If people fail to fear, they will not manage to protect themselves from genuine threats. Fear is an important reaction to emotional and physical danger that has been fundamental in human evolution. Fear is a biological and natural condition experienced by everyone. People must experience fear since it ensures people maintain safety. Fear is a complicated human emotion that can be healthy and positive; also, it has negative impacts. If fear affects one’s life in inconvenient and negative ways, it is important to seek treatment. Fear is conceived in the mind though it causes a strong physical response in the body.
Fear is a primitive, powerful, and natural human emotion. Psychology research claims that fear entails a general biochemical reaction and a high personal emotional response. Fear prepares people for imminent danger or the risk of harm, regardless of whether the danger is psychological or physical. In some instance, fears come from actual threats, but a time it stems from imagined dangers. Whereas fear is a normal response to certain situations, it can also result in disruption and distress when extreme or unproportional to the real threat.
Should People be Exposed to Elements of Horror
Everyone has a craving; sometimes, it can be sweets or snacks; one always desires something. These cravings drive people to read scary fiction and expose themselves to horror elements (DiSalvo). People crave to watch horror movies to get rid of the negative emotions inside them. Some people enjoy seeing others being killed or terrorized in horror movies. The enjoyment comes from the excitement and thrill one gets after watching horror movies. However, it is not essentially true that people enjoy seeing others suffer since the human condition is not immoral.
People like the abrupt excitement of seeing a horror movie. Horror movies keep people glued to their screens and make them absorbed with the overstimulation of the events. Watching horror films is like riding a rollercoaster, whereby people aim to show their capabilities and prove that they are not fearful. The analogy between a rollercoaster and watching horror movies is that people celebrate emotions that scare them. For instance, people love riding roller coasters due to the rush and the excitement associated with them; this is the same in horror movies.
Who Should be Exposed to Horror Movies
Some people can never get enough of horror movies. On the other hand, others cannot stand scarier scenes in a film to the point they can feel unsettled for a while (Vinall). As such, some people should be exposed to horror movies, and others should not be exposed. One of the reasons that make people watch horror movies is to experience stimulation. Some people are stimulated physically and mentally by watching terrifying acts or even anticipating these acts. On the other hand, some people are affected negatively by horror movies in the form of anxiety and fear. Watching a horror movie instantaneously activates both forms of stimulation, whereby the greatest enjoyment is experienced during the most dreadful moment.
Notably, horror movies should be exposed to those who get heightened sensations and heaving energy after watching the movies and not to those who become afraid and anxious (Vinall). Horror should be exposed to those people looking forward to gaining new experiences. For instance, Apocalypse horror movies enable people to experience alternative realities like outbreaks of zombies to infestations of aliens. Notably, some new experiences can result in the sense of triumph, for instance, visiting an infamous haunted house. Further, being adventurous to the point of watching horror movies can make one feel more daring and worldly and have bragging rights.
In addition, horror movies should be exposed to those seeking to satisfy their curiosity regarding the dark aspect of the human psyche (Vinall). In real life, people may never get to see a Hannibal Lecter. Human beings are naturally curious species, and most people are fascinated by knowing their capabilities. Watching or reading storylines whereby actors antagonize the nastiest part of themselves act as virtual characters to explore the dark aspects of the human condition.
However, some people should not be exposed to horror movies. Horror movies elicit emotions like shock, stress, fear, and tension (Vinall). Such can lead to the release of hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and norepinephrine from the autonomic nervous system. These hormones can have an adverse impact on sleep. For instance, adrenaline results in the general experience of the film, but higher amounts can cause sleep deprivation. Having good sleep is very crucial for both mental and physical health.
Further, exposing some people to horror makes them suffer sleep loss, which negatively impacts how the brain processes emotions after watching a horror movie and can strengthen negative emotions (Vinall). Poor sleep is strongly correlated to mental health problems. Lack of sleep among grown-ups increases the probability of death by committing suicide. Further, after several sleepless nights, perceptual hallucinations, delusions, and distortions can occur. This means that watching horror movies can cause nightmares and cause poor quality or disrupted sleep. Some people suffer from anxiety after watching horror movies. Chronic anxiety raises the sensitivity to startle-eliciting impetuses, making anxious and stressed people likely to react negatively to horror movies. As such, people who respond negatively to horror movies should not be exposed to scary episodes.
Healthy and Unhealthy Fears
Fear can be healthy and unhealthy, depending on the outcomes. Healthy fear is programmed in the nervous system and provides survival instincts for someone to stay away from danger (“Fighting Your Fears”). On the other hand, unhealthy fear makes a person more watchful than required to keep safe and prevents them from doing the things they love. Fear is a crucial human emotion since it ensures protection from danger and prepares one to take action. However, the same fear can result in long-term anxiety feelings. There are healthy fears, for instance, fears that prompt someone to run for their safety after seeing a dangerous animal. Such fear is necessary for keeping safe.
Contrarily, unhealthy fear is not necessary. For instance, one can be afraid of meeting new people because they don’t want to feel intimidated. However, meeting these people does to pose any threat to their safety. Such fear is unhealthy since one fails to do what they are supposed to do. Knowing the difference between healthy and unhealthy fears is vital to know which fears are necessary and which are not and embark on working on the unnecessary ones to lead a healthy life.
Works Cited
“Fighting Your Fears.” Better Health Channel – Better Health Channel, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Fighting-your-fears.
DiSalvo, David. Forbes, www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2018/10/28/why-do-we-crave-scary-movies-science-suggests-its-a-head-trip-with-surprising-benefits/?sh=442d820e644a.
Vinall, Marnie. “Are Horror Movies Bad for Your Mental Health?” Healthline, www.healthline.com/health/how-do-horror-movies-affect-your-mental-health.
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