Is the world less scary for us skeptics and rationalists?

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Having written and read some threads about horror movies and such lately, I thought it was time for some analysis of the world and the universe and our perception of it.

When it comes to the paranormal and "supernatural" I consider myself being a realist and a natural skeptic, and I guess some of you feel the same way. As we all know these topics tend to make up much of the plot in horror movies and other media.

Have you ever found that your "down to earth" realistic view of the world and the universe makes you less frightened of the unknown and the notion of the supernatural and paranormal?

I guess this could just be a process of growing up, but I remember when I was younger and had a certain supertitious beliefs like most youngsters do, when the idea of ghosts and vampires and aliens were quite scary to contemplate, and movies depicting these horrors were terrifying to me (even if I still had a morbid fascination for them). It might just be one of those things that change when you become an adult.

But let's take people who are religious and superstitious into account as well. Does depictions and imagery of hell and other asorted aspects that your religion hold to be abominable seem more scary to you because you are religious or superstitious?

To summarize my musings a little here, im starting to suspect that my skepticism towards pretty much all supernatural and paranormal things to spoil my enjoyment of horror fiction. While some really well made horror fiction can be quite enjoyable and interesting from time to time, it can't really evoke that sense of fear and terror that I used to experience during that age when I let my imagination have a little more hold on me than it does now.

And frankly, this sucks! I want to be scared of horror fiction like I used to be. It's an awesome feeling. But once you go skeptic you really don't consider that scary looking martians lives on mars, to me it's probably just a rock with nothing in particular on it. And a crumbling and dark house doesn't contain any ghosts, because their existence is simply too improbable.

Does skepticism and rationalism spoil our enjoyment of horror?

Discuss...

 

[BonsaiK]

I think disbelieving the supernatural is far scarier than believing in it. The most frightening thing about being a total rationalist is the idea that life is essentially pointless and nothing is going to happen to you when you die. That's scarier than any horror movie.

 

[SilentStranger]

Not really. I've never had a single supernatural experience, but I'm still s little scared when I'm alone in the basement or out in the dark, alone on a road. Just because I'm a skeptic doesnt mean I dont still have that irrational part of my mind.

I dont think it makes the world more or less scary though. I just lost the will to fight the creeping sense of despair anymore, and just let myself get numb.

 

[ghalkhsdkssakgh]

I'm a massive skeptic and rationalist, and I'm not particularly scared by life. Sometimes I do take a step back, look at the bigger picture, wonder if it's all worth it...but then I just think 'fuck it, I'm 16' and go back to making masturbation jokes at inappropriate times.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Well, I'm an Atheist, and therefore I do not fear hell, because I do not believe it exists. In fact, I laugh at some of the pictures of "hell" that I have seen. However, I do fear the void, because I believe in that.

So yes, you have a good point. If you don't believe in it you are certainly not going to be scared of it.

I'm a massive skeptic and rationalist, and I'm not particularly scared by life. Sometimes I do take a step back, look at the bigger picture, wonder if it's all worth it...but then I just think 'fuck it, I'm 16' and go back to making masturbation jokes at inappropriate times.

Story of my life I must say.

 

[Woodsey]

I think disbelieving the supernatural is far scarier than believing in it. The most frightening thing about being a total rationalist is the idea that life is essentially pointless and nothing is going to happen to you when you die. That's scarier than any horror movie.

I'd argue the opposite; the scariest thing for someone who believes in the supernatural is that when they die, that's it.

Rationalists are people who accept that this is the most likely thing and get on with it (in my case, just don't think about it - what's the point?). That's why they call 'em rationalists.

I'm a massive skeptic and rationalist, and I'm not particularly scared by life. Sometimes I do take a step back, look at the bigger picture, wonder if it's all worth it...but then I just think 'fuck it, I'm 16' and go back to making masturbation jokes at inappropriate times.

Definitely felt this before. Can't beat a good jerk-off joke.

 

[PunchClockVillain]

I find myself skeptical of the supernatural, but I've gone to some "haunted" place before and seen some stuff that I couldn't rationally explain. It was a little unnerving, but the entertainment from watching my friends freak out over it was fair compensation.

 

[Skeleon]

It doesn't spoil my enjoyment of horror or fantasy at all.
In fact, I really love stories about ghosts and demons, ancient gods or lowly zombies.
I guess in that respect I'm contrary to you, because while I believe in no supernatural stuff in real life, I very much enjoy it in fiction (movies, books, games,...).
I don't think one has to really believe in these things to find them entertaining.
In fact, I just listened to a large chunk of The Silmarillion (not quite finished) and the creation story was very interesting for me.
Religion has always fascinated me even though I personally don't believe in any of it.

As for BonsaiK's point, I have to disagree. I think that our lives being limited and unique grants them a higher value than immortality (i.e. eternal afterlife) could ever have.
My name might be forgotten but my actions will have an impact on the future, anyway. However little.

 

[Lord George]

I advanced past the sceptic stage a long time ago when I realised I wasn't that smart and that any number of things that we could consider supernatural may exist. Which is also why Lovecraft scares the crap out of me, we still have no idea what lurks deep down under the ocean (okay Clthulu is probably not down there but there might be a huge reptilian beast in some super hot and pressurised part of the ocean.)

 

[SilentStranger]

I advanced past the sceptic stage a long time ago when I realised I wasn't that smart and that any number of things that we could consider supernatural may exist. Which is also why Lovecraft scares the crap out of me, we still have no idea what lurks deep down under the ocean (okay Clthulu is probably not down there but there might be a huge reptilian beast in some super hot and pressurised part of the ocean.)

One of the main reasons why I dislike open stretches of water. I like the ocean and all, but I dont like swimming or sailing for example.

Luckily, any megafauna found in the ocean will most likely not drive you insane by looking at it

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

I think disbelieving the supernatural is far scarier than believing in it. The most frightening thing about being a total rationalist is the idea that life is essentially pointless and nothing is going to happen to you when you die. That's scarier than any horror movie.

Well... Im sort of content with all that myself. Im not really scared of the objective pointlessness of it all, im just scared of dying because it entails the complete obliteration of my sense of self. But im also aware of the fact that once im dead, im not going to be able to care about my sense of self or anything else for that matter.

So you could say that im a happy and content nihilist, with a slight phobia of dying. : )

 

[badgersprite]

I suppose I can enjoy it more because I just laugh my way through it. I never got the impression that I was supposed to be scared of ghosts or zombies, and I don't find them scary, as a concept or in practice. I find those sorts of movies hilarious.

Things that have scared me or really gotten to me are things that are realistic or easy to relate to. Like, Final Destination was a funny as hell movie, but they were all killed in such unassuming, everyday ways. The suntan beds were the worst, because I could imagine how that felt. Not scary, but just painful.

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

It doesn't spoil my enjoyment of horror or fantasy at all.
In fact, I really love stories about ghosts and demons, ancient gods or lowly zombies.
I guess in that respect I'm contrary to you, because while I believe in no supernatural stuff in real life, I very much enjoy it in fiction (movies, books, games,...).
I don't think one has to really believe in these things to find them entertaining.
In fact, I just listened to a large chunk of The Silmarillion (not quite finished) and the creation story was very interesting for me.
Religion has always fascinated me even though I personally don't believe in any of it.

Oh no, I do find them entertaining. Im a real sucker for most things that include aliens, ghosts, zombies, demons etc. etc. provided that it is well made and with lot of care behind it rather than just being a mindless chunk of mediocrity.

It's just that, im not being scared of it the way I want to. For instance, Im a huge Lovecraft fan. I love his stories and his fantastic imagery of the universe and the alien, I love the fact that his image of godlike beings are, quite frankly, the most probable truth to such a being if it really did exist (the unfathoamble and uncaring kind who doesn't even consider humanity in the grand scheme of things).

It's just that when I've read a Lovecraft story or any other litterary work of a good horror author, I think: "Wow! That's a really cool story and it had lot's of cool ideas and elements to it. Really moody and really good use of language..."

But they don't make me lose any sleep. They don't cause any nightmares. I don't get scared. And that's kind of disappointing to me. I can recognize a piece of well made horror fiction, but I jsut don't get scared... at all.

EXCEPT! (and here come the big exception)

Video games. Seriously, Silent Hill 2 have at some times made me feel physically ill during gameplay. (of course, I love it because of that! XD) There are stuff in horror games that just force me to turn off the game for a while and take a break because I can almost feel it straining on my psyche. Doom 3 also counts to one of these games, mainly because it took the concept of hell and made it scary.

Why is that? Why can horror games provide so much immersion and genuine feelings of fear, when novels, graphic novels, movies and music cannot?

 

[Housebroken Lunatic]

Definitely felt this before. Can't beat a good jerk-off joke.

Final passages of the bible:

And God felt relieved and he said to himself: Well im glad I got all that crap out of the way. Time for some fapping...

 

[Lamppenkeyboard]

I leave most skepticism at the door when I watch a "supernatural film". I won't accept sheer stupidity (i.e. hot blond female supporting cast member #4 walks deliberately outside into the forest which is widely known to house a demon rapist serial killer) but I do allow myself to believe for 2 hours in the existence of the aforementioned demon psychopath.

 

[CK76]

In fiction we suspend disbelief. I am aware people can not fly, there are no dragons and I need not fear the boogie man. In the fictitious world these things are possible so if I care about the character I attach their sense of fear to my own as any emotion. Once I leave that realm that fear ceases.

I will say very real things scare me (wolves, falling, drowning, people) so works with those images do tend to stay with me longer afterward as seem a bit more plausible given certain confines.

 

[Skeleon]

Oh, well. No, I'm not scared of those stories either, but that's not really what I'm looking for in fantasy or horror anyway.
I'm not really looking for fear on rollercoasters, either, though. And I've heard some people do.

Why is that? Why can horror games provide so much immersion and genuine feelings of fear, when novels, graphic novels, movies and music cannot?

Hm, well. Doom 3 could shock me a few times (until I got used to it). Never played Silent Hill 2, but a game that was very immersive (much more so than Doom 3) was System Shock 2.

Both of these games, however, are FPS and the sound and ambient music were very well done. Two big factors for immersion, I'd say. When in a first-person-perspective, it's much easier to identify with your virtual alter-ego.

Watching a movie? You're just a spectator.
Reading a book? Your own imagination has to provide everything.

I would guess that the feeling of actually taking part in the action is what allows for the stronger feelings of really being exposed to danger and the sensation of fear (or F.E.A.R.; I'll just say one word: "ladder").

 

[ottenni]

I tend to apply my skepticism to everything. Even what people would call 'logical and rational' concepts. I like to remind myself that it was once commonly accepted that the world was flat. But horror movies i just find hilarious. Probably because i'm always going for the bad guys, the good guys are always either stupid or a bunch of pricks. As for the existence of monsters, ghosts and the like? I doubt it, but what the hell do i know. I'm skeptical when people tell me they exist but i'm prepared to accept otherwise.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Well, what I find truly terrifying is that some people honestly believe that because I don't believe the same as them I'm going to the place they have for bad people, whilst saying treat others as you wish be treated and talking about being nice to people.

I don't understand how people can believe such, frankly, demonic things.
I think people that think like that are worse than The Devil...

But, anyway...

The world it's self, I don't find scary.
I'm but a person, I wasn't bothered by being dead before I existed, it won't bother me after I'm dead again.

 

[Seldon2639]

Skeptic has a "k" in it, not for nothing.

I think it has less to do with skepticism in and of itself, and more to do with ones ability to suspend disbelief. No one in their right mind (atheist, agnostic, or theist) really believes in gremlins, for instance, but different people are able to accept the premise of the movie with varying levels of acumen.

Basically, if you're not afraid of a scary movie, it's because you can't actually detach yourself from your analytical mind, and be "in" the experience.

I think that also has a lot to do with what makes games scarier. The action of controlling the character makes you more part of the experience, and shifts you further away from the understanding that you're either sitting in your living room reading, or in a theater with about a hundred other people seeing a movie.