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Discussion thread: Horror Neurobiology (WATCHING SCARY STUFF) is published! (Patreon)

Published:
2026-10-09 04:56:15
Imported:
2026-10

Content

*This episode is published and ready to hear wherever you get podcasts. Let's talk about it.*

Happy Spooktober, kiddos. It's the science of watching scary movies, but I promise it's a mellow episode because I myself am a weenie.

Neurobiologist Dr. Austin Lim, author of “Horror on the Brain: the Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction,” explains the political sociology of zombies vs. vampires, feminist body horror, horror as anti-war art, liminal spaces, the best blood in the business, and if horror is have a "moment."

BUT this one also features CUTS from other episodes to FLESH it all out.

This one was a real monster and we had to cap it at 2+ hours so if we don’t cover your favorite movie or series and you're mad at me about it, I will roll my eyes so hard that I will die and then I will haunt you by hiding your car keys.

Okay please enjoy and let me know if you are scared of horror or you love it or if this episode changed your mind either way.

All about pumpkins,

Podward

Files

Horror Neurobiology (WATCHING SCARY STUFF) with Dr. Austin Lim - alie ward

Thrills. Chills. Hiding behind your hands. It's officially SPOOKTOBER month with a huge, fascinating (and I promise, mellow) episode on why humans watch horror, and what's happening in your brain. Not only do we have the author of "Horror on the Brain: the Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction," neuro

Comments

Yuri

Quick question: are there any jump scares in the episode? Asking for a friend 😅

Cortney

Excited to listen to this at work tomorrow!

Alie Ward

There is one phone ringing that interrupts him about 10-12 minutes in, and then I promise that there are no jump scares. (I would not do y'all dirty like that.)

Yuri

Thank youuuuuuuu!!!

Eleanor Willis

Is the call coming from INSIDE the house though?

Yuri

😂😂😂

Sarah Allan

I will never say fight or flight again. I will now only be using the term battle or skedaddle.

choirqueer

I loooooove the seasonal theme song :D It scared my poor dog though D:

Susan G

I am a tiny weenie as well and I am thrilled that so many people love horror but I must say that this episode has not inspired me to watch any I still sometimes have nightmares about things I watched over a decade ago. 😅

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Wow, that episode was a dissertation! We all get continuing ed credit, right?

decimals and more

Alie!!! Have you read Eugene Thacker’s trilogy of the philosophy of horror?! The first one (In the Dust of This Planet) is one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read!

Allison Dorsett

I've always been curious of this👀 why do so many people love to scare themselves? I can never sleep when I watch scary things. Aaaa can't wait to listen!

Samantha Belk

Hi Alie! - faithful listener for many many years here, but first time commenter! Just wanted to share that the intro to the Horror Neurobiology tickled me and brought me much joy on my 6am flight the other day! Thanks for all of the endless listening and learning.

Gardener Gabbi

I have a new question - where do dinosaurs factor in to horror? I absolutely love them, they're amazing, but I've had a few really violent and terrifying nightmares lately ALL about dinosaurs! It was really realistic too! Just basically being chased/hunted by them, proper Jurassic park and also Jurassic world vibes. What does it mean?! I kind of feel scared of Dino's and Dino movies now, but would they be considered part of the horror genre? 😂 (I hope they're not because I still think they're amazing, I'm just very freaked out) 🦖

Juliet Nusbaum

Me too! I loved the episode but I'm going right back to watching the Great British Bake Off. I don't get that sense of relief after a horror movie like some people do. I just remain jumpy and uncomfortable. No thanks, my life is already stressful enough!

Notfunnybutfanni

I loved this episode. I‘m dying to know (no pun intended) which of the zombie/vampire and democrats/republicans theories is the right one. They both make so much sense! I now watch horror movies thinking about which primal emotion they‘re triggering and what the writer might have been inspired by. The perfect episode to start off spooktober!

Tinnedfishfanatic

As someone who is trying to get more brave with my movie watching habits, this episode was amazing! I’m never considered why I needed to be scared or how to validate watching these things. I recently finished the newest season of the last of us - what a wonderful show!

Demi Espinoza

“Lyle” is not exactly a rosemary’s baby remake but very close to it and it’s queer !

Diana Staresinic-Deane

Hey, I'm not sad! And I'm going to be thinking about the impact of serving during the Vietnam conflict in a whole new way for a long, long time.

Lily Bee

I very much appreciated the secret -I was also an eight grader dressing up on Halloween, although had it not been a group costume I might not have. You’ve inspired me to dress up this year with my toddler, so thank you Alie!!

Nathan

Thanks for this Frankenstein-esque episode of stitched together spooky information! I especially loved the information on vampires. Happy spooktober!

Jade Greene

I had no idea men were the majority of horror consumption!

Jade Greene

Thank you! I'm gonna check it out.

Jade Greene

Time for a relisten of Vampireology too. Gosh I love that episode! I wish I could take his class so bad.