I absolutely adore horror movies. The aura of mystery surrounding the films is definitely an addiction of mine.

I recently went to see the movie "Paranormal Activity" with a friend after she had heard that someone she knew could barely sleep for three nights afterwards. We were intrigued and naively had a "how bad could it be?" attitude. In truth, it was truly terrifying. It certainly did not have a positive ending.

You know the type that I mean. Yes, the Overlook Hotel's demons drove your father to a murderous insanity, but you and your mom got away. Though "The Shining" did not leave me with warm and happy feelings, I walked out of "Paranormal Activity" pretty much traumatized. This trauma could only be satiated with the comforts that only "The Lion King" could offer.

Two days later, I had fully recovered, and I began to question what it was about horror movies that captivated so many people. Why do so many people find it fun to be scared?

Fear is considered to be humans' most primal emotion. It leaves us with only our mere instincts, and it allows basic intuition to rule over all logical thought. As humans, we are at our most fragile state when faced with true fear.

But what is true fear? The fear I felt after seeing "Paranormal Activity" was only temporary, a fact that proved that it was fear purely triggered from nothing deeper than a response to anxiety and disgust. My lack of a deep emotional connection to the movie distinguished it from the power of true fear.

True fear is when your grandma is dealing with a rough recovery after a major surgery, or when your dad is suddenly deployed to a far away country to aid the victims of a natural disaster and you can't even begin to imagine the challenges he's facing.

This leaves you in a threatened and seemingly helpless state. It makes you question the foundation of everything you ever thought you knew, and the deep emotional response turns a normally rational mind into a chaotic wrecking-ball.

Viewers at a horror film experience an artificial type of fear, a fear that is simply an instinctual reaction. This is why horror movies are so appealing.

To abandon all reason and submit to our most primitive reactions is to truly experience a moment of being fully alive.

It's an awareness that's hard to comprehend. It feeds an addiction. I am not sure if it's healthy, but I am certainly not stopping.

Emily Shine is a senior at Mayo High School. To respond to an opinion column, send an e-mail to life@postbulletin.com.

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