Have you ever thought about death? What it would be like? How it would happen? When it really comes down to it, are you afraid? If so, what is so captivating about watching death and/or other horror scenes in movies or reading it in books? For many years researches have been looking for ways to explain why the psyche is so attracted to the idea of horror. From books to television and everything in between, horror has been manufactured as a part of our lives, whether it be to trigger a mechanism in our bodies to protect ourselves, or as something to watch as an entertaining pastime. People may never know the real reason fear is so attractive to the human mind, but many theories include that of Evolution, Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytical …show more content…
(Clasen 5). To further the theory regarding evolution, “Why We Are Attracted to Monsters” argues that humans have adapted in order to search for survival methods in all aspects of our lives. The author discusses that the reason this vital instinct is the pushing factor for why humans actively seek out horror in films is to, “pay attention to enhance chances of survival” (Why We Are Attracted To Monsters). Because horror movies represent such fear, anguish, and gore, the mind is triggered to respond to this stimuli, in order to find protection for the body which in result, continues to catch our attention. In Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytical Theory, researchers argue that because of the Id, Ego, and SuperEgo, we are inherently attracted to the idea of horror. When discussing the Psychoanalytical Theory, it is important to note that our psyche, per Freud, is broken down into three main categories—Id, Ego, and Superego. The Id, is the impulsive aspect of our psyche where humans have an instinctive primitive nature where we tend to make very irrational and hasty decisions without any conscious thought. Unlike the Id, the Ego is the decision-making center that mediates the primitive nature of the Id. The Ego finds ways to satisfy the demands of the Id without suffering any of the negative
First timers would go to a horror film showing to face their fears. Like an amusement park, horror movies can be a very scary experience for certain people. Such as, when King stated, “To show that we can [...], that we can ride this roller coaster” (“Why We Crave” King 1). When he said this, he referred to riding a roller coaster is like watching a horror movie. One special fear that almost everyone has is the fear of death itself. As King once said, “Death is when the monsters get you” (King). What he could mean here is that when you die, the monsters take over your body. Stephen King has such great information on why we crave horror and one of those reasons is to face our fears.
Psychoanalysis created by Sigmund Freud is much like Individual therapy in the sense that it will explore the past and how any past circumstances are effecting the now adult. This therapy will last as long as the client needs the support of the counselor and relies on the client’s full participation. In this form of therapy the counselor will participate in guiding the client thru the unconscious mind to and find how it may be contributing to thoughts and behaviors that are causing the client distress. Like analytical therapy psychoanalysis will cover a variety of issues including psychosexual, compulsive, and depressive disorders. According to Haggerty, J. (2006) “The essence of Freud’s theory is that sexual and aggressive energies originating in the id (or unconscious) are modulated by the ego, which is a set of functions that moderates between the id and external reality. Defense mechanisms are constructions of the ego that operate to minimize pain and to maintain psychic equilibrium. The superego, formed during latency (between age 5 and puberty), operates to control id drives
Watching a scary movie tends to heighten our emotions, allowing fear, excitement, and anticipation to course through our veins. Many experience an adrenaline rush, due to their intensified emotions, causing a pull towards watching horror movies. This thrill is an unexplainable sensation, that has the ability to captivate the viewer. Furthermore, the suspense posses us to continue to watch the movie, keeping us at edge of our seats. We become driven to know what will happen next. Moreover, the dramatic irony in horror movies has a tendency to keep the viewer engaged. For example, the viewer knows who the murderer is, however the characters on screen perceive him to be a trusted confidant. Although, many people are scared to face their fears,
Stephen King wrote the short story “Why We Crave Horror Films” explaining why our mind gets so excited during horror movies. He continues to make the statement “the horror film has become the modern public lynching” (paragraph 6) showing that no matter what generation a person is in the excitement of gore will always exist. King proves this statement discussing emotions and psychiatric points in his work.
sample, but it also appeals to population and emotion. To further explain why we crave
A big thing that Asma highlights in his essay is the idea that humans love monsters simply for the fact that they remind us of how vulnerable we are to those stronger than us. A large part of the enjoyment we receive from horror films is when one asks themselves how they would respond if they were in the same situation as the main character, would
“Why we crave horror movie” is a type of mini review written by Stephen King in playboy 1981 in which he had discussed, various features of the horror movies. Stephen King is an American writer well famous for writing the horror movies and is popular in the world of literature as Richard Bachman. In this mini-review King had used an ethical approach to delineate the differences between the some of the horror movies and to highlight certain psychological factors responsible for people’s craving for the horror movies. In this piece of writing, King had spotted certain emotions that become reason for this psychological drive. Moreover, he by using his straightforward approach
Do you enjoy watching murder, the paranormal, and any other morbid scene which makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, your palms sweat, and your adrenaline surge? Why people enjoy watching murder, tragedy, and carnage in their spare time has been a mysterious phenomenon. If these gruesomely horrific scenes would not be enjoyable in real life, why is watching a recreation of it so riveting? Stephen King, a world-renowned horror novelist, wrote “Why We Crave Horror Movies” to give insight as to why horror movies, although gruesome and morbid, captivate audiences. King also aims to persuade readers to continue to watch horror movies, arguing that they are a crucial part of keeping sanity. King delves into this psychological aspect of humans and believes that the desire to watch horror films is a normal tendency of humankind. “Why We Crave Horror Movies” includes appeals to emotion, logic, and author credibility in order to convince readers of the positive, normal desire to watch horror films, why it is important to watch them, and why the reader should believe what the author is saying. King utilizes the rhetorical devices—pathos, logos, and ethos—in an effective way through the use of metaphor, logic, humor, and emotion to persuade readers that watching horror films is normal.
If somebody asked me what my favorite type of movie is I would probably say horror. I would say horror because it provides a thrill in me that no other type of movie sparks within me. When reading Stephen King’s article I realized there is more to a horror movie than just thrill, there is anticipation, and even suspense shown. In “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, Stephen King uses a mysterious tone and pathos to successfully persuade his audience of kids and adults into watching mysterious horror movies that will let you re-establish your feelings.
Humans really do crave horror to “show that we can”. (King, “Why We Crave” 1) We watch horror movies and
Further, King goes on to state that when we watch a horror movie, “we are daring the nightmare,” meaning we are almost begging to be scared. King also states there are multiple reasons for this, but one of the main points is “to show that we can, that we are not afraid.” He then appeals to the audience experiences by making his paper more relatable and comical when he compares horror movies to roller coasters. King states, they are both usually liked by the young, but once their age reaches to the forties or fifties, “one’s appetite for double twists or 360-degree loops may be considerably depleted.” Additionally, King uses his clever collage of comparisons to explain one of the horror genre’s many intentions are to show us right from wrong. Which might also provide some of us with “psychic relief,” throwing ourselves in a place where intensive questioning is unnecessary, giving people a small break from their complicated daily life.
Freud attempted to explain how the unconscious functions by dividing it into three structures, the id, ego, and superego. The id holds our primitive instincts that demand immediate gratification, because it operates on the pleasure principle (McLeod, 2010). Similarly, the ego also seeks pleasure. However, instead of seeking immediate gratification, the ego acts realistically in order to avoid potentially negative consequences that may arise. On the other hand, our superego represents our conscious. It encompasses the morals and values we learn by society and our parents as we go through the stages of
A fair claim can be made on human nature that humans tend to crave the unknown, even if they are afraid of it. People still watch to the end of horror movies even though they know they will regret it shortly after. Often times these films or even TV shows leave a lasting impact on a person emotionally, an impact that can stay with someone way after the two hour movie is complete. Us as humans like to believe that we are stronger than the film and it is simply just acting but often times that is not the case. In films similar to Nightmare on Elm Street, Child’s Play, Cabin in the Wood, and The Exorcist, the audience is suppose to receive a reaction that is almost suppose to haunt them. It is no surprise that horror movies are not meant to watch alone because it can and will patronize a person. Viewer’s discretion is often advised and should be taken into consideration before pressing play on any frightful motion picture. A person can be truly be effected by a movie to the point of insanity and great fear.
Horror is designed to scare, cause alarm and dread, while also entertaining the audience at the same time in a cathartic experience (Dirk, 2016). Horror films are meant for a specific type of audience that enjoy scary films. Dirks (Tim, 2016) approach to genre horror, is that films went back as 100 years ago, from the earliest days our vivid imagination in seeing ghosts in the shadows to be connected emotionally of the unknown, and fear things that are improbable. You watch a horror film, it makes you aware of the scary surroundings, the essence of fear itself, without actually being in any sorts of danger. Dirks argues that there is a fun and thrill factor in being frightened, or watching something disturbing. It gives you that feeling of an adrenaline rush, as well as having that feeling someone is actually next to you lurking in the dark (Dirk, 2016).
Sigmund Freud created strong theories in science and medicine that are still studied today. Freud was a neurologist who proposed many distinctive theories in psychiatry, all based upon the method of psychoanalysis. Some of his key concepts include the ego/superego/id, free association, trauma/fantasy, dream interpretation, and jokes and the unconscious. “Freud remained a determinist throughout his life, believing that all vital phenomena, including psychological phenomena like thoughts, feelings and phantasies, are rigidly determined by the principle of cause and effect” (Storr, 1989, p. 2). Through the discussion of those central concepts, Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis becomes clear as to how he construed human character.