Don’t let the haters gaslight you; studies show playing horror video games is surprisingly good for your mind, body, and soul!
For many of us, growing up, horror-themed games and films were strictly forbidden by our parents, who feared they would give us nightmares and rot our brains. Of course, the forbidden nature of scary media only made them that much more enticing. And plenty of us would find ways to sneak in our consumption of films and games filled with disturbing content and horrifying, violent, or gory visuals.
Many of us experienced the thrilling adrenaline rush of this content from a very young age, and we became obsessed with chasing that thrill as we grew older. And though it may have been considered taboo at the time, more and more research points to the fact that consuming horror content is actually really good for us.
Though it may seem odd, watching horror movies can provide considerable mental and physical health benefits — benefits that are often amplified when playing video games.
Playing immersive horror games can stimulate your brain like casino games on a site like daftar slot online can. And the more science looks at why we seek out this kind of content and how our minds and bodies respond to it, the more it becomes clear that we horror fans are far more well-adjusted and ahead of the curve than we’ve been given credit for.
Health Benefit #1: Develop Your Fear Response
When you watch something that frightens you, you simulate a fear experience. Your brain thinks it’s real, and it learns from the experience.
The more your brain is forced to confront fear, the more it adapts and learns to respond to these stressful situations in the most productive way possible. Thus, watching horror films allows you to train your brain without actually putting yourself in harm’s way.
By engaging with frightening content, the kind that elevates your blood pressure and release adrenaline, your brain gradually becomes conditioned to respond more quickly — and more calmly — in stressful situations. This enables you to confront those frightening real-life situations more easily.
As you can probably imagine, playing video games enhances those benefits by providing an improved and authentic experience due to the immersive nature of these games.
Typically, an interactive video game generates a much higher degree of fear and adrenaline, stimulating your brain even more. It feels far more real as if you are truly in a dangerous and terrifying situation. This triggers your brain to be even more responsive and to work out how to help you “survive” these situations.
It’s like going to school and studying to get smarter and make our brains bigger. We aren’t just learning facts when we go to school; we’re learning how to learn. We’re learning to enhance our critical thinking skills. Playing video games is, in a way, like taking your brain to school and learning how to think better, faster, and more strategically in situations where you might otherwise be prone to shutting down and making bad decisions while in a panic.
Health Benefit #2: Boost Your Immunity
Consuming horror content doesn’t just give your brain a boost. Many studies have shown that playing horror games can help us generate more white blood cells, actually strengthening our immune systems.
White blood cells help defend your body against infections and other ailments and heal wounds. Your immunity gets a big boost, as does your ability to fight against attacks on your body, as the number of white blood cells produced rises. Your heart, just like the rest of your body, also gets stronger as it is worked out. Video games tend to raise your heart rate in proportion to the amount of fear you experience. Over time, this can help your heart work harder for you. Think of it like doing cardio — only a lot more fun!
Although it sounds improbable that a sedentary activity like playing video games could have any health benefits, researchers have repeatedly found that games that truly get the heart rate up and stimulate us in a big way really can make us healthier.
Health Benefit #3: Elevate Your Mood and Reduce Stress
One of the biggest benefits you can get from playing video games isn’t something seen over a long period of time. In fact, the biggest boost you can get is to your mood, and that benefit can be felt immediately.
You feel afraid or frightened whenever you play a horror game. As a result, your body tends to create a variety of chemicals in your brain, including dopamine, glutamate, and serotonin, which are referred to as “happy” hormones because they improve your mood and how you feel.
Playing video games helps you take your mind off any stress or anxiety you may be feeling. And those hormones pumping through your system due to being scared out of your wits will help calm you and make you feel happier overall.
Of course, it’s important to remember too much of anything can end up being a bad thing. While playing video games and gambling on a site like situs judi slot online can have many surprising benefits, those benefits are only realized when you practice moderation. If it becomes too consuming, or you spend too much time parked in front of a screen, the negative effects will outweigh the positive ones.
So just pace yourself and feel great knowing that you can have fun and enjoy a wonderful mental and physical boost simultaneously!
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