Why do we like to be afraid?

I watched a documentary last night called Why Horror, which explores why we choose to subject ourselves to horror movies.  I’ve been thinking about this for many years in an effort to understand my own affinity to horror movies and to Halloween in general. 

For me, I believe that I like to be afraid in a safe context, such as a movie, where I can confront my own fears and be in no real danger.  I find it healing to come face to face with the things that frighten me most, to acknowledge my fears and to work through the emotional state of being afraid.  I think it’s a lot like enjoying roller coasters or other amusement rides.  They are a relatively safe and contained way to truly be in the moment of your fear and embrace it.  There is something really powerful about going through these harmless yet terrifying scenarios and surviving them.

Fear is also a cathartic experience.  When the fear subsides, I feel better having exposed myself in deeply vulnerable way to all the things that scare me.  I appreciate being alive!  I also find that my senses come alive and I am more aware of everything around me. 

In Canada and the US we tend to deal with death in a very distant way; it is something we choose to ignore by not talking about it and not embracing its inevitability.  I believe that if we treat death as a normal and natural part of life, that we will be prepared to confront our own mortality in a healthier way.  Other cultures treat death with less fear and dread by dealing with the process of death and its aftermath with much more acceptance.  El Dia de los Muertos, in Mexico, is one of the best examples of this.  It is a celebration of the dead, a welcoming and appreciation of those that have passed.  When we choose to distance ourselves from death it can only create more fear.  In doing so, we diminish our ability to fully enjoy life.  I feel as if I’m better equipped to deal with my fear of death in reality since I have worked through it so many times via horror movies. 

Or perhaps acknowledging this dark side of mine helps to create balance.  In my day to day life I’m very non-violent –  I’m a pacifist, a vegetarian, I don’t kill mosquitos if they land of me, and I go out of my way to save fruit flies if they land in my glass of wine.  Horror movies haven’t nurtured any violent tendencies in me at all.  Perhaps these two extremes in my personality create harmony somehow.

There is always the possibility that all of this is an excuse I make to somehow justify my love of Halloween and horror.  Perhaps all these horror movies and Halloween parties have impacted me negatively. After all, I am in my forties and still can’t sleep with my feet out of the covers over the edge of the bed for fear that the boogie man will grab them.   Would I feel that way if I had never seen so many horror movies?  Hard to know, but I’m ok with that.  And will all this help me confront my own death one day?  Who knows?  We’ll have to wait and see.  Maybe I’ll come back and tell you all about it one day.