Why Some Anxious People Say Scary Movies Calm Them
A clear monster may break the loop of vague worry, and because viewers can pause it and watch it end, the body may get permission to relax.
Hidden Brain · Murder MysteryWhen anxiety will not let go, some people say a horror movie helps them feel calmer. Psychologist Colton Scrivener says horror fans have long reported the effect in online forums like Reddit and in magazine essays, often after stumbling on it by accident.
The reason starts with what anxiety feels like. In generalized anxiety, Scrivener says, a person may not know what is wrong but still gets sweaty palms, a racing heart, and a feeling of vigilance. That vigilance looks for a threat, fails to find one, and then turns itself up higher to keep searching. The result is the familiar loop of rumination.
The mind is built to give threats priority, since anything dangerous should outweigh everything else in view. Scrivener wondered whether horror works like fighting fire with fire. A killer on the screen, a serial killer in a true crime story, or a monster in a book gives the mind something concrete to latch onto. He compares it to a highway off-ramp, a way out of the loop and into the story.
Even so, you are still anxious. What changes, in Scrivener's account, is that the source is identifiable and controllable. A viewer can pause the movie, put the book down, watch with a friend, or recover during the less scary scenes.
Then, after about 90 minutes, the movie ends and the threat disappears. In Scrivener's proposed explanation, the brain takes that as a signal that the threat was found and is now gone. He suggests that what he calls the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest and digest branch that helps the body relax, then kicks in and helps physiologically calm the person down.
Questions people ask
Can horror movies treat an anxiety disorder?
No. Researchers have observed the pattern and proposed a mechanism, but horror is not an established therapy for anxiety disorders. People with severe, persistent, or impairing anxiety should talk with a clinician about treatments with stronger evidence.
Why would a scary movie work better than a feel-good movie?
Many people assume a comedy or romance would help most when they feel bad. Scrivener says stressed people often choose difficult or scary material instead. He says many fans wrote online that they stumbled on the calming effect without understanding why it worked.
What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
It is the branch of the involuntary nervous system associated with recovery after stress, slowing heart rate and breathing and aiding digestion. It works in balance with the fight or flight branch, which mobilizes the body when a threat appears.