fear circuitry is the amygdala, a small almond-shaped structure nestled deep within the temporal lobe of our brains (1). The amygdala serves as the neural command center for fear processing, receiving and interpreting sensory information related to potential danger. When you encounter a potentially threatening stimulus, such as a frightening image or a loud noise, the sensory information is relayed to the amygdala. The amygdala then processes this information and generates an emotional response, particularly the feeling of fear (2). It acts as a kind of emotional alarm system, alerting the rest of the brain and body to the presence of a potential danger.

Additionally, the amygdala is involved in coordinating the physiological and behavioral responses associated with fear. This includes the release of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, which prepare the body to respond to the threat through a fight or flight response. In a fight-or-flight response, your body gets ready to either face the threat (fight) or run away from it (flight). Your heart beats faster, sending more blood to your muscles, making you stronger and faster. You might start breathing quicker to get more oxygen. Your senses become sharper, and your body releases adrenaline, a chemical that helps you respond quickly (3).  

Simultaneously, the amygdala communicates with other brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, whose job is to regulate the emotional responses. Essentially, the amygdala will fire the alarm and the prefrontal cortex will help to calm it down or turn the alarm off. The amygdala also communicates with the hippocampus, a brain region next to the amygdala, which plays a key role in the formation and storage of the emotional memories associated with the perceived threat (4). This intricate process not only highlights the evolutionary significance of fear but also shows the remarkable efficiency with which our brains navigate the balance between caution and survival in the face of potential threat. 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Horror “High” 

How does the way our brain processes fear have to do with why some people find enjoyment in watching horror movies? It has to do with adrenaline. As mentioned earlier, when we are afraid our bodies release adrenaline, which is a type of hormone. Adrenaline is known to cause a “rush” or a surge of energy, which can sometimes be followed by an elevated mood or a sense of relief (5). In a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, scientists surveyed 262 adults before and after entering a haunted house, and about 50% of the participants reported feeling less tired, bored, or stressed after their experience (6). A highly likely explanation for why people enjoy horror is because of the “high” that they feel after an adrenaline rush or because of the sense of relief that they feel afterwards. 

                                                                                                                                                                                            

Scared to Death…Safely

However, there is a significant difference between enjoying an adrenaline rush from a horror movie and experiencing an adrenaline rush caused by a legitimate threat to one’s safety. In a study conducted by a group of psychologists, they determined that the line between these two very different ways of experiencing adrenaline has to do with context (7). When our “thinking” brain communicates to our “emotional” brain and tells it that we are in a safe space, we can then adjust the way we experience the high arousal state from adrenaline, going from feeling fear to excitement. For example, if someone is in a haunted house and a person jumps at them, their emotional brain may be scared, but their thinking brain reassures them that the scary person is just a paid actor. On the other hand, if someone is walking down the street and a random person jumps at them, both their emotional and thinking brain will agree that they are in a dangerous situation and it’s time to fight or flee. 

In the book “The Dangerous Edge” by psychologist Michael Apter, he similarly describes that deriving pleasure from being horrified relies on maintaining a psychological “protective frame”. He categorized this “protective frame” into three types, with the first being a “safety frame” which involves the belief in physical safety, allowing enjoyment of horror as long as the perceived threat remains distant. The second type, “detachment,” pertains to the ability to psychologically distance oneself from the horror experience, often achieved by recognizing actors’ performances on screen. Lastly, the “control and manageability frame” involves confidence in handling perceived dangers, such as successfully navigating a haunted house (8). The absence of these protective frames can diminish the appeal of horror consumption, potentially explaining why some individuals avoid spooky movies, books, or events.

It is clear that consuming horror really allows us to experience the adrenaline rush from being horrified without being in any danger and from the comfort of our own homes. Our brains, it seems, are adept at transforming fear into fascination.

                                                                                                                                                                                            

References

1. “amygdala.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/science/amygdala.
2. Siegel, Jerome M., et al. “Amygdala Lesions Reduce Cataplexy-Like Behavior in Hypocretin-Deficient Narcoleptic Dogs.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 110, no. 37, 2013, pp. 14845–14850. doi:10.1073/pnas.1219167110.
3. “Understanding the Stress Response.” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response.
4. “Where are Memories Stored?” Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, qbi.uq.edu.au/brain-basics/memory/where-are-memories-stored.
5. “Adrenaline: What It Is and Why It’s Important.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23038-adrenaline.
6. Welch, Shanna A., et al. “Amygdala Activity Contributes to the Dissociative Effect of Cannabis on Pain Perception.” Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 44, no. 9, 2019, pp. 1627–1633. doi:10.1038/s41386-018-0258-4.
7. “The Amygdala in PTSD: Mediator of Autonomic Arousal Only?” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 7, 2016, Article 204. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00204.
8. Bickart, Kevin C., et al. “Amygdala Volume and Social Network Size in Humans.” Nature Neuroscience, vol. 14, no. 2, 2011, pp. 163–164. doi:10.1038/nn.2724.