As Halloween night descends upon us, we may ask ourselves what is the thing that truly makes the season so spooky?
For some it’s haunted houses and jump scares, for others it’s gruesome makeup and costumes. But for most of us, a big part of Halloween revolves around our love for horror films.
Whether these films are slashers, ghost stories, tales of mass murderers or demons from beyond, there is always the implication that behind all the screaming, guts and mind fucks, there is a much deeper level of violence and fear that is innately known to us as human beings.
So what is it inside that draws us into that seemingly endless web of darkness that comprises the human imagination and undoubtedly beyond that, the unconscious?
As children, it can be assumed that we learn to scare ourselves; it’s a part of the developmental learning process. It’s exciting, it stimulates our nervous system and in some ways it gives us hope that beyond the mundane existence of reality, there is a world, even if it is terrifying, that exists beyond our own. Because even if that world is terrifying, it mirrors our own intense feelings towards death and the comfort some of us feel in that darkness due to our own traumatic lives. And what’s better than being able to experience these mind-altering worlds from the safety of our couch?
I’ve always found it interesting that some of my friends claim to watch horror movies to unwind and to ‘chill out’ before sleep. One person even mentioned, “The gorier the film, the more I relax.” How? What is it about watching a character get gutted that is relaxing?
For some, it seems to be a cathartic experience, one that allows the viewer to not only suspend their disbelief, but to somehow use the experience of “death” to find peace. It’s not so surprising when we look at it through this lens. What is more peaceful than eternal rest without any of the responsibilities of life?
For others, being scared is just exciting; it jolts you with electric energy and does the opposite of “killing you.” This sort of adrenaline rush is actually in the service of life! It reminds you, you can feel and experience all those intense feelings without the danger of actual obliteration.
And if I dare to dig deeper into this mass grave that makes up the collective psyche of a species which seemingly thrives on chaos and power, we can say that our love of horror is just a sublimation for our darkest and deepest desires to not only destroy everything around us, but also to guarantee our own destruction in the process.
Those who commit murders must know that eventually they will be caught and punished, even if these thoughts are cast from the conscious mind. We know that what most people do to others has a lot to do with their feelings about themselves.
When I ask people what their favorite genre of horror is, I always find it a telling clue to their most inner wishes and fears, for you cannot have a wish without that wish also being shrouded in fear; they are as inseparable as the will to live and the will to die.
So tonight, when you sit down to watch your favorite scary movie, take a peek at your reflection in that dark screen and maybe consider what that film is telling you about the darkness and evil that sits waiting, ever watching, from the deepest parts of your unknown mind.
Yours Truly, (in this life and the next….)
*evil laughter*