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Call for questions: HORROR ON THE BRAIN (Patreon)

Published:
2026-09-23 02:40:29
Edited:
2026-09-25 00:18:55
Imported:

Content

This Spooktober let's talk the science and psychology of horror.

This episode's ologist is professor and neurobiologist Dr. Austin Lim, who wrote the book Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction.

We'll get into "the psychology behind fear, madness, and the haunting stories that linger in our minds" and "connect science fact and science fiction, showing how spooky stories contain insights into the dark corners of the human mind and why we can’t stop looking into the abyss."

Leave your questions in the comments.

⚠️ Deadline: Thursday, September 24 at 5pm PST

⚠️ QUESTIONS ARE CLOSED

Files

Comments

Mykenzie King

Why do horror movies, and fear in general, make me feel sick to my stomach but make other people feel happy?

Jessica Swanson

Why do I love horror books but don’t love horror movies? What’s that about?

Amy Narimatsu

I'm almost 30, why do I still sprint up the basement stairs after turning out the light? Also why do we enjoy being scared via horror movies, haunted houses etc.?

Isabelle Fitzpatrick

Do “fear” as we typically perceive it and chronic anxiety target the brain differently or are they pretty similar? I feel like the bodily response can be so alike but triggers are so different for each.

KELLIE D MORGANTINI

Do we like to be scared because it somehow “resets” our brain to help us deal with every stressors over which we don’t have control?

Jessica Swanson

Why did Finland become so notorious for horror novels?

Anna Thompson

I can listen to scary podcasts (ghost stories, hauntings etc) but I can't stomach watching scary movies. Why does my brain process horror differently if I'm watching vs listening vs reading?

Alyssa

How do themes in horror differ around the world? Can you outline some of the trends have happened in horror in books vs movies and TV and how the space/genre has grown and changed ?

Zoe Armistead

Why are women the main consumers of things like true crime podcasts and horror documentaries when we are usually the victims in them? It seems like a strange twist of psychology!

Jessica Swanson

What do you think drives a particular subgroup of people (myself included) to obsess over the macabre, horror, and soooky season? Why does it have us in a chokehold?

Storm

i watched a horror movie the other night and others were terrified and i was laughing. what does this say about me and why does this happen?

ValBeListening

Why do horrific images stick in the brain more prominently?

norab

can watching horror (especially when its kind of realistic) make you more paranoid

Jessica Swanson

There are so many subcategories of horror- like psychological, paranormal, gore, etc. is there a specific list of identified subsets of horror in the field you or others study?

Bel Jensen-Hill

What are Dr. Lim's thoughts on how horror is interpreted and can he speak at all to the social consequences/results of misreading or reclaiming the intended message of a horror piece? A couple examples that come to mind are how the intended message of Carmilla has been reclaimed by sapphic, particularly lesbian, audiences, or on the flip side, when a message intended to validate or uplift marginalized audiences is misinterpreted or bastardized by non-marginalized audiences.

Storm

how did they discover/create the devices used to make a horror movie scary?

Jessica Swanson

What makes southern gothics such a prevalent sub genre of horror?

Storm

do our brains react differently to different kinds of horror? (eg gore vs thriller)

ValBeListening (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-23 17:00 As a kid I was terrified of horror and would have nightmares for weeks after a scary movie. What was going on in my little kid brain? And does horror impact people less impact as they grow older? (I think I am and will always be a scaredy cat)
2026-09-23 02:46 As a kid I was terrified of horror and would have nightmares for weeks after a scary movie. What was going on in my little kid brain? And does horror impact people less as they grow older? (I think I am, and will always be, a scaredy cat)

As a kid I was terrified of horror and would have nightmares for weeks after a scary movie. What was going on in my little kid brain? And does horror impact people less as they grow older? (I think I am, and will always be, a scaredy cat)

Chloe

For some reason, spooky and horror things make me feel more connected to people. Maybe it’s because of the culture around Halloween, like neighborhood trick or treating, parties, and the amount of social events centered on spooky things, or maybe there’s a deeper psychological reason like spooky stuff making us rely on our communities for a sense of security. I wonder if there’s a reason for this feeling, and if other people feel it too 👻

foughtthelaw

It's an entire category of content centered around difficult ideas and unpleastness, yet it's tremendously popular and fertal storytelling material. Why do we enjoy horror so much? I mean, why does everyone else enjoy it. I know why I do: When I was a kid my grandmother would record episodes of "Are you afraid of the dark?" And then "Tails from the Crypt" on the same VHS tape and we would watch them together on Sunday mornings while I was still in my pajamas eating a bowl of cereal. I don't know if my parents knew what we were doing but some of my favorite memories with her are deep cringes followed by giggles when something gross happened.

Jessica Swanson

Is there a subset of personalities or trends the data shows that seem to correlate with liking horror content versus disliking horror content?

Ava DeVries (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-23 17:00 Why do we find certain music/sound effects so creepy in horror media? Is there neuroscience behind the effectiveness of horror movie soundtracks?
2026-09-23 02:48 (First time question asker) Why do we find certain music/sound effects so creepy in horror media? Is there neuroscience/psychology behind the effectiveness of horror movie soundtracks?

