The Science of Fear

/

Why do we love watching horror movies? What keeps us coming back to horror novels?

For me, I love the thrill. I am not much of a risk-taker in life. I much prefer the safety of keeping my two feet securely on the ground. Horror is my adrenaline rush. But is there a scientific reason to back up this obsession with being scared?

Some scientists believe that a couple of factors can contribute to people’s love of being scared.

Contributors of Fear Enjoyment:

1.     The Excitation Transfer Process: While watching a scary movie or reading a horror novel, our heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase, which means we are excited. This excitement sticks around after the movie is over or after we have set our novel down. The excitement we feel translates into positive feelings, so we associate being scared with having a good time.

2.     Different Wiring: Not everyone feels the same way about being scared. Some people enjoy the adrenaline rush associated with horror films and books, just like there are people who do not enjoy the adrenaline rush from roller coasters and other such activities. We are all wired differently, which is why horror is not for everyone.

3.     Novelty: The horror genre can be seen as something that disrupts the routine. It offers viewers or readers something that they normally wouldn’t come across. It would be like when you drive by a car accident and slow down to look out of curiosity.

4.     Age and Gender: I am sorry to admit that there is an ample amount of evidence that shows that men prefer the horror genre over women. As a woman, I will admit that there aren’t too many of us horror lovers out there, but I didn’t think there would be such a discrepancy. It is also evident that younger individuals like horror over older ones.

I am not just a fan of the horror genre. I am also in love with true crime. I find serial killers, murders, and all that rather interesting. I watch documentaries, listen to podcasts, and read true crime books. I even love murder mystery shows like Criminal Minds and CSI. Some people find this interesting, considering the fact that most murder victims are women.

So why would I want to indulge in these kinds of things when I could be a victim myself?

Some experts think that if we watch, listen, or read, we can learn to spot possible predators out in the world. Some psychologists believe that people who enjoy being scared and love true crime and horror possess something they refer to as a “protective frame” and has three categories:

Protective Frame Categories:

1.     Safety Frame- these individuals understand that whether they are watching, reading, or listening to frightening things, they are doing so from a safe place. They understand that they are in a physically safe place so they can enjoy the scary thing they are consuming.

2.     Detachment- people who enjoy horror and true crime are able to detach themselves from what is happening in the movie, book, or podcast.

3.     Managing Danger- these people can be confident in the knowledge that they can overcome the danger that they are witnessing

I like to believe that those of us who love being scared are just a very special breed.

So, do you like to be scared?

If you want to know more about the science of fear, check out one of my favourite podcasts that did an awesome job on the topic.

I love to indulge in the dark side of life and party with the monsters under my bed. I have been in love with the horror genre since the age of eleven and haven’t regretted a moment.

Horror in Retrospect

/
“Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win”
— Stephen King

History of Horror in Fiction:

My love of horror novels changed as I grew; it developed as I did. It started with Goosebumps, and then I turned to R.L. Stien’s Fear Street books. When I got too old for those, I started on Christopher Pike. At the age of fourteen, I was introduced to Stephen King, and now I read whatever I can get my hands on. I haven’t looked back. But who paved the way for these authors?

The first glimpse we have of the horror genre was in the 18th century with the emergence of Gothic novels, which are defined as pseudo-medieval fiction with elements of mystery and terror. The horror genre took on a life of its own and changed over the 200 years it has been around. Here are some of the most significant contributors to the genre.

Key Horror Books and Authors:

Frankenstein's Monster

8ft recreation of Mary Shelley’s monster in Frankenstein found in Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath, England

1765- Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is said to be the first published horror story.

1818- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley first introduced the concept of pseudoscience in horror. This is one of my favourite classic novels.

1841- The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe within the emerging Romantic era, where we first see the use of psychoanalysis in fiction. This era also introduces the idea that horror isn’t just monsters and supernatural creatures; that man can also be a monster.

1886- Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

1897- Dracula by Bram Stoker

1908- “The Alchemist” by H.P. Lovecraft. His works introduce the idea of alternate worlds and the beginning of the speculative fiction genre.

1959- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirly Jackson

1962- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

1974- Carrie by Stephen King

Horror in written form keeps evolving throughout the decades with scientific discoveries and our understanding of our world. As we understand more about how our world works, we discover new ways in which it can go horribly wrong and scare the shit out of us. The horror genre has expanded and now includes horror comedy, psychological horror, monster movies, paranormal horror, and so much more.

Looking over this list, you may notice that the early horror writers heavily influenced the transition to horror movies, but where did horror movies start?

History of Horror Movies

I’ll start by saying that the first horror movie I watched was so long ago that I couldn’t even tell you the name of it. I was probably in grade six (this is back in the early 90s), and I had a friend whose mother would let her watch scary movies, so when I slept over, she would throw one on. The movie involved teenage demon possession, blood, and jump scares. It terrified me and gave me nightmares for a long time afterwards, but I was hooked.

Scary movies started with the birth of moving pictures. The way movies functioned back then offered the horror genre the perfect platform. The first movies were silent, dark, and the filmed movements were stuttered and jerky (they didn’t have the frame rates we have now), creating the perfect atmosphere for creepy images. The first short film was called “Le Squelette Joyeux,” created by the Lumiere brothers.





movie poster for the cabinet of dr. caligari

Key Horror Movies:

1915- “The Golem”- was dubbed the first monster movie (silent movie)

1920- “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (silent)

1922- “Nosferatu” (silent)

1931- “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”

1932- “The Mummy”

1933- “King Kong”

1935- “Bride of Frankenstein” and “The Werewolves of London”

1941- “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”

1956- “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”

1960- “Psycho”

Once the movie industry entered the 1950s, the horror genre ignited and has continued to burn brightly ever since. Now, a couple of horror movies come out yearly instead of one or two a decade. According to Forbes magazine, the horror industry is worth $1 billion annually. It’s evident that whatever filmmakers are doing, we all love it.

I know that, for me, as soon as October hits, all I want is to curl up on the couch and watch movies that will, hopefully, scare the poop out of me. I will also have a stack of scary books beside my bed, which will probably impact my sleep, but I couldn’t care less.

Teresa loves to indulge in the dark side of life and party with the monsters under her bed. Teresa has been in love with the horror genre since the age of eleven and hasn’t regretted a moment.