The Thrill Of Horror Movies & Rollercoasters: Why Do We Enjoy Being Scared?
Fear is probably one of the most negative emotions that we experience.
Yet, the horror movie industry is booming, people love the thrill of being scared, and rides in themeparks get higher and scarier all the time.
So why is it that some people actually enjoy being scared? (Spoiler: It's more than just the feeling of relief you might be thinking of!)
Feeling of Euphoria
When we're feeling scared - whether that's in a haunted house, a roller coaster, watching a horror movie, or an actually dangerous situation - our body's fight-or-flight-response is being triggered.
This means that a cocktail of different hormones is being released - adrenaline, endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine, and more.
Our body is getting ready to face a dangerous threat, it prepares us by supplying us with a lot of energy, and shifts the attention away from pain.
This is actually a similar experience to a regular feeling of excitement, but the different lies in the context.
When we're in real danger, we would focus on the threat itself and probably not notice these euphoric feelings.
But if we know that we're in a safe environment, we can actually enjoy it. That's why people on rollercoasters often scream, and then burst out laughing right after.
Bonding
If we experience a scary situation together with someone else and we successfully go through it we share a bond with that person.
When we see our friends scream and laugh, the same areas in our brain are activated as if we laughed - so it not only intensifies our own experience, but also makes us feel more close to them.
Memories from experiences that triggered our fight-or-flight-system are being stored and remembered very well - so if it was a positive experience, we'll want to keep going back to that euphoric feeling again and again.
The Feeling Afterwards
Of course, like mentioned above, the feeling of relief afterwards is one of the best parts of a thrilling experience.
During a dangerous situation our heart rate and breathing increase, our muscles tense and we're getting ready to fight (or run away) - but afterwards, the sense of relief is actually stronger than the stress from before.
When people were interviewed after getting out of a haunted house, they mostly remembered the great feeling afterwards - and not so much the actual terror inside.
When we're watching a horror movie or riding a rollercoaster, our brains may know that we're actually safe - but our bodies don't.
So the danger feels real to us - and the feeling of relief and accomplishment feels real too.
It's a boost for our self-esteem, having completed a challenge and overcoming our fears!
Not everybody loves it, though...
Well, some people love the thrill more than others.
Scientists estimate that about 1/3 of the population actively seeks horror/thrill/being scared, while 1/3 actively avoids it and would never voluntarily get themselves in such a situation.
The rest of the people is just in between - they do enjoy thrill from time to time, but probably wouldn't actively look for it.
These differences in preference result from physical differences, and also explain while some people love the feeling of a loop in a rollercoaster, while others hate that and prefer the feeling of falling down and vice versa.
Are you someone that enjoys the thrill of getting scared?
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Instagram -
© Sirwinchester
Interesting, thx for sharing!
I was guessing it had something to do with the relief, but didn't know there were so many different aspects to it
Yes it's actually quite complex, and there are countless things going on inside our bodies when the fight or flight response is triggered!
Halloween is like the BEST time of the year, I love scary stuff! I guess now I know why ^.^
You seem to be among those 33% of people that love being scared! And yes, now you know why it's a pleasant feeling after all :)
I LOVE scary movies. The scarier the better. However, roller coasters not so much. The last one I went on, when the ride stopped, my hands were shaking so bad the guy working the ride had to unlatch my harness.
Oh, well I hope you were at least relieved after the ride ?
And yes people can be quite different in this matter, interesting that you like one but not the other.
Seems like you're in the one third of the population who loves horror!
This post has been ranked within the top 10 most undervalued posts in the first half of Dec 16. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $23.75 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Dec 16 - Part I. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
Pretty cool study.
I've never really enjoyed scarey movies, especially particularly dark ones. But I like some dark movies that don't have that fright factor.
OTOH, I love rides. Well, I used to, but it's been a few years. I never thought of them as scarey so much as thrilling and exhilarating. Sometimes wifey would join me and have tears running down her face. I'm just focused and anticipatory.
Interesting, yes we really all react differently to fear / anticipation. I can definitely understand liking the thrill of a rollercoaster!
Thanks for sharing; the science behind why most of us love these types of movies might not be too surprising, but it is interesting nonetheless.
Thanks for sharing! I've always been really into horror, but constantly ask myself WHY I love it so much. I never really thought of it as a bonding experience, but now that you've pointed it, out I wonder if that's one of the reasons the horror community is so close.
Great post!
Hi, This was a question that I had for a long time ago. I rather Suspense than horror, because I feel that horror is something morbid ( one of the best examples for me is when the movie "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Or "Saw" saga, this is so morbid, people that kills for pleasure... Come on!. I can not say the same about the movie "The Conjuring").