(First time question asker) Why do we find certain music/sound effects so creepy in horror media? Is there neuroscience/psychology behind the effectiveness of horror movie soundtracks?

Eating dog hair for a living

There was a movie in the 80's called "Reanimator" it was along the same lines of Frankenstein, bringing dead tissue back to life. In Reanimator though the person he's trying to bring back to life gets his head chopped off, so dude's running around with this guy's head in a tray full of blood. Where in the world do such thoughts come from? How many people do you think have actually thought about harming someone and planned it out in their mind first? Would thinking about that then in turn have an effect on our dreams? What's the difference between people that think about it vs. really going through with it?

Adam Schmidt

Do neurodivergent people tend to dislike scary movies/situations more than neurotypical people? I personally scare myself by painting pictures of "what could happen" in my mind.

CamK

How do people’s enjoyment of horror compare to enjoyment of pain or spicy food?

Annabelle

Does fake horror affect how we process images of real horror? I enjoy horror movies but I worry that it desensitizes me to real violence. When I see online images of real-life atrocities happening in the world, sometimes it feels less real because it’s on a screen, just like a fictional horror movie.

Person

I loved horror movies as a very young child and wonder all the time how this may have affected me

Holden A. Goose

How much of horror on the brain is related to beauty and reverence? As an artist, when I see some beautifully done horror I’m not even scared - I’m just in absolute awe. It’s exhilarating.

CamK

Is our sensitivity to horror biopsychosocial like pain? See the episode on Dolorology for more information

Floater Mail

How does consuming horror media affect people’s moods? Especially those with depression and/or anxiety? If we are what we eat, will consistently watching scary movies and reading scary books have a negative affect on my brain chemicals in the long?

Shelby

Are different areas of the brain more active for different mediums of horror, outside of sensory activity? Like, could you distinguish whether someone was consuming a scary book, movie, or podcast, or going through a haunted house, or a real life experience based on brain activity? What about the overlap between the areas of the brain involved in these activities versus having a nightmare?

Sarah Allan

W h y do I like it so much. Horror games, creepy stories, all that stuff. It scares the shit out of me and then I can’t sleep without a light on? But I can’t turn it off? Whyyyy

CamK

Whats with the physical response of chills or hair standing on end?

Yuri

Do people in the Black communities want us to not use the term "spooky"? Or even just prefer it? I've searched and get conflicting and confusing results. I know it isn't based on the racial slur, but I can absolutely see how it would give a visceral cringe of the worst kind. If something was called "chinky" or "faggy" I would super not like it even if the original were different, and I wouldn't really want to be around anybody that used them Edit: even if the origins were different Edit two: is spoopy ok? I've seen that term in cozy gaming communities as an alternative

AlienOceans

What are the psychological benefits of experiencing fear?

Katie Biardi

Why are some people scared of gore and others not? And why do suspenseful horror movies creep me out so much??

Katie Biardi

Why is Steven King so good at writing horror?

Addie Cappello she her

WHY ARE PEOPLE WATCHING TRUE CRIME TO “RELAX”?!?!?!? Someone help me understand because it’s real horror and not made up…. I have people in my life who do this- and I have yet to receive an answer. Is there some genetic disposition regarding who likes horror/scary things and who does not? Has there been research done on how upbringing/environmental factors play a role in tolerance/enjoyment levels of scary stuff? Do we need to worry about the people who create horror stories for entertainment? Why are they thinking these things and who decided making up horrific scenarios to scare the shit out of people would be a good market? Is there some official horror scale to gauge how mild or major the content is? Why can some people be exposed to something terrifying and shake it off quickly while other people (like myself) hold on to it for days, weeks, months and still have it affect them? What makes psychological type horror so much more unnerving than the gorey kind? Does the Ologist have a favorite or most hated movie/show/book on the topic? How much of what scares us is internally driven versus what is being presented from the outside? Thanks! Addie (she/her)

Katie Hultman

My husband, Michael, would like to know if there is any research about the horror genre in music. Why does it seem so much more accepted for people to enjoy like, the SAW movies for example than to listen to explicit, violent music like ICP or Twizted? Do you listen to horror music? What amounts/flavors of horror consumption have been deemed acceptable through history and has it changed over time?

Lauren

Why is it that humans exhibit a fear for the dark? Like I feel it’s almost innate in us. Other animals, dogs, cats, chimps and even marine animals don’t seem to have the same behavior when it comes to dark spaces. Does this come from our caveman days, fearing what we can’t see or don’t know? Does it tie into the tales of the dark that have gotten passed down?

Yuri

I can't even watch shows like ER! (I'm autistic)

Aster

What can we do after watching/playing/reading horror to restore a sense of safety? Sincerely, a person who loves horror but always gets a little paranoid afterwards lol

Aven Jasper

I always used to HATE horror and scary media, but recently (in my thirties) i have begun to really enjoy it, and to seek it out. I would love to hear more about how and why people's opinions and enjoyment of horror change over the course of our lives!

