Lifestyle — Scary Movies Terrify Us Not Because Of Blood Or Gore
by Sierra Jiminez

I've never understood people who like scary movies.

Seriously, where is the joy in watching something that will give you heart palpitations and nightmares?

My distaste for horror films and spooky television has existed since my days of watching “Are You Afraid Of The Dark” as a kid.

I still have memories of hiding in the kitchen while trying to be brave and occasionally sneaking a peek at whatever scary show my older cousins were enjoying.

I was never the kid that could sit down and enjoy a show like “Tales From The Crypt” or “Goosebumps."

And I definitely still shrieked during my high school years when movies like “Saw” debuted.

But there's one thing that always baffled me about my fear of horror films: If I know the movie isn't real, why am I still scared?

If I'm anticipating something startling or gory happening in a film, shouldn't my brain be able to rationalize it?

Apparently not.

According to Business Insider, that anxiety you feel waiting for the scary moment in movies can actually make your reaction worse.

As the anticipation builds, your adrenaline levels rise and a small portion of your brain called the amygdala starts to override your rational reactions.

The result? You'll still jump at the flashing lights or shrieking sound coming from the television screen.

And bad news, ladies: We're far more susceptible to this than our male counterparts.

According to one study conducted by the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, women are more likely to anticipate an unpleasant experience than men when being forewarned about the possibility.

So what do we do about it?

To be honest, there's not much you can do other than hide under the covers. In fact, this could be the one time where ignorance is actually bliss.

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Citations: Here's why we get scared during horror movies (Business Insider)