Horror - Exactly How Does It Impact Our Minds, If At All?

[Nightmare_Dreaming]

Do these movies affect us? I think they do, after being a horror fan for quite some time I have found I now have tolerance for gruesome things that I wouldn't have had before. And when a person goes on a killing spree useing a hockey mask to hide his face you can't help but wonder, you know? But these films AREN'T for everyone. If your little mind can't tell the difference between reality and fiction, right and wrong then don't watch them, and I wouldn't reccomend letting small children who doesn't understand that this is nothing but entertainment seeing horror. What are your takes?

[pyscho dude]

I think horror does have an impact. I mean it makes you think more about life and death and that there really are crazy nutcasses out there who could easily kill you. It makes you think more and be more cautious about things. It also adapts your mind to violence and gore.

[Psychocandy]

It's all just entertainment to me. Up to a level. If you look at the thread I started about the movie Mordum I think most of you will agree that there is a level of gruelling nastiness that goes way beyond your typical everyday horror movie. I also laugh in the face of anyone who suggests that watching violent horror movies desensitises you to real life horrors. Seeing a news report or reading an article in the press about one of the multitude of real life atrocities that occur on a daily basis can have a devastating affect on my mood. That's why I generally don't read newspapers or watch the news. So...I don't honestly think that horror movies have any detrimental effect on the minds of your average joe schmoe. However, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the more realistic the movie (eg. Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer) the higher the likelihood that i'll come out the other end feeling depressed. Not desensitised. Movies like Henry have the same sort of effect on me as newspaper headlines about another murder, rape or instance of child abuse. It opens my eyes to the evil that mankind is capable if perpetrating upon itself.

[C-Desecration-]

http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=57186

I posted something similar to this quite awhile ago . . .
You may need to scroll down a bit (or read through all of them), but there are some interesting points and things that can be observed throughout the discussion.

[ERIN_LoJ]

I think horror affects you, sure. I don't find that it desensitizes you to violence at all, but it's a pretty psychological genre and it works on several levels to get to you and disturb. Not all people can watch horror movies and not be bothered by them. Some people just can't handle them and thats cool. Me, I always loved and thirsted for them, can't get enough. Why? I dont know

[Duke Nukem]

To me, horror is simply this: A healthy dose of escapism. Nothing more, nothing less.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Originally posted by Duke Nukem
To me, horror is simply this: A healthy dose of escapism. Nothing more, nothing less. Well said.

[heretic]

I think they have some kind of effect on me on what level I'm not sure. I still can't stand to see gore of any kind in real life but if its on the screen then the more the better I'm a little strange like that. The most important thing in my mind is the line between fiction and real life and keeping that line there. Im all for realistic films and all but just not real life footage if you get me.