Katy (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-24 21:00 Why am I totally fine with (and even seek out) certain thrills and terrors, but I'm super skiddish about others?
2026-09-23 03:06 Why am I totally fine with (and even seek out) certain thrills and terrors, but I'm super skittish about others?

Why am I totally fine with (and even seek out) certain thrills and terrors, but I'm super skittish about others?

Greg Walloch

I sometimes facilitate kids' storytelling and improv. I’ve noticed an intense seemly global story pattern: all the women die of terminal illness, and all the men go insane or end up in an asylum, or collectively 'then the world blows up!' Why are these specific dark archetypal images so resonant in children's imaginations? Are kids just bad at endings?!? Lol jk.

Erin Dewberry

I have vivid memories of nightmares I had when I was a kid, but I can hardly remember what I had for breakfast yesterday. Why is my childhood nightmares so memorable?

Plant Predator

Why do we like horror? Being recreationally scared seems counter productive but so many of us can't get enough of it!

Katie Hultman

Thank you for sharing this beautiful memory with us!

Addie Cappello she her

Good one! Yes how did we start to associate certain keys, tones, or tempos with “something bad is going to happen…”

Madeline Stanton

What makes one horror movie stick in our brains more than others?

Emotional-Support-Human

For those of us who may have to engage in horror entertainment in the future due to having children who may need escorts to haunted houses/the movie theater... How can you combat the fight or flight response that horror entertainment can trigger, to view it objectively? Side note, I can appreciate special effect makeup for the artistry but not when it is paired with the lighting, sound, and tense atmosphere created to sell the story.

Maya Kraft

Why is it that when I am now the most mentally well I’ve been, I can’t stop watching true crime and thrillers? Is my brain hooked on trauma and stress? I didn’t watch these things when I was struggling with mental illness

Emotional-Support-Human

Is there a difference in the perception of horror between more "psychological thrillers" as a genre vs. other types of horror such as creature features? I can read about serial killers because the psychology of the human mind fascinates me but I can't do zombies (maybe because they are mindless).

Cortney

Why do movies like Paranormal Activity scare the shit out of me, but every other horror movie doesn't make me scared at all?

Sarah Allan

Also. Why do I like watching people play horror games but I don’t like horror movies? And then, why do I like theory videos about horror games? (Avid FNAF GameTheory watcher of many many years) (who sometimes has to sleep with the light on bc she watched FNAF videos before bed and now her brain thinks there’s an animatronic bear hiding in her closet)

Atlas They-Them

Horror has never appealed to me, until recently — since processing my own childhood trauma history. Now, I have not only an interest but also this new capacity to enjoy movies and books in the horror genre! Any thoughts on why this is?

Maya Kraft

How does fear while watching or reading horror compare to other manufactured fear like rollercoasters?

Lennard Gueco

Why are dark, shadowy figures a common hallucnation for those struggling with mental illness? Are there other common hallucinations you've encountered that you didnt expect?

Lalie Broten

Yes this! This is me! Same with reading scary fiction

Cortney

Why do we love being scared? Why doesn't that translate to actual dangerous and scary situations?

Takoda K

Why do so many people with anxiety disorders still end up loving horror/thriller media? Is it because its in a controlled environment? I was a very anxious kid but I constantly watched scary youtube videos and would get nightmares bc of it. I still LOVED horror though!! Whats up with that

Cortney

When I was a really little kid, in the middle of the night when Tales from the Crypt was on, I used to wake my sister up so we could watch it together. The screaming woke my parents up which was how they found out we were doing it. 😅

Lalie Broten

I love the idea of horror but I WILL have nightmares and wont be able to be alone or in the dark ever anywhere. But horror still crooks its finger at me to come dance with danger even though i will never be able to get jiggy with it! Why? Why does my brain want to love it? Why why why?

Katy

I'd be curious about this too! Anecdotally, I'm an ADHDer and a wuss with horror movies (though books are usually okay), but I have other neurodivergent friends, both autistic and ADHD, who are VERY into horror movies.

Atlas They-Them

Can you speak to the intersection of horror and the erotic?

Cortney

This! I'm curious if there's some shared activity in the brain between these things.

Atlas They-Them

Are there any stats on which tend to scare people more, speculative (fictional) horrors or ones that are based on true stories?

Cortney

What makes a movie/book scary? How does it differ across cultures?

Jackie G

Does our enjoyment and tolerance for horror change over our lifetimes? I used to enjoy it but now i can’t handle it. Even if im not too uncomfortable in the moment both suspense and gore give me nightmares and/or lingering anxiety.

Sarah Allan

I hadn’t even thought about that until I read this and I also need to know now

Jackie G

Yes. You described this very well.

Pacheecha

What is the origin of horror stories? Have we loved scary tales for thousands of years or is this more of a recent phenomenon? Also, there are horror movies and shows i avoid because they're about people doing awful things (like torturing and killing) to other people and it makes me wonder if it's inspiring that behavior in real people. Are there real life instances of that? Yikes On the other hand, creepy scary things are more "fun" and i thoroughly enjoyed Widow's Bay. Is it really "horror"? What is horror, really?

Kayla

Why can I read scary books but horror movies put me in fight or flight?

haille ragusa

what sense is most effected by horror movies ?

haille ragusa

why does the amygdala allow us to enjoy scary things

Thorpasaurus Jess

Same same! I can read horror novels (at least some of them) but watching horror in a visual medium is a different beast.

Bennett Vanderbosch

Why do some people love horror movies but others hate them? Speaking as one of the latter married to a former 😅

Thorpasaurus Jess

I used to be very averse to horror. I often wondered why someone would want to spend time dwelling on those ‘negative’ emotions. Then a friend, a true horror buff, described the way horror helped him “take control” of scary things by putting it in a defined, semi-predictable story that could have a happy ending. Years later, after battling massive anxiety, I finally tried horror (books), and found this to be true! There is an element of looking fear in the eye but not being mastered by it. Is this sense of control or victory why we enjoy the genre?

Thorpasaurus Jess

Also, I’m sorry but I don’t count true crime with horror at all. To me, the beauty of horror is that it is FICTION, and using fiction to exaggerate and examine our collective “boogeymen”. I can’t handle true crime at all. What’s going on in the brain that allows us to process things as fiction so much more readily than fact? (Even when the fiction is based on fact.)

Thorpasaurus Jess

I have similar curiosities to others about petsonality traits and horror. Particularly around folks that have experienced trauma or mental illness. Does this change the way we process horror? (For me, growing up relatively safe and healthy, hated horror. Fast forward a few years, a major death in the family and a global pandemic, and now I’m like “bring it on, Horror, what else ya got?!”

Kiki’s Delivery Service

What happens when we freeze with horror? Especially when it’s the opposite of what we want to do, or at least what part of us wants to do?

Tessa Lew

Why do I enjoy thriller novels, murder mystery novels, crime documentaries, ect, but I'm often scared of the night/the unknown?

Amber

I LOVE apocalypse stuff and zombie movies. Like, 2012 and last of us and the core and such are my comfort movies. I rewatch Dawn of the Dead all the time. Why does my chronic anxiety and stress get relief when I watch horror and survival movies?

Greg Walloch

I only like "daytime horror" that's absurd, funny, interesting - Kinds of Kindness, Midsommar, American Psycho. When i watch a purely terrifying, grotesque, or ultra-violent horror movie my nervous system is firing on all cylinders!! If I watch people get hurt, it's like I'm getting hurt. I always tap out. Why does some horror feel easier to watch than others?

retterhardt

Why do some people with anxiety love the feeling of release that horror movies give them for their anxiety, and others (like me) just sit there tensing all their muscles and feeling stressed?

Deviancy

Can you talk more about physiological responses to horror? The feeling of goosebumps or hairs on the back of your neck. Does everyone get these? What the role of the specific media? I think it’s funny that horror movies don’t phase me much but a creepy podcast can be more unsettling. Or someone walking into a room while I have my back turned. That will literally make me jump but movies rarely inspire that.

Beth

I’m asking this question for my 8 yr old Xavier. He wants to say “I’m a boy who is Autistic and I have always been obsessed with horror. I’m not allowed to watch horror but I still love it and I always make up horror stories and draw lots of horror characters. I want to know if autistic people like horror more than other people? And if the answer is yes, why?”

Matt and Lesley

Is there a reason or a why for the process in which something that was scary turns into a cliche? When does that happen?

Matt and Lesley

When did horror movies start to pick up? Was there a surge post 9/11? -Lesley

Wandering Wyatt

I came to ask the same thing. I can read scary books sometimes but can’t watch scary movies. I absolutely can’t understand the appeal of them.

Susan G

Is it more common for people to build tolerance to horror or to lose it? I used to be totally fine watching or reading horror when I was younger (even when I lived alone and would watch obscure and terrifying old horror movies on TV until 3am) but then the moment I hit 30 years old it was like a switch flicked in my brain and now I am the tiniest scardiest kitty who gets nightmares from even mild things. There was no traumatic event or inciting incident that happened right before the switch. But all my tolerance, gone!

Mimi

Any thoughts on the ”video nasty” debate and/or ”horror movies make people commit real crimes/violence”?

Jenna U

Many kids seem to enjoy horror and scary stories, especially those around age 8-10. I'm thinking of the popularity of the Goosebumps books when I was a kid. Is this related to a development stage or development of certain parts of the brain?

Miranda Ramirez

My comfort movies are Scream and Final Destination during panic attacks and I tend to feel more relaxed watching a thriller or horror movie in general. What is the correlation between horror and it being a sense of comfort as opposed to a romantic comedy or something else cheerier?

Notfunnybutfanni

Are people genuinely scared of things like clowns, dolls etc or did horror movies just teach us to be scared of these things?

etherdog

Who do dyslexic zombies target? Brians.

Ash Fox

Do mental health issues, such as depression, affect people's tolerance of horror? (For context pre-antidepressants I was barely affected by any form of horror, post way more things freak me out)

Jimiii

I don’t particularly enjoy horror but it does intrigue me. But what’s up with random horror recall when I’m alone at night..just minding my business..washing the dishes?? Or going up the basement stairs when the lights are off??? Is this intrusive thinking or horror psychology?

Ennifer Jelly Tot

I used to love horror movies when I was a teenager and now (in my thirties) I can't watch them at all because I get so stressed and anxious! Is there a reason why our tolerance for horror can change over our life time?

bizanthymum

You should listen to the Fearology episode — it’s one of my favorites and talks about this very thing!

Jimiii

Also (second first time question) what about older sci fi like HG Wells… while epic stories, they are not as scary today as they were before, right? Can you explain this process of dilution? Is this also related to use of vocabulary in sci fi / horror? For example, “terrible” once described monsters in sci fi and we now use that word to describe a shitty work day or a tiny human monsters behavior

Karen Ósk Pétursdóttir

Why am I so obsessssed with horror? Absolute mind boggling stuff of nightmares?? Movies and especially video games? Feel awful playing them but I love it? Is it connected to my ADHD? Same as my mom 😂

Marat

I love psychological horror. When the characters go through absolute hell and handle it in a realistic sense that shows there is no way you come out on the other side normal. What does that say about my own mental wellbeing? Do i like these extreme emotions because it speaks to empathy to place yourself in these impossible shoes? Do i like to see how terrible anyone can become really, feeling there is no hero, and so see my own short comings as more "natural". Or do people enjoy suffering and just dont want to admit it to themselves and others? I guess my question is: Susan Sontag speaks of the human want to look upon suffering. But why do we do that? What does that trigger?

A softly boiled egg

Is there a difference between the psychologies of people who like horror stories and those who do not? Is the enjoyment of a horror movie like the enjoyment people get from something like a rollercoaster (something scary but in a context where you know you are safe)? Is there a correlation between the popularity of horror in societies and traumatic events they have been through? (like do societies that have been through a war recently consume more or less horror media)?

Chuck Meriam

What are some positive and negative impacts on our society (and/or others around the world) with the surge of horror genre in the last century, especially in film?

PDR

A thing I love about horror is that it is a genre where it is more common than most for the protagonists to lose. Most other genres seemingly tell us that the good guys will always win, and since we're the main characters of our lives we can be flummoxed by how it doesn't work that way in the real world. Is there anything to the idea that horror is good for preparing us for reality?

Matt Ceccato

Why do we enjoy being scared?

Megan Bakan (pronounced BACK IN)

A story that has haunted me is Doris Lessing's The Fifth Child. The 'perfect family' has their fifth child and he, Ben, is not like the rest of them. How does difference - within ourselves and fear of the other - play into horror?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Let's get into the nitty gritty of blood and guts! I have such a visceral (heehee) negative reaction to more realistic and often less bloody gore, but enjoy more over the top ridiculous gore, and actually think it kind of funny. Why such different reaction to subtle variations in types of gore?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

I fucking hate jump scares! But I love psychological horror that gets in your head. Tickling different parts of the brain?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Horror is so much more fun to watch in groups! I'm thinking of spooky campfire stories and everyone gasping together in a theater. Is there something in our brains that loves going psuedo traumatic experiences as a collective?

Robin Kuehn

Is this at all connected to intrusive thoughts?

Kayla Yarbrough

This and the Exorcist are the only ones that have genuinely scared me!

Lisa Gorman

I am way too scared of things in the horror genre in general to partake in any of it, but so many people love it. What is happening there? Why do so many people like being scared by horror while others like me cannot stand it? Is it linked to risk-taking behavior, dopamine levels in the brain, etc?

Lisa Gorman

As someone who hates horror, it seems the few scary movies I have actually watched are deeply ingrained in my brain forever, whereas I wouldn't remember another movie I didn't like from 20 years ago. Why?

Lily Bee

What is it about the fall that makes me particularly in the mood to consume horror?

rowantree

How am I soooooo scared by horror movies and TV always?? I want to enjoy the excellent cinematic entertainment that exists but I am absolutely terrified and my body freaks out when watching anything even remotely scary

ValBeListening

Is horror and curiosity connected? Like when there's a very bad car accident and people slow down to see what happened?

Jade Greene

Ahh yeah I love this! I am a big horror fan, I’ve always wondered why I love it so much. I surmise that it’s for many reasons but I do feel that it allows me to feel “scared” in a safe setting. I also love some of the tropes, because they are somewhat predictable. I love seeing characters overcome insane obstacles and undergo trials while remaining vigilant and strong in some stories too. Plus there is a level of creativity that is embraced in horror that I don’t see in a lot of other genres, it’s more acceptable to push the limits on story telling in many ways. I do wonder why does horror get so much hate in reviews? I have noticed this in horror novels in particular. The reviews people leave are so much more scathing than I see in fantasy for example.

Greg Watkins-Colwell

For a long time now I've been intrigued by how many cultures around the world have stories about shape-shifters. That can be a werewolf or pretty much anything else. Is there a psychological reason for this? Is it just a hold-over from being on the menu for predators with big teeth?

Zuleika Pevec

Why is horror stuck so indelibly in our brains? I tell my kid that once you see something you can’t unsee it, so if it scares you, you won’t just be able to forget it. This is very inconvenient!

