Why Hallowe'en and horror films can be a turn-on
I'm writing this on Hallowe'en - probably my least-favourite ‘holiday’. Anything with supernatural malice freaks me out, and I'm no fan of grizzly gore. But I know for some people it's a big turn-on...
When I was growing up, my big sister loved horror novels, but I couldn’t even look at the pictures on the covers without having nightmares. If she left them front-cover-up in the lounge I had to side-step towards them, without looking fully at them, and turn them cover-down.
But then she mentioned there were often very explicit sex scenes in them – and my curiosity was enough to make me grit my teeth and flick through the books to find them. She was right! Suddenly, the Horror section of my local library became appealing…
This wasn’t enough to turn me into a fan – I still didn’t actually read the books and I’ve never watched any films, not even the classics like The Exorcist, Scream or Nightmare On Elm Street. I personally don’t derive any pleasure at all from spending my leisure-time watching horrible scary stories with an atmosphere of evil (there's enough of that in the news...).
But as I said at the top, I know LOTS of people do get lots of pleasure and joy from these films, and often find them a massive turn-on. Why is that (aside from all the sex scenes)?
It’s quite obvious if you give it some thought. If you’ve ever felt a bit guilty for getting aroused watching, I hope this makes you feel better:
Fear produces some of the same bodily reactions as lust – dilated pupils, shallower breathing, blood to the muscles, adrenaline. When we feel these while actually in a safe place (on the sofa in our lounge, or at the cinema), the sensations can be interpreted as lust.
Fear puts our minds intensely in the here-and-now, and in our bodies – as does great sex. Add the visual stimulus of sex scenes and skimpily-dressed characters, and we can feel extremely turned-on.
If you’re watching a horror film with a date or partner, there’s the opportunity to snuggle up together in fear (real or put-on for extra-snuggling effect). Depending on your dynamic, the sense of being protected, or of being a protector, may amplify feelings of love and romance. And you’ll feel bonded after having gone through the journey of the film (yelling “DON’T GO BACK IN THE HOUSE!!!” at the screen together).
Lastly, for many people, triumph is a turn-on, and at the end of a horror film there is a sense of triumph at having got out alive. If you’re a fan, imagine your favourite film, but change the ending to one where all the heroes and heroines get killed and the evil force triumphs. Would you be so turned-on afterwards?
As with most-things-sex, we are all wired differently and that's part of the joy of it all. My lack of enjoyment of horror hasn’t ever posed a problem as I’ve never been in a relationship with a horror-genre fan. Or maybe someone being a horror fan has been a deal-breaker for me in a romantic relationship...?
If you do love horror books and films, and are planning a Hallowe'en weekend full of them, I wish you a very enjoyable – and sexy – weekend!
Ruth
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