Horror films are not suitable for everyone: they can help some to face their fears but for others, watching them would be bad for their health. Explanations.
- “The Manor of the Devil”, released in 1896, is considered the very first horror film.
- It was Georges Méliès, the inventor of special effects, who made it.
Tonight, you might choose to watch a horror movie while eating candy to celebrate Halloween. But beware, for some people, this activity would not be a good idea.
The fear caused by horror films: a pleasant feeling
In a communicatedAmerican psychiatrists from Milton S. Hershey Hospital, in Pennsylvania, USA, believe that the impact of watching a horror movie depends on the person watching it. For some, they would be pleasant and could help them deal with their fears. For others, however, they would not be beneficial at all.
The principle of a horror film is to scare even if it is not real. For it to work, the director must therefore manage to make us forget that it’s false. “People usually try to avoid things that make them feel uncomfortable, Explain Dr. Ramnarine Boodoochild psychiatrist who participated in the drafting of the press release. So why do people love things like truly grotesque horror movies?” The answer is “the paradox of horror“.
Watching “The Exorcist,”there is an activation of what is called the sympathetic nervous system, which can cause things like increased heart rate and increased breathing rateexplains Dr. Ramnarine Boodoo. This can cause quite strong nausea. Perspiration. It can often feel like a panic attack“.
For some people, psychiatrists explain that these sensations would be pleasant. They compare them to those of a roller coaster: feeling adrenaline without being in real danger.
Horror movies to face your own fears
Watching horror movies can also help you better face your own fears. Indeed, as the viewing progresses, they act a bit like a therapy and help to reduce the feeling of fear in daily life.
“You can apply these tactics to real life scenarios, explains Hannah Nam, researcher who participated in the drafting of this press release. I have also found that it can be a form of stress relief for some people.“.
Horror movies can be bad for your health
But this method does not work for everyone. The feeling of fear is subjective and can therefore be very different from person to person. For those suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, anxiety disorders, heart or respiratory problems, but also for very young children, psychiatrists advise against watching horror films because they will not derive any benefit from them. Worse, these can even be harmful to their health because they are actually afraid. Psychiatrists believe in particular that this can increase the aggressiveness of some people.
Thus, you should never force someone to watch a horror movie. When you propose this activity to your loved ones, first make sure that everyone is comfortable before taking out the popcorns… And this, even on Halloween night!
