http://sciencenordic.com/why-horror-so-popular
EXCERPT: Imagine you’re an alien anthropologist sent to Earth to document the behaviour of the strange bipedal mammals who inhabit the planet. You stumble into a movie theater that’s showing the latest Hollywood horror film. [...] What on earth is going on? Why do these humans voluntarily expose themselves to what appears to be a deeply unpleasant experience? [...]
I am fascinated with the paradox of horror -- the strange fact that many people seek out scary entertainment. It’s the topic of my new book, *Why Horror Seduces*, and also of my TEDx talk [...] which you can see at the top of this article. [...] My research suggests that humans evolved to find pleasure in situations that allow us to experience negative emotions in a safe context. You can see these element of horror in children’s games. Take hide-and-seek for example, which is a simulation of a predator-prey interaction. [...]
Horror is pleasurable to many people because it lets us play with negative emotions and develop coping strategies. We learn what it feels like to be truly afraid, and we learn how to handle negative emotion. [...] My research suggests that horror works by exploiting an ancient set of biological defence mechanisms -- an evolved fear system.That system evolved to protect us from danger, and we share it with other animals....
MORE: http://sciencenordic.com/why-horror-so-popular
EXCERPT: Imagine you’re an alien anthropologist sent to Earth to document the behaviour of the strange bipedal mammals who inhabit the planet. You stumble into a movie theater that’s showing the latest Hollywood horror film. [...] What on earth is going on? Why do these humans voluntarily expose themselves to what appears to be a deeply unpleasant experience? [...]
I am fascinated with the paradox of horror -- the strange fact that many people seek out scary entertainment. It’s the topic of my new book, *Why Horror Seduces*, and also of my TEDx talk [...] which you can see at the top of this article. [...] My research suggests that humans evolved to find pleasure in situations that allow us to experience negative emotions in a safe context. You can see these element of horror in children’s games. Take hide-and-seek for example, which is a simulation of a predator-prey interaction. [...]
Horror is pleasurable to many people because it lets us play with negative emotions and develop coping strategies. We learn what it feels like to be truly afraid, and we learn how to handle negative emotion. [...] My research suggests that horror works by exploiting an ancient set of biological defence mechanisms -- an evolved fear system.That system evolved to protect us from danger, and we share it with other animals....
MORE: http://sciencenordic.com/why-horror-so-popular