October 2025 "WHY DO WE ENJOY HORROR?" by Estefani Gordillo

      The adrenaline rush, maybe? I don’t know. It’s hard to explain. Horror is a big business. Of course, fear isn’t everyone’s cup of tea or coffee. We are in the month where horror is the tool for celebrating Halloween. So much for escaping through the doors to Venus or Mars. It may seem like people look for an experience to seek out a negative emotion. But is it really negative for those who love horror? Let's look at the psychological way of thinking. We cannot get hurt. To be able to enjoy a scary movie, one has to be sure that the horror and pain are far from one’s reach. There is a safety distance between the evil taking place and the person watching it. So that is a big relief! Being in control is another major factor that can play into how some perceive horror. Enjoying a little bit of thriller is a good feeling for those who know that they are in control of the scary feeling and are able to overcome it. People have a high sensation of wanting to feel, and because of this, they are more likely to want to feel a scary or unsettling emotion just to seek or experience what it is like. Detachment is also used to calm that unsettling feeling when watching that one favorite murder show. When you start to gain anxiety and fear, you can detach yourself by reminding yourself that the people on the screen are just actors and it is their job to create a tremendous play for their audience.

     Fear isn’t all bad. We actually rely on fear for protection from potential threats. This is where our flight or fight instincts come in. Horror movies are actually meant to give us that unsettling feeling of surviving a scary scene. It isn’t just about what we see or don’t see that causes the movie to be scary. Think about the sound and music increasing when a jump scare is about to happen. Or a lonely or sad hustle of the wind when a scary character is about to appear. As horrifying as this sounds, some of us enjoy unexpected turns and commotion in a movie. That's why the more spontaneous a horror movie is, the more likely we will settle to watch it. We want to know what happens next, even if we get mad that the ending should not have been like that! So it is no surprise that we get the feeling of excitement and fear at the exact same time.

      For whatever it is worth, you don’t have to sit down and watch a scary movie if it is not your preference. It's in our best interest to understand why people enjoy this month. We can learn from one another and why some of us prefer horror. But as I mentioned in the beginning, it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Halloween doesn’t have to be about fear. So go out and enjoy Halloween the way you prefer!

Here are some fun ways to get through the night:

• Bake some pumpkin shaped cookies with your friends

• Decorate and make friendly-ghost masks

• Create and design non-scary costumes