The Psychology of Horror

It must be noted, of course, that ghosts are not always scary. Many people believe that they have felt the presence of their dead loved ones. This is often a comforting experience and may sometimes even be connected with a religious experience. It is this comfort, however, that makes malevolent spirits that much more frightening.

An encounter with a ghost of a stranger can be eerie and unsettling. It is also said that the spirits of murder victims or those taken “before their time” are often violent and can affect the living in unpleasant ways. This is an extraordinarily terrifying idea for one who believes in ghosts. Imagine, though, the sheer fright of someone who doesn’t believe in ghosts until he/she meets one. People are generally convinced in what they believe to be facts, and anything disproving these facts can be psychologically damaging. We base our behaviors greatly on what we know and experience – a paranormal encounter can totally shatter one’s perception of reality.

Ghosts induce horror for some of the same reasons that vampires do. Our general uncertainty of death and a possible afterlife affords many potential scenarios, and most of them can be scary due to the mysteries. Science suggests that ghosts are not real, while most major religions speak heavily about an afterlife. Many people are convinced one way or the other, but have we ever truly proved if ghosts exist or not? No, we haven’t.

Zombies

Zombies have a bit in common with vampires, in that they are undead and take living people as victims. Unlike the bloodthirsty vampires, however, zombies usually feed on people’s flesh. Zombies are normally portrayed as ravenous creatures with low intelligence. A horde of zombies attacks very much like a pack of animals.

If you were out in the woods and you suddenly noticed a pack of wolves surrounding you, chances are you’d be extremely frightened. This makes sense, of course, not only through common sense. We have an innate fear of certain animals, predatory creatures to which we might become prey. Some scientists go so far as to say that this fear, developed through thousands of years of evolution, extends to our relationships with other people as well. In a dangerous situation, the “fight-or-flight” state of mind often takes over, and zombies are certainly capable of inducing this in a person afraid of being eaten alive.

Add to this the fact that zombies are the animated corpses of dead people, and you get a sense of closeness to these animalistic creatures. Not too long ago, a zombie was a person, just like you. Something horrible or strange happened that caused the zombie to rise from its grave with a hunger for human flesh. Once again, we are prone to fear a similar outcome for ourselves.

Conclusion

This is obviously just a glimpse into the world of horror, as there are countless types of monsters and scary situations presented in fiction. The sense of fear that horror stories employ can be straight forward (such as serial killers), exaggerated (such as monsters from other dimensions), or anywhere in between. But as long as uncertainties about life exist, as long as people occasionally feel afraid, horror is here to stay. It will remain a popular genre of fiction that, possibly more than any other genre, keeps us in touch with our own raw emotions.