Monsters On The Brain: An Evolutionary Epistemology Of Horror

The horror genre has always been seen as the joke of the film industry, and truly it is in more than a few aspects. The movies usually portray a young, less than intelligent individual, that has gotten themselves into a rather sticky situation. While the story is mostly based around this relatable yet slightly idiotic person, we all have to admit, the most captivating part of the tale has to be the actual monster. The monster is what everyone is waiting on the edge of their seat to get just a glimpse of throughout the movie so they can know what to be scared of. The original movie monster has always been a ghastly dark creature with sharp teeth and claws that comes during the night. While we have come to accept and even fear these horror figures,

As the author of “Monsters on the Brain: An Evolutionary Epistemology of Horror” puts it “Of course, horror is more than just fear. Horror, unlike fear, seems to have existential significance embedded within it.”. Fear is embedded in us, it is not only produced by the outside world. Not only are mental illnesses a main threat, but anxieties and stressors caused by the increasing pressure in today’s society. Stresses such as the importance of a college education in future job opportunities, the crippling fear of failure, and the pressure to follow social norms on when to get married and start a family. Our fears nowadays are based less on actual threats to our physical being and more on threats to our minds, well-beings, and futures. This is just a result of our changing environment and the expectations that have been placed on each individual within it. While these fears and anxieties seem less threatening, and they mostly are, they can cause just as much damage in the long run. These non-physical treats can cause mental damage rather than bodily harm. We still do face bodily threats like natural disasters, and as the authors of “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad