Why Do You Jump In A Horror Movie?

No one is exempt from the feeling of fear. It is that particular anticipation of fear that causes many to jump during a horror movie. There is an interesting underlying reason for why so many find themselves jumping during a scary movie, and it all has to do with the chemical reactions and brain signals.

The Build-Up

When the body feels at ease watching a scary movie, there remains an abundance of action taking place in the brain. During a scary plot build-up, the body will begin to become tense with anticipation of the coming event. The brain knows that something is going to happen, but does not know what. And when the expected action occurs, it acts as a stimulus that in turn triggers a signal, called the amygdala in the brain that causes the body to react.

Next, discover how the amygdala works with the brain and how it effectively makes a person fearful.

Triggering The Brain

The amygdala is a region close to the base of the brain and it sends the brain chemical, glutamate, to two other regions of the brain. The first region is what causes the body to either freeze-up or jump involuntarily. The reactions are entirely automatic since the signal is sent deep into the base of the brain to an area that the body has very little control over. The second signal, which is forwarded to the hypothalamus, triggers the body’s autonomic nervous system which is the system that is responsible for the fight or flight instinct. The hypothalamus signal elevates the heart rate, blood pressure and shoots adrenaline throughout the body, which is the rush that is felt during a scare.

Keep reading to reveal the three stages of fear that the brain processes when dealing with a scary situation, such as watching a horror movie.