What happens in your brain when you watch a horror movie?

To reach this conclusion, Erno Hermans and his colleagues worked with 80 volunteers who watched horror scenes from the big screen, like those in the movie Poltergeist . Magnetic resonance imaging showed that various cortical and subcortical regions were activated and increased their connectivity by the action of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine , which reorganized their neural resources. Thus, they found that when the brain is altered by these types of experiences, our senses are heightened and fear creates a state of alert that strengthens memories of stressful experiences , although it impairs our ability to analyze. In this process, parts of the brain involved in redirecting attention, increasing perceptual alertness, and automatic neuroendocrine control are brought into action. On the contrary, it is almost impossible to "deliberate calmly," the authors conclude.