If you’ve ever wondered why we enjoy being scared, you’re not alone. Horror fans get asked this all the time. Often, the answer is simple: “Because it’s fun!” What many don’t know is that there are reasons for this – the truth is that horror is good for your brain.
While “it’s fun” is true for many, it begs a follow-up question: why is it fun?
The answer dives deeper than you may think, and it’s even backed by science.
Horror isn’t just entertainment. The benefits of horror, both psychological and emotional, might surprise you.
1. Fear helps us process emotions (safely)
Watching a horror movie or reading a scary story activates the same fear pathways in the brain as real danger, but in a controlled setting. That means your body gets the adrenaline rush and fight-or-flight response without the actual threat.
As the Smithsonian can attest, even young children engage in “recreational fear.” It’s hardwired into us, even if you don’t grow up to be a fanatic:
“From a very early age, humans love being jump-scared by caregivers in the form of peek-a-boo, and being hurtled into the air (and caught). They get older and take great pleasure in chase play and hide-and-seek”
In other words, horror is emotional training. We simulate danger to get better at facing it in real life.
2. Horror builds psychological resilience
One of the biggest horror benefits? Mental strength.
A study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that people who regularly consume horror media showed greater psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were better at managing uncertainty, stress, and isolation, likely because they’d practiced confronting fear through fiction.
So if you’ve ever finished a particularly intense psychological horror story and thought, “I can handle anything now,” you weren’t necessarily wrong.
3. Horror is good for your brain because it helps us name the nameless
Why are ghosts, demons, and monsters so powerful? Because they’re metaphors.
Beneath the surface, scary stories often reflect real anxieties: grief, trauma, guilt, loneliness, helplessness. Psychological horror, in particular, digs into our inner shadows and gives shape to what we can’t quite describe.
It helps us explore ideas and areas of our mind that we may not be able to articulate or fully form into thoughts. In the form of movies, we see it played out. We can revel in the imagery. On paper, we can experience these nameless things alongside the characters.
When we confront those fears through fiction, we chip away at their power in real life.
4. Fear brings people together
Here’s a lesser-known reason we enjoy being scared: community.
Whether you’re swapping creepy stories around a campfire, watching a horror movie with friends, or reading alone and texting your favourite “WTF just happened?!” moment, horror creates shared emotional experiences.
That spike in adrenaline? It’s linked to dopamine. Fear can actually enhance social bonding, making us feel closer to those we experience it with.
This would explain why horror movies are so common for date nights! It’s also a strong reason horror fanatics often couple up, both romantically and within close-knit friendships.
5. Horror is oddly comforting
It may sound strange, but many horror lovers find peace in the darkness.
In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, horror reminds us that fear is natural and survivable. It lets us explore the “what ifs” of life and death, morality and mortality, in a space where we control when to turn the page or hit pause.
It makes us feel something real.
So the next time someone asks, “Why do you enjoy being scared?” you can tell them this:
Horror is Good for your Brain. And Your Soul.
It challenges us, connects us, and gives us the courage to face the dark with eyes wide open.
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6 Comments
Jason · August 29, 2025 at 3:00 am
This makes a lot of sense. I’ve always thought there was more to horror than just the scare factor, and the part about resilience really clicked with me. After watching or reading something intense, everyday problems almost feel lighter. And you’re right about the bonding too, some of my best memories with friends are from watching scary movies together. Do you think that “comfort” side of horror is why so many people rewatch their favorite scary films over and over?
Steph · August 29, 2025 at 3:19 am
Yes, I definitely think so! The way horror can make you feel so many things, and yet you’re still in control, is a strong pull. I know, for myself, there’s a unique comfort in feeling that “fun” fear, that adrenaline rush, from something I’m familiar with!
Slavisa · September 2, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Reading your post left me reflecting on how horror, despite its dark veneer, almost serves as emotional gym-workout, a space where we can push ourselves to the edge and return stronger. The idea that horror helps us “name the nameless”, transforming vague fears into concrete metaphors is especially compelling. I’m curious, do you think this capacity of horror to give language to unarticulated anxiety also varies with age or past trauma? For instance, might someone with unresolved grief find horror more therapeutic or more distressing than someone whose anxiety is more generalized? Also, your point about communal bonding through shared fear struck a chord: do you think virtual horror watch parties (like streaming and chatting) offer the same bonding effect as in-person scares?
Steph · September 2, 2025 at 6:50 pm
These are great questions! Firstly, I do think that our unique pasts and traumas can shape how we experience horror. It’s possible that someone with certain trauma or bad experience may find certain types of horror more distressing, but if that’s the case, I think they’d be smart to research what a movie is about prior to watching, in case there will be a strong trigger.
Secondly, I believe that even a virtual “get together” can be just as fun, fulfilling, and rewarding as a physical one. It’s a different type of experience for sure, but you’re still going through everything together and seeing the scares at the same time. During covid lockdowns my friend and I (she’s also a horror junkie) watched movies together through a special platform Netflix created where you stream it simultaneously and have a chat room on the side. While not exactly the same, it was still quite fun, and we always put our reactions into the chat and laughed about things together. I was so glad something like that was available when we couldn’t be together!
Anastazja · September 2, 2025 at 7:17 pm
As you have written, I have always enjoyed horror movies – not necessarily gory movies. Now I know why. If I had to say why before reading your article, I would have said that they make me feel all kinds of things that make me feel extra alive. You have explained that feeling quite well. I have a completely different feeling when watching the news that is real when it is a horror. That must be explainable by something that is triggered in the brain. I still like horror movies – now I know why. This was a fun, informative article.
Steph · September 2, 2025 at 7:28 pm
I’m really glad you enjoyed the article and learned something from it! Thanks so much for stopping by!