An article from National Geographic describes how some people find relief from watching horror movies. The “controlled fear” experiences work as a sort of exposure therapy for emotional traumas. Author Nicole Johnson describes a personal example:
“I watched through splayed fingers as a monster tormented and killed people while I screamed from the safety of my living room. Afterward, I felt two things: pride at having made it through the movie—and an immediate sense of relief tinged with euphoria. It was the best form of cathartic release. For the next several decades of my life, horror movies became a way for me to deal with tragedies and obstacles, including a divorce and the deaths of other loved ones.”
Read “How horror movies can help people overcome real-world trauma” here
Photo by Steinar Engeland on Unsplash
