Confessions of a Former Scaredy-Cat
I still get scared, but now I like it.
As a child, I was afraid of the dark. This is likely developmentally appropriate; most kids go through a phase where they want a nightlight to keep closet monsters at bay. I was terrified by the dark because of what it could be hiding, and what, if I opened my eyes at the wrong moment or peeked in the wrong corner, could pop out at me.
I had a very active and detailed imagination.
Not only was I afraid of the dark, but scary shows freaked me out, too. And by “scary shows” I mean, “Scooby-Doo. Where Are You!” (the original animated series). The monsters scared me. Yes, I knew at the end of every episode the “monster” would be unmasked by those pesky kids, the effects would be revealed to be, literally, smoke and mirrors.
The end of the show didn’t matter because up until that moment, the monster was real, and so was the danger. At least to this 6-year-old girl.
A television special that scared me was It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The first time I watched it, when (SPOILER ALERT) the Great Pumpkin — but not really — rose up out of the pumpkin patch, I thought my heart was going to stop.
An image on Twitter posted by @WeirdFriction has been haunting me for days. It is full of equal parts dread and nostalgia.
If you are not familiar with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and especially if you have children in your life, I highly recommend making it part of your October viewing, and soon.
If you have a child with a wild imagination and fear of the dark, I encourage you to be ready to give reassurances and hugs when The Great Pumpkin — but not really — comes onscreen.
Fast Forward
Even as I was afraid of the dark and spooked by Scooby-Doo, I kept watching. And now, as an adult, I love horror as a genre, in books and in movies. Stephen King is my favorite author. And I love viewing a good psychological thriller, especially when a jump scare or two is thrown in.
It turns out, fans of horror may be more resilient than your average ghost. According to Psychology Today, fans of horror have experienced less psychological distress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People who enjoy horror movies might be coping better with living through a pandemic because they have a sense of personal agency that allows them to see difficult circumstances as challenges they can overcome.”
Although scary movies and stories provoke negative emotions such as anxiety and fear, some psychologists think that the “simulated threatening environment” provides fans the opportunity to experience negative emotions and overcome them. Evolutionary biologists theorize that horror films provide a “dress rehearsal” for coping with real fears. They help us think through actual danger by presenting us with a fictional boogeyman, as it were.
Of course, many fans of horror also report being risk takers and high sensation seekers, so it’s not all good news. In addition, although horror fans reported significantly less psychological distress related to the pandemic, they didn’t report greater positive resilience (i.e. the ability to enjoy positive experiences) or more preparedness (i.e. we’re not hoarding toilet paper).
As for myself, I think one reason that I keep watching the scary stuff is because once the lights go back up, I feel a great sense of relief to be safe again. It takes me awhile to be comfortable walking the dog at night after watching horror films, but eventually I adjust.
I also like watching the protagonist(s) eventually figure out how to save themselves. What is the monster’s weakness, and how can they exploit it? Even IT, a seemingly unbeatable creature, has a chink in the armor. The satisfaction of watching the Final Girl get comeuppance cannot be understated.
Plus, horror teaches us good life lessons. For example: Always remember to turn on the lights before walking into a dark room. You never know what’s waiting behind the door.
Do you like horror, or is being scared not for you? What’s your favorite horror movie or book?
