A Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Movies

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Mathias Clasen (Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies, Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies, Aarhus University)

A Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Movies

Mathias Clasen (Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies, Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies, Aarhus University)

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English

Oxford University Press Inc
23 February 2022

Films, movies & cinema; Cultural studies; Psychology; Cognitivism, cognitive theory; Psychology: emotions

Why your worst nightmares about watching horror movies are unfoundedFilms about chainsaw killers, demonic possession, and ghostly intruders make some of us scream with joy. But while horror fans are attracted to movies designed to scare us, others shudder already at the thought of the sweat-drenched nightmares that terrifying movies often trigger. The fear of sleepless nights and the widespread beliefs that horror movies can have negative psychological effects and display immorality make some of us very, very nervous about them. But should we be concerned?

In this book, horror-expert Mathias Clasen delves into the psychological science of horror cinema to bust some of the worst myths and correct the biggest misunderstandings surrounding the genre. In short and highly readable chapters peppered with vivid anecdotes and examples, he addresses the nervous person's most pressing questions: What are the effects of horror films on our mental and physical health? Why do they often cause nightmares? Aren't horror movies immoral and a bad influence on children and adolescents? Shouldn't we be concerned about what the current popularity of horror movies says about society and its values? While media psychologists have demonstrated that horror films indeed have the potential to harm us, Clasen reveals that the scientific evidence also contains a second story that is often overlooked: horror movies can also help us confront and manage fear and often foster prosocial values.

By: Mathias Clasen (Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies Aarhus University)
Imprint: Oxford University Press Inc
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 135mm, Width: 203mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 249g
ISBN: 9780197535905
ISBN 10: 0197535909
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 23 February 2022
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Mathias Clasen is Associate Professor of Literature and Media Studies at Aarhus University. He is interested in the paradox of horror and researches the psychological underpinnings of horror from an evolutionary perspective. He has also conducted empirical studies on the psychology and physiology of haunted house visitors. Clasen is the author of Why Horror Seduces (OUP, 2017) and associate editor of the journal Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture.

Reviews for A Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Movies

Mathias Clasen is like the Carl Sagan of horror. He enthusiastically brings us into the unknown, showing us the remarkable psychology and biology of scary movies-the deeper meanings hidden inside popular culture. His frontline research on horror audiences and their mixed emotions makes him a respected expert in this emerging field. But his expertise is matched by his own nervousness and anxiety about horror. This makes him a kindred spirit and perfect guide to the terrifying world of attraction and repulsion. * Stephen Asma, author of On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears *