Inverse | Your Brain on Horror Movies | Inverse @inverse | Uploaded 6 years ago | Updated 1 day ago
Ever wonder why some people love horror movies and other people can't stand them? Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate Shannon Odell is back to answer all the mysteries of terrifying movies with the scariest installment of the Your Brain On series yet: HORROR!!! Presented by AMC.
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Watch our new show Squad Up: The Fortnite Talk Show!
youtube.com/watch?v=Oi-prnCYnAQ&list=PLh9sgDrUcPgX_oLis3mNzFtUmPZQVhgBc
If you'd like to see Shannon break down more experiences, check out the whole Your Brain On Blank series. Special thanks to the
crew who worked so hard to craft an extra special episode.
Your Brain on Alcohol
youtu.be/m_R3pny3_2s
Your Brain on The Flu
youtu.be/n-c-e5jXCS4
Your Brain on Breakups
youtu.be/sd4Jhyxf_fY
Your Brain on Puppies
youtu.be/I9IuuRPPY80
Horror movies are so effective because on a subconscious level, your brain thinks you're about to be murdered. When you’re sitting and watching a screen, the motor regions of your brain turn off as your body relaxes. On a conscious level, your brain is aware that a movie isn't real life. Horror movies are so terrifyingly effective because they bypass the conscious parts of the brain to tap directly into the fight or flight response. It begins in the amygdala, which evolved to respond immediately to anything that looks like a threat, regardless of how real it actually it. It sounds the alarm to your body, first activating the hypothalamus, which tells your adrenal glands to inject you with a big boost of adrenaline. This causes the heart to pump faster and faster, delivering more oxygen to the muscles in case you need to fight something or run away. The movie might not be real, but your brain to take any chances.
Possibly the most effective piece of a horror movie doesn't even show up on the screen: it's the music. The screechy, discordant, non-linear noises that build and crescendo sounds enough like a baby’s scream that they activate the same genetically hardwired response pathway that a wailing child does. Horror music can also create a discordant and unsettling feeling for the audience with tritones, which were called the devil in music in the middle ages. The lack of resolution is unsettling and makes me feel like something is wrong. Screechy violins and discordant notes with loud spikes work together to keep the brain’s fear response activated and the horror movie watcher both alert and uneasy.
So why do we watch horror movies at all? And let’s make no mistake, we do watch horror movies. A lot. According to Variety Magazine, horror movies have made billions of dollars in ticket sales since Frankenstein in 1931. One possible reason is linked to addiction pathways. The adrenaline released from a fear response can cause a viewer to seek out that sensation again and again. Another possible reason for loving horror movies is the Arousal Transfer Theory, suggesting that negative emotions created by scary situations can intensify the positive feelings we experience when the characters make it out alive. It’s also theorized that seeing horror movies allows people to feel the rush of anxiety and terror in a safe environment, allowing them the potential to cope with other scary scenarios.
About Inverse
Inverse sparks curiosity about the future. We explore the science of anything, innovations that shape tomorrow, and ideas that stretch our minds. Our goal is to motivate the next generation to build a better world.
http://www.inverse.com
#inverse #horrormovies #horror
Ever wonder why some people love horror movies and other people can't stand them? Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate Shannon Odell is back to answer all the mysteries of terrifying movies with the scariest installment of the Your Brain On series yet: HORROR!!! Presented by AMC.
Subscribe to Inverse! http://goo.gl/VJUxU2
New Merch! 'Science & Chill t-shirts! inverse.com/tshirts
Get our Newsletter 'Musk Reads' on everything Elon Musk: inverse.com/newsletter
Watch our new show Squad Up: The Fortnite Talk Show!
youtube.com/watch?v=Oi-prnCYnAQ&list=PLh9sgDrUcPgX_oLis3mNzFtUmPZQVhgBc
If you'd like to see Shannon break down more experiences, check out the whole Your Brain On Blank series. Special thanks to the
crew who worked so hard to craft an extra special episode.
Your Brain on Alcohol
youtu.be/m_R3pny3_2s
Your Brain on The Flu
youtu.be/n-c-e5jXCS4
Your Brain on Breakups
youtu.be/sd4Jhyxf_fY
Your Brain on Puppies
youtu.be/I9IuuRPPY80
Horror movies are so effective because on a subconscious level, your brain thinks you're about to be murdered. When you’re sitting and watching a screen, the motor regions of your brain turn off as your body relaxes. On a conscious level, your brain is aware that a movie isn't real life. Horror movies are so terrifyingly effective because they bypass the conscious parts of the brain to tap directly into the fight or flight response. It begins in the amygdala, which evolved to respond immediately to anything that looks like a threat, regardless of how real it actually it. It sounds the alarm to your body, first activating the hypothalamus, which tells your adrenal glands to inject you with a big boost of adrenaline. This causes the heart to pump faster and faster, delivering more oxygen to the muscles in case you need to fight something or run away. The movie might not be real, but your brain to take any chances.
Possibly the most effective piece of a horror movie doesn't even show up on the screen: it's the music. The screechy, discordant, non-linear noises that build and crescendo sounds enough like a baby’s scream that they activate the same genetically hardwired response pathway that a wailing child does. Horror music can also create a discordant and unsettling feeling for the audience with tritones, which were called the devil in music in the middle ages. The lack of resolution is unsettling and makes me feel like something is wrong. Screechy violins and discordant notes with loud spikes work together to keep the brain’s fear response activated and the horror movie watcher both alert and uneasy.
So why do we watch horror movies at all? And let’s make no mistake, we do watch horror movies. A lot. According to Variety Magazine, horror movies have made billions of dollars in ticket sales since Frankenstein in 1931. One possible reason is linked to addiction pathways. The adrenaline released from a fear response can cause a viewer to seek out that sensation again and again. Another possible reason for loving horror movies is the Arousal Transfer Theory, suggesting that negative emotions created by scary situations can intensify the positive feelings we experience when the characters make it out alive. It’s also theorized that seeing horror movies allows people to feel the rush of anxiety and terror in a safe environment, allowing them the potential to cope with other scary scenarios.
About Inverse
Inverse sparks curiosity about the future. We explore the science of anything, innovations that shape tomorrow, and ideas that stretch our minds. Our goal is to motivate the next generation to build a better world.
http://www.inverse.com
#inverse #horrormovies #horror
