‘The Horror Paradox’: How Watching Horror Movies Can Calm Anxiety and Help You Cope With Difficult Situations

“Aristotle himself (384 BC-322 BC) commented that it is strange how we are conditioned to avoid and run away from dangerous, disgusting, harmful and horrible things. And yet we become magnetized when we are in contact with disgusting, horrible, harmful or terrifying things.”

In the last 10 years, psychologists have finally begun to solve this enigma. Evidence indicates that horror stories interact with basic brain processes that help us deal with uncertainty.

The latest research suggests that fictional horror stories could even provide important psychological benefits, such as reducing the anxiety we feel about real-world events.

Therefore, terror is a balm for our worries.

Psychologist Coltan Scrivner, from Arizona State University, in the United States, is the author of the new book Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can’t Look Away (“Morbid curiosity: scientist explains why we can’t look away”, in free translation). He is one of the pioneers in the study of this topic.

Since he was a child, Scrivner has always appreciated the emotion generated by scary stories. But it wasn’t until he reached university that he began to question the ubiquity of horror stories in human culture.

“The earliest evidence we have in writing includes horrible demons and monstrous beasts,” says Scrivner. He refers to the Babylonian tablets from 4,000 years ago, which record the Epic of Gilgamesh.

“I would say that the characteristics of horror stories are as old as the language itself,” according to him.

One explanation would be that horror stories serve as a kind of game that allows us to understand the world around us and prepares us for the threats we may face.

“It’s an adaptation for any animal, including humans, to understand and learn about the dangers around them,” says Scrivner.

We can see the origins of this issue in other species. Gazelles, for example, often watch predators from a distance before fleeing.

“The reason human beings seem to be the most morbidly curious creatures of all is that we have this incredible ability to create, transmit and consume stories,” says Scrivner.

The researcher has already gathered several confirmations of these adaptive benefits.

In one of his studies, Scrivner recruited about 400 participants to answer an online questionnaire. They assessed whether or not they agreed with a series of statements about their consumption of horror films.

Participants answered questions such as:

Analyzing the results, Scrivner concluded that it is possible to divide the participants into three main groups.

The first were called “adrenaline addicts”. They were carried away by the physical sensation of suspense and declared that fear made them feel “more alive.”

The second group was the “terrified”. Your tendency is to hate the stress caused by films of this genre.

“They don’t necessarily like the feeling of fear, but rather the feeling of overcoming it,” explains Scrivner. They feel that the process helped them, for example, learn something important about themselves.

The third group is the “shadow negotiators”. For them, films are a way of coping with real life.

These participants reported that they watch horror films to observe, for example, how violent the world is and to remember how safe their lives are, compared to the blood spilled on the screen.

Some have even considered the on-screen action as a way to manage their own anxiety or depression. It was a way of putting his courage to the test.

Each of these reasons offers an explanation of the paradox of our fascination with the macabre.

“There can be several paths to morbid curiosity,” according to Scrivner.

To check whether the same results would be obtained in a completely different context, Scrivner teamed up with Danish researchers.

They questioned visitors to the Dystopia Haunted House — an interactive experience in the city of Vejle, Denmark, built around a maze with special effects and actors trained to terrify visitors.

Exactly the same patterns were observed, which significantly confirms his theory.

“These three ‘types’ were reproduced to perfection in a different language, culture and environment,” explains Scrivner.

They were more likely to agree with statements such as “I followed the news about the pandemic naturally” and “I believe in my ability to get through these difficult times.”

These effects could also reflect a fundamental principle of brain functioning.

In recent decades, philosophers, neuroscientists and psychologists have agreed on the idea that the brain constantly constructs simulations of the world around us. For Miller, “it’s an engine of anticipation.”

In my book The Expectation Effect (“The expectation effect”, in free translation), I describe that our brain employs “predictive processing” to help us interpret new events as they occur and appropriately plan our reactions.

The more precision we have in this processing, the better. This is fundamental to our flexibility in managing this world full of uncertainty.

Miller suggests that horror stories provide the uncertainty needed to keep the “anticipation engine” running, allowing it to refine its simulations and make better predictions of threats in the future.

“Being in this sweet spot means that your forecasting ability is constantly developing, which allows you to become increasingly prepared to manage uncertainty in the long term,” he explains.

Like Scrivner, Miller believes this can be useful for reducing anxiety, moderating our stress response to unsettling events. For him, “terror is an opportunity to experience fear, disgust and pressure.”

Naturally, the advantage is that we remain in the safety and comfort of our sofa during this learning process and can control the fear we feel, whether by pausing the movie, leaving the room or hiding behind a bag of popcorn.

Coltan Scrivner suggests that horror stories could be incorporated into psychological therapy as a way of teaching people how to cope with difficult situations.

With the right book or movie, we can learn to minimize our fear and turn it into a gentle source of encouragement. We would create emotional regulation capabilities that would help us better face everyday stress.

Scrivner says that Dutch researchers used a similar principle to treat children with anxiety, using a video game called MindLight.

The game is set in a haunted house, with gaudy monsters chasing the player’s avatar.

The child uses an encephalography device, which measures his brain activity and directly controls a light on the avatar’s head. The calmer she becomes, the brighter the light becomes, reinforcing her relaxation.

If the child manages to maintain this relaxed state during an attack, the monster transforms into an adorable kitten, which follows the child throughout the house. But if she gets too scared, a message appears with advice to calm her mind before continuing.

In several clinical tests, children who played regularly demonstrated reduced anxiety in their daily lives, with general benefits similar to those of classic cognitive-behavioral therapy.

“It’s amazing because this is the gold standard for treating anxiety in children,” says Scrivner.

He believes that the usual horror stories, whether in books or films, can be used for a similar purpose.

The researcher writes in a review on the topic that “horror entertainment content allows people to experience fear in a safe and controlled environment, which offers the opportunity to practice cognitive reappraisal, tolerate uncomfortable somatic experiences, and challenge emotional reasoning.”

It seems like I missed a good opportunity when that presentation The Exorcist at home it kept me away from everything macabre. If you’re in the same situation, Scrivner recommends looking for something that falls a little outside your usual tolerance.

“Books are usually a good way to start, as you can control your imagination a little better,” he advises. And try to find stories that relate to your other interests.

“Horror is one of the broadest genres out there and you’ll be able to find themes that really appeal to you.”

By following this advice, you may be surprised to see where your morbid curiosity will lead and how calm you may feel for the rest of your life.