Most people associate watching movies with rest and relaxation. It would seem that we are sitting in an armchair (in the cinema) or lying on the couch at home, what can we experience besides relaxation? But our brain continues to work and, depending on what it sees, activates various processes in the body.
Why we love comedy
While watching a comedy , a person releases endorphins (the hormone of happiness) from which a person experiences positive emotions. At this time, the heart rate also increases, blood pressure rises and the senses become heightened. Scientists have noted the positive effect of laughter on breathing.
A person develops diaphragmatic and portioned breathing (pulsating). It reduces the stress on the heart, which ultimately leads to better well-being. Laughing also burns calories, just like watching a horror movie, but it also contracts your abdominal muscles, which has a positive effect on your abs.
At the same time, the body’s defensive reaction decreases and muscles relax. It is then that we feel the relaxation that most people associate with watching movies or our favorite TV series.
Why are we afraid of horror movies
While watching horror movies, a person’s heart rate increases , he begins to absorb a large amount of oxygen and, the most pleasant thing for girls, he loses calories. Some of the subjects showed a change in blood pressure.
In addition, the senses are heightened, the level of leukocytes and hemoglobin rises. The pupils dilate before the eyes and adrenaline is released. And this is already the reason why people like to watch horror films.
You probably know people who are very impressionable (often a girl) and they are afraid to watch horror movies (they are very scared)? This is due to the fact that a person is completely immersed in watching a movie. The brain is not always distinguished by a real threat in front of it or a hypothetical one.
At this time, the impulse from the amygdala enters the hippocampus and hypothalamus. It activates the “survival” mode ( actively produces dopamine ) and the person instinctively wants to escape or turn off the film. In simple words, he begins to experience stress.
Why do many people watch dramas
While watching a dramatic film, the brain actively produces cortisol (stress hormone). The body goes into a protective mode, after which a person can feel a surge of energy. You’ve probably noticed that the person who cried has a better mood. Together with tears, a person sheds the burden of negative emotions and feels moral relief.
Research scientists
Naturally, the occipital zone, which is responsible for vision and short-term memory zones, was active all the time. Surprisingly, different genres of cinema (drama, horror, comedy) had the same impact on the subjects regardless of gender and age. All of them activated the same areas of the cortex responsible for fear, laughter, or other emotions.