The love of scare stories, horror stories and ghost stories is common around the world, but what is behind our fascination with these dark narratives? Psychology and evolution offer insight into why humans enjoy being scared, even though logic would suggest we should avoid these types of experiences.
Our emotional lives are full of a variety of experiences, both positive and negative. Fiction, including horror and ghost stories, reflects this mix of emotions, presenting stories full of tension, conflict, danger, but also love and success. For a story to be interesting, it must contain a certain amount of adversity, similar to those we may encounter in real life. Part of the pleasure we get from these stories comes from the psychological arousal they induce, which is exciting even if it involves fear, normally a very unpleasant emotion.
Our interest in horror movies may also stem from our evolutionary past. Monsters and creatures such as giant spiders, snakes, and zombies may not represent modern threats, but rather those that troubled our distant ancestors. Such stories immerse us in worlds full of dangers that have been essential to our evolution, allowing us to engage our imaginations with threat scenarios. The opportunity to play with fear can help teach important lessons about the dangers of the world and our own responses to threat, and even increase our resilience.
Additionally, research suggests that horror fans may be more mentally resilient during stressful situations like COVID-19 lockdowns because horror movies provide a context in which people can practice emotion regulation, which may help them better manage their own fear and anxiety.
Research findings also point to a psychological "protective frame" that allows some people to enjoy horror movies while maintaining a sense of security, disconnection from reality, and control over the perceived threat. People who possess characteristics such as sensation seeking and openness to new experiences may be more likely to seek out and enjoy horror experiences.
Research also indicates that people from countries with higher GDP per capita watch more horror material, which may be related to greater resources helping to maintain a sense of control over circumstances, which is crucial to enjoying horror consumption.
Our fascination with fear stories, from ghosts to zombies, is a complex phenomenon that intertwines psychological, evolutionary and socio-cultural aspects. This allows not only for an exciting experience, but also for the exploration of the darker sides of the human psyche in a safe environment.
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