Brain 🧠 Shenanigans

As a teen I loved watching scary movies, I read lots of Stephen King at probably way too young of an age, had almost every Goosebumps book, the works. And then The Ring came out. Honest to Pete that movie absolutely broke me to the point where I can’t even watch a trailer for scary movies anymore (had to turn the auto play preview feature off on all of my streaming apps). Scary movie moments have become my late night intrusive thoughts that I’ve had to talk with my therapist about. It’s wild. What is that about? Is there really such a thing as “too scary” that literally breaks our brain? Like a “point of no return” of sorts. Paranormal Activity was another film I remember being way too intense for some. IIRC, the Ring was a remake of/based off of a Japanese horror film, and there’s another one called The Audition I think it is? that I’ve heard people say is just way too scary. I’m curious why Japan specifically is so good at the horror genre.

Brain 🧠 Shenanigans

I’d love to learn a little about “psychological thriller/horror” vs “torture porn.” Early scary movies were “things that go bump in the night” when did gore get introduced and become popular? Classic 80’s movies like Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street, the quiet scary vs the very in your face scary with makeup, special effects, etc. How many people like both types of horror compared to those who prefer one over the other?

Hope

Is there a difference in the brain between a reaction to something like a jump scare and a more anticipatory dread? What about horror gets you to not want to look away?

Dunlap Girl Squad

I LOVE horror movies and books. But I can’t handle true crime.

Dunlap Girl Squad

Why does horror comfort me when I suffer from anxiety day to day.

🪲Lilahlikesbugs🪲

Why does my brain seem to enjoy tormenting me for no reason? I’ll be sitting in my room doom scrolling and suddenly my laundry basket appears to have a decapitated head in it. Does this have something to do with my overactive imagination, and is there a connection between those with good imaginations and those who have more irrational fears?

Itsok

I was a huge horror fan through my teens and twenties but after I had my daughter I couldn’t watch horror movies for years, is there a hormonal connection or is it as I thought more psychological or a combination, being fearful for her safety in over drive?! Happily, I’ve gone back to my monster movies but still hate movies about serial killers…too close to reality for my liking

Itsok

Oooh this is a great question!

Shelby-Shnelbers

How does music play such a major and necessary role in creating fear/suspense? The scariest movie could be instantly transformed into a comedy by just changing the soundtrack to something goofy or lighthearted. What up with that?

Itsok

Ok, I have thought about this so much!! Just pop culture effect or instead fear of certain tones?

Jenna Congdon

Honest question for the ologist and also the whole crew here- why do people like horror? It seems so strange to me that people *want* to be scared??

Andy Pepper

What’s the relationship between horror and disgust? I’m not entirely averse to being frightened, but so often in culture it’s paired with gore, which is a no. 😄

Marc Rubin

Can watching horror produce long-term psychology damage? From a neuroscience perspective, how is watching horror different than recalling a traumatic experience? My mom is absolutely terrified of all flying creatures (even butterflies) and we think her fear stems from watching The Birds when she was young. Also, shameless bump for a veterinary gerontology episode: https://www.instagram.com/p/DdkNTADib8L/?stkn=MWdreG90M3dpYnZxeQ==

Andy Pepper

How does sudden terror compare in the brain to creeping, existential terror like the kind we live with 24/7/365 in the year 2026?

Anthony Richards

How does retribution fit into horror? For example, a horror movie where the monster or villain was wronged in the past and because of that, now comits horrible acts.

goblinprince

why is it that some types of horror affect us worse than others? personally, i’m fine with most types of gore but when it comes to surgery and medical core i have to look away. my friend doesn’t mind paranormal themes, but when it comes to religious supernatural experiences specifically, it affects her much more strongly despite her having no religious background. why can we handle some types of horror and fear but not others based on minute differences?

bug in a rug

Would love to hear them talk about this

bug in a rug

Are there universal "categories" of fears? Fear of the dark, fear of being lost, etc?

bug in a rug

I heard Jordan peele once said that horror is comedy with a different soundtrack. Any thoughts on that?

Mari F

If the literary category of romance can be split into "tropes" (ex: enemies to lovers), could horror/thriller be broken into similar categories? If so, what trope do you think would get under your skin the most?

Mari F

I love this question! It makes me think about how American audiences engage with things like Korean zombie movies (I'm American so I only have that frame of reference).

Kaitlyn Hart

What does it mean for people’s psychology when they become numb to horror? Does it mean that they are simply desensitized to observing it on a screen or in a book, or does it fundamentally alter their psychology ?

Magsaroni

Why do some people enjoy such gory films? I like horror movies, but I don't understand the popularity of movies like 'Terrifier' and the 'X' trilogy. 'Torture porn', as some people call it. (no judgments!)

Cecily Templeton

I used to like horror before having kids but now I can't even watch/read pg-13 level horror. Does the brain process horror in differnet ways depending on age, hormones or something? Why do some people love it and some people hate it and some people (me) change over time?

goblinprince

are there any long-term effects on your brain if you started watching horror movies/shows from a young age?

