Happy Daze: Horror is Healthy

Boo! Halloween is approaching and you know what that means – picking out a halloween costume, bobbing for apples, eating too much candy, and most importantly, watching scary movies. Whether rooting for the protagonist against the monster or becoming entranced by the evil is what you enjoy about scary movies, not only are they fun, watching them has actually been suggested to have physiological benefits, specifically for anxiety… a win-win situation! According to the article “Horror Movies Can Be Good for Anxiety” by Ashley Abramson, one proposed reason for the benefits of scary movies is that they serve as a source of entertainment without the actual threat of a real-life situation. When compared to the real worries of life that lead to real anxiety, something one is able to control and turn off at the push of a button like a movie can be refreshing, enjoyable, and actually relieve the anxiety from our lives. Furthermore, Meenu Katariya explains in “Just 7 Scientific Reasons That Prove Watching Horror Movies Is Actually Good For Your Health” that watching scary movies activates a division of our autonomic nervous system called our sympathetic nervous system. Our reaction from watching horror movies is commonly known as our “fight or flight” response and is acted on when we are faced with dangerous or stressful situations. However, this situation we put ourselves into is voluntary and we are aware that we aren’t actually in any real danger, so it allows us to feel safe when comparing the movie to the dangers and worries of our real lives. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system releases substances such as adrenaline, glucose, and cortisol into our bodies. The release of glucose, for example, inhibits the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, which controls our response to stress. Also, pumping adrenaline through our bodies can be helpful in strengthening our immune systems as the adrenaline increases white blood cell activity. Katariya goes on to explain that horror movies activate our brain through the release of neurotransmitters that increase brain activity and therefore increase alertness, allowing for concentration in other areas of our life without mental fatigue. Other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin are also released from our neurons as we engage in horror movie watching. These neurotransmitters chemically increase our mood and are released as we do things such as eat the food we like. In the article “The Neurochemicals of Happiness” by Christopher Bergland, dopamine is nicknamed “The Reward Molecule” and serotonin “The Confidence Molecule”. Both of these neurotransmitters serve the role of modulating anxiety, and therefore, the activation of them can be very beneficial to mental health. Well, there you have it – scary movies aren’t only fun and perfect for the season, but also have multiple physiological benefits, so I guess you better get to it!