What lingering effects does watching
a scary movie have on us
after the fact? How does it affect
our brains?
The mind can’t tell the difference
between the real and the imagined. That’s why mantras and guided imagery can
help us heal.
When we are exposed to real or
imagined tragedy, three things happen:
·
There is an increase of stress hormone that kills the
brain cells where memories are recorded (the hippocampus). That’s why after
something stressful or tragic, we can feel confused.
·
The amygdala (the part of the brain that processes
emotion, including fear) goes into alert mode, looking for threats, listening
for sounds everywhere.
·
The front part of the brain (prefrontal cortex) that’s
supposed to regulate emotions shuts down somewhat and doesn’t work as well as
it did before.
So, with the memory section of our
brains under functioning and the part that regulations emotions under
functioning, you can see why our emotions go wild at a time like this.
Why do some people feel creeped out
long after we've watched a
scary
movie?
When someone watches or experiences
something scary, the part of the brain that processes emotions (fear, feeling
creeped-out) runs rampant. The front part of the brain doesn’t regulate the
emotions so they go wild.
Why does it seem like sounds are
magnified and you see things?
more clearly after watching a scary
movie?
The emotional part of the brain has
taken over and the other parts of the brain don’t regulate like they should so
sounds become more intense along with the heightened emotions.
Why do scary movies give some people
nightmares?
Dreams are a way we process what’s
happened in our lives. After a traumatic event, or scary movie, I recommend
keeping a notebook by the bed so you can record your nightmare before you
forget it. I have found that children and adults are able to be free of the
nightmares if they write a happy ending to their dream. When you wake up from a
bad dream, spend a few minutes writing a happy or a silly ending. (Remember the
mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined.)
Are some people more prone to being
scared during and after a scary movie?
Why is that?
I don’t know that there is scientific
evidence for this—or even any way to measure it. I have found in my practice
that those who are more sensitive to other’s feelings and emotions are more
readily drawn in to the action in a horror or scary movie. They experience the
drama with greater intensity than others do, so they are more frightened.