Reb.Rebbie.Rebel

When I was a young single mom, after I'd put my son to bed I'd watch this series about serial killers. It scared me but I did it anyway. Afterwards, I'd be so scared and wired I'd have to watch episodes of 'I Love Lucy' until late at night to de-freakout myself. Why, oh why, did I want to do this?

Kelly Walker

(first time question asker) Why do horror movies stick with us so much?

Elle Miller

Is there a link between childhood trauma and an apathy for fear from horror? I like the genre for the plot and the haunting vibe, but it doesn’t scare me.

Empress of Smallwood

What is the neuroscience on why people are drawn to the morose and horrific? Is there a difference in the psychology of people attending public executions versus people watching horror films?

Magda Kossowska

From my friend Olga: People often say that comedy and horror are very similar structurally; are horror and comedy also similar psychologically/neuroscientifically?

Tilly's mom

Why am I terrified of anything even remotely scary? Is it related to anxiety?

Chelsea Wilck

A lot of my comfort movies are horror (i.e. Black Swan, Midsommar, Suspiria). Why do some of us gravitate towards unsettling movies as a form of relaxation? Like I'm not a serial killer, just a spooky witch bitch lol. (P.S. Alie I agree with your theory that our favorite seasons are the ones we are born in bc I am a mid October baby and forever in love with spookiness).

8 oz Shrimp Bin

I'm a huge horror fan but I've always wondered, why are so many people drawn towards horror? Why does the brain seem to like getting spooked?

savanah brewer

Why do people have different affinities for sub-genres of horror?

Gardener Gabbi

My mum, Alison wants to know: "Can a dream about what happens when you die tell you anything useful about death, or is it just a reflection of your own mindset?" Thank you so much!

CurtisDawg

If we're all supposed to be reducing stress in our lives, why are we heading to horror films?

CurtisDawg

Best horror film badass baddie?

Mar and their Stars

I’ve always heard that Horror movies can be calming in a way for folks with anxiety. Is this because this is a “safe” way for people to experience scary or anxiety inducing things?

Sleepy John

why are there all these people who love horror movies and then there's me?

Atran Raikany

FIRST time asking a question and couldn't be a topic I'm more excited about! So sorry to have a lot. 1. Do you categorize horror genres? If so, how do you categorize them and is there any info on how each might affect the brain? Examples are Psychological, Slasher, Gorror, Comedy-Horror, Cosmic, etc? 2. Do any strong forms of horror leave remnants or traces on the brain? Visible or not? Temporary or permanent? Can you go into detail of those; Is that even a thing, what they are, what kinds of horror or scary experiences might create them, etc. Is that more of a topic on trauma and if so, is the difference merely one is fake and one is real? 3. Any insights on why some kids might be drawn to scary things while others are not? For example, I loved Courage the Cowardly Dog, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, all things Halloween, etc. I was definitely scared of them at times but felt drawn in while other kids were repelled. 4. Just as the stories of vampires have evolved to reflect society, are there aspects of what horror stories we've been telling that say something about us? 5. If someone is telling you they're experiencing paranormal events in their home, what would you do to deduce that this is indeed something affecting them externally vs. something that's just all in their head? Questions you would ask? How would you investigate?

Verena Runstadler

What are some of the oldest recorded “scary stories” ?

Chase Penix

I LOVE audio horror and written horror. Movies very rarely do anything for me. It doesn’t leave enough to the imagination. Does that make my brain just more disturbing than what can be depicted on screen or is there science happening?

Chase Penix

I’m the same, but opposite. I love audio and written horror. For me though, movies fall flat.

Chase Penix

Why does the existential dread you experience vicariously through a fictional character ease my firsthand existential dread for awhile?

Chase Penix

Any correlation between horror fandom and violence IRL?

Marxe Orbach

I used to watch horror movies or TV shows in bed before falling asleep. I felt that they helped me stop spiraling and settle down for the night. So my question is sort of counterintuitive, but... can horror counteract anxiety, and why?

Camille (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-24 21:00 What genre of horror do you think will emerge next?
2026-09-23 17:00 What sub genre of horror do you think will emerge next? And why do new subgenres come and go? (Ex. Body horror beginning to have nature themes recently)

What sub genre of horror do you think will emerge next? And why do new subgenres come and go? (Ex. Body horror beginning to have nature themes recently)

Sonjabird

What is it about “insane asylums” that intrigues me? Are lots of other people also fascinated by lobotomies?

Hannah Arnett

(First time question asker, hi Alie!) Why do scary movies give some people nightmares (myself included), but not others?

Val

Why does my brain like to show me scary or disturbing images when I’m trying to sleep at night? Doesn’t it know it needs the sleep it’s preventing??

Jen

Why is it the worse something is, the harder it is to look away? Could your ologist please explain morbid fascination? Thanks!

Susan Singley

Why do I sometimes crave horror & thriller (not gore, tho) books, podcasts, and movies and sometimes, I just can‘t even?

Claire Bear

Realizing you’re not a historian, but wondering if there’s a history to horror and our perception of it throughout the ages, especially as it pertains to fairy tales, monster legends, etc

Alyssa

Totally! I'm Canadian and I've been reading a Japanese horror book and a lot of the themes are about beauty standards & gender roles so it made me think!

