Mental Health and Horror
Neil and Mathias discuss how pre-existing mental conditions can be affected by horror movies, with some finding relief and others experiencing negative effects. Watching horror films can provide a sense of control and coping skills for those with anxiety disorders.In this clip
From this podcast
StarTalk Radio
The Science of Scary with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Mathias Clasen, & Heather Berlin
Related Questions
If the goal is to diminish the physiological response, then if a person works to change their physiological response immediately after being triggered, would that over time also diminish the physiological response and therefore break the conditioning?
For example, if a person had a traumatic experience with a spider, but every time they see the spider or get activated through some trigger and immediately after uses breathwork to calm the body, would that work like retelling a narrative to extinguish the fear?
Is there evidence that watching horror movies can help people self medicate with anxiety disorders?