عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Entertainment

Horror Movies Are Good for Your Health, New Study Says

These revelers walk beside witch figures and creepy surprises during sunset at the Halloween celebration in a Leipzig amusement park. AP
These revelers walk beside witch figures and creepy surprises during sunset at the Halloween celebration in a Leipzig amusement park. AP
TT
20
TT

Horror Movies Are Good for Your Health, New Study Says

These revelers walk beside witch figures and creepy surprises during sunset at the Halloween celebration in a Leipzig amusement park. AP
These revelers walk beside witch figures and creepy surprises during sunset at the Halloween celebration in a Leipzig amusement park. AP

Nothing says Halloween like a good thrill, and horror films like “The Shining” might get you right into the spooky spirit, reported the Healthline website.

If you enjoy recreational horror, a good scare could help reduce your anxiety. It sounds counterintuitive because horror is meant to induce fear, but people who feel nervous or anxious might be even more likely to enjoy horror movies.

Horror offers a controlled and predictable space for experiencing fear and anxiety, especially for people who feel pressured to hide their feelings, according to a preprint paper by Coltan Scrivner, PhD, a behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark.

“Unlike anxiety stemming from the real world, horror fiction-induced anxiety is rooted in a clear source, is more easily managed, and has a clear timeframe,” Scrivner wrote. The physiological changes that occur after a horror film may resemble the feeling of a “runner’s high” from aerobic exercise, according to Scrivner.

When you watch a horror film, some parts of your brain perceive the threat as real and activate your body's fight-or-flight response. Your heart starts to pound, increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, and your breathing gets faster to send oxygen to your body in preparation for action. Your muscles might get tense in anticipation of either having to flee or face the threat.

“This acute stress response can provide a thrill, helping us feel more alive and engaged with our environment,” Harold Hong, a board-certified psychiatrist and medical director of New Waters Recovery in North Carolina, told the Verywell website via email.

Fear can trigger the release of adrenaline and cortisol, the body’s stress hormones. Your brain also releases endorphins and dopamine because of the stimulation. Endorphins are hormones that alleviate pain and stress, while dopamine is a “feel-good” neurotransmitter that plays a role in mood regulation.

After a horror movie, these hormones can make you feel relieved and even rewarded for “surviving” the experience, making it a positive stressor.

Most Viewed

 
Entertainment

Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
TT
20
TT

Billy Idol on His First Album in over a Decade, the Rock Hall and More

Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)
Billy Idol performs during the Vive Latino music festival in Mexico City, Saturday, March 16, 2024. (AP)

When Billy Idol first entered American consciousness in the early '80s, leather-clad and bleached hair in tow, he not only brought a punk rock sound to the mainstream. The Englishman brought a new attitude, a new, rebellious way of being.

In the time since, songs like “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell” and “Eyes Without a Face” have become instant classics — for those who've worn a spiky jacket and those who've only imagined what it might be like.

Now, over four decades later, he's got the wisdom to reflect. It's led to a new documentary about his life, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead,” which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival — and a new album, the polished punk-pop of “Dream Into It.”

“It was a gradual process, really,” he said of the 11-year span between albums. “It wasn’t so much that we didn’t want to make an album, it was more like we were building up to doing this.”

Idol discussed with The Associated Press this week his new album and forthcoming documentary, his past struggles with addiction, his first-ever Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and more.

Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You've described “Dream Into It” as autobiographical. I thought your last album, 2014's “Kings & Queens of the Underground,” pulled from your life as well.

IDOL: Being this age, in particular, 69, when you look back, you can really see your whole life, how it plays out. And maybe it’s also having grandchildren. My children are having children.

You sort of reach this vantage point where you can really look back and see all the sort of different eras of my life. And you can sing about it. And I think I didn’t go deep enough with the songs I did on “Kings and Queens.” I thought lyrically I could go deeper. That’s one of those regrets I had about the last album. So I really went for it, and I went for more imagery, (on ‘Dream Into It,’ in the) way of talking about my life. I’m not spelling it out exactly.

AP: There are a lot of rock ‘n’ roll women on the album. Joan Jett, Avril Lavigne and The Kills' Alison Mosshart are all featured.

IDOL: (Mosshart's) voice is just incredible. And of course, Joan Jett, I’ve known since 1978 after a Germs/Dead Kennedys concert. We hung out in Los Angeles. I was on a Generation X promotion tour for the first album. And then Avril, I mean, I’ve just been watching her career forever and she’s fantastic. So, it was just great.

AP: The documentary has an evocative title, “Billy Idol Should Be Dead.” It sounds like it may dive into your past struggles with addiction.

IDOL: There was a point in my life when I was living like every day, like, “Live every day as if it’s your last.” One day, you’re going to be right.

In the '70s, in England, you know, young people, we had this feeling that we were being completely ignored. You were even being told that you had no future. And so, we just didn’t think beyond the day-to-day existence. It was probably only when I really started having children and stuff like that, I really starting to realize I (should) try start to give up drugs and things.

I’ve always flirted with death, in a way. Even riding motorcycles, you’re staring at the concrete. It’s right there, you can come off that thing and get horribly messed up. And I’ve done it. It’s horrible. You find out how human you are, how vulnerable. There’s lots of things about my life that, yeah, I did kind of call death at times. Not really mean to, but you just were living like that.

Imagine if it was today. If I was doing what I was back then today, I would be dead because I would have run into fentanyl.

AP: You're nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. Do you think your younger punk rock self would be excited?

IDOL: I do sort of think about Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and Little Richard. “And what? Are you going to be in something with those guys?” You know, Buddy Holly. These are some of the seminal people who turned on the people that turned me on, you know? Somewhere down the road, it led to punk rock.

Also, my motorcycle has been in the Rock & Roll of Fame for like five years. So I might as well be in it, too.