Al Hamm

What are potential benefits to taking in scary/horror content? And in addition to excessive fear, anxiety, and rumination, what are the potential negative impacts?

Al Hamm

What are some ways that scary themes, stories, myths, urban legends, and true instances play into policies and practices of our modern cultures and societies?

Lee Wang

Why are some people OK w/ jump scares, when other people (like me) hate them (they're why I avoid horror films).

Lee Wang

Any thoughts on standard horror films vs. psychological horror? To me the former often features gore and jump scares (both hard passes for me) while the latter focuses more on creepiness (which I can at least tolerate).

JillyDoogs

I blame Stephen King 😆

JillyDoogs

Why is watching, listening, or reading so thrilling? Is it fight or flight response? Also Dadward please do another live Ologies show in L.A. I need something wonderful to travel for. 😆❤️

Ann

Would love to hear this discussion, do we insulate ourselves from feeling fear of all the real terrible things through "artificial" fear?

Christina Johnson

Are there any other creatures that enjoy " scaring" themselves?!

Jessica Swanson

Why do some young children gravitate toward horror content at a young age? Is it that it’s simply often forbidden or is there more to it?

Nicole Polivka

While I do not wish to replace our upcoming ologist, my wife who is a trained Musicologist says this primarily comes from centuries of subliminal programming of Western music and tonal harmony being used to determine what is 'normal' to a western ear (those of primarily European descent/cultures). The use of dissonance or timbres that are unpleasing to the ear are largely unpleasing because our ears are accustomed to western tonal harmony and would experience certain chords/timbres/intervals as outside the norm and it unsettles us. (Tonal harmony is the system of music theory that composers and musicians in the Western world use to determine chordal structure, chord sequences [4-5-1], etc., and it provides the theoretical framework for how we compose and experience Western music)

AbundantFrogs

Do people who had real life scary things happen to them like scary stories less?

Tom Boodry

Why do some things that scare us linger more than others, even if both frighten us initially? Does our brain store them differently if they fall into different categories like violence vs supernatural?

Pablo De Florence

I work at a “professional” haunted house in college and learned about different strategies for scaring people. One of the more effective rooms was a simple jail cell. The actor would swing an overhead lamp and shake the bars and get the crowd worked up. Then he would open the bars and lunge at the customers. They would rush out of the room screaming. I think suddenly going from safe to not safe triggers something primal and for a few seconds you panic.

Mouse Paxton

What are some of the oldest horror stories we have records of? Is there a difference in how the brain processes stories that are outright scary versus ones that are just unsettling? I couldn't sleep after watching Hereditary and felt fine after watching Midsommar, but I found myself thinking about Midsommar a lot more in the following weeks. Do horror video games affect people differently than other forms of horror media? What are some interesting trends in horror through the ages? Thoughts on the relatively recent liminal space horror? What are your thoughts on collaborative horror story telling? I'm a huge fan of internet horror like Slenderman and SCP because so many people work together to make these engaging stories.

Dr. Lina Carpenter

I get the heebie-jeebies when I hear or see something about gruesome bodily injuries -- to the point that I once almost passed out during an Ologies episode just because the Ologist was (very reasonably & objectively) explaining their medical recovery. This is related to vasal-vagal-something-something, right? Similar mechanism to when someone passes out when presented with blood or a needle? But WHY? I don't think I was always *this* sensitive to body horror, it's something that started in my 20s.

Gardener Gabbi

Absolutely this! Why are so many people terrified of them?

TasmaniaNerd

Can you actually be scared to death?

Renee Israels

(First time question asker) Why is it the sound that really makes something scary (anyone else close their ears to avoid the stress of the jump scares?!)? And why is it strings and organs? Are those instinctually scary sounds or is it cultural/learned?

g0ose0nTheLo0se

How does knowing a horror story is made up (like in fake, but realistic scary movie) vs hearing an equally scary story that is true change our physiological reaction to those stories? Or does it at all?

Rebecca Roehm

Are people who like horror movies and books able to handle stress better in everyday life?

Milenka K.

I have so many questions!!! Is there any data on whether people with certain psychiatric disorders experience horror any differently or have different tolerances for it? Curious about this in the context of PTSD and anxiety disorders especially. Can hormonal changes (across life stages or cycles) affect what we can stomach in terms of horror? Also, certain types of violence in horror movies are more upsetting to me because of personal experiences but I still feel compelled to watch them, actually more than I do for other types of horror tropes-- why is that?? And what role does nature/nature play in horror? As in, it makes sense to me that a lot of the horror genre plays on innate fears, but are there any fears that are more conditioned in us from popular media (like clowns)? Is people's tolerance for fear & horror more innate or learned?

Jade Greene

Same, audhd and a big horror fan!

Anna Guzman

Why do I love horror movies, books, podcasts, etc. And I will go to a real location that is supposedly haunted, but I absolutely CANNOT DO Halloween haunted houses and events where they scare you?

Heather

Does Scrivner’s Morbid Curiosity Test tell us anything about ourselves we wouldn’t already know? And where’s the line between morbid curiosity and pathological interest? Are any curiosities concerning?