Good omen… How horror films can be good for your health and REDUCE stress
- Cult horror classics like The Shining release powerful chemicals, says research
While they may get your heart racing, the jumps and flinches that horror movies induce can be good for your health, experts claim.
According to a study, tense scenes in cult horror classics like The Shining and The Exorcist release powerful chemicals in the brain known for reducing stress.
Doctor Kristen Knowles, a neuropsychologist at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, said horror films help produce endorphins and dopamine – chemicals linked to happiness and stress relief.
She told The Herald: ‘Researchers have found that watching horror can improve pain tolerance due to the production of endorphins.
A study shows that scenes in cult horror classics like The Shining and The Exorcist release powerful chemicals in the brain known for reducing stress. The photo shows an iconic scene from the horror film The Shining
‘The body’s response to fear or tension is to increase the production of stress hormones, such as adrenaline, which mobilize your body’s energy sources.
‘This is accompanied by an increased heart rate and focused attention.
‘This can all feel quite exciting when that tension is released at the end of the film.
‘Doing this safely can feel good, simply because it is exciting. Think of skydiving as a similar activity that is frightening but also euphoric.”
Endorphins are used by the body to make us feel pleasure and reward.
Horror films offer people a safe way to explore fear because in films, “the objects of fear are more simplistic than in real life.” The photo shows a scene from The Exorcist
They are produced by the brain during eating and exercise, but also when the body feels pain or stress, such as during a horror movie with scares.
Dr. Knowles added that horror films provide people with a safe way to explore their fear because in films, “the objects of fear are more simplistic than in real life.”
She added: ‘Through this safe interaction we can learn to cope with negative emotions and develop resilience to anxiety and stress.’
Her thoughts are supported by a 2012 study from the University of Westminster which found that watching a 90-minute horror film and enjoying a short walk burned the same number of calories.