Fear is all in your mind ...

  Using advanced functional imaging methods, New York University neuroscientists have found that certain motion pictures can exert considerable control over brain activity. Moreover, the impact of films varies according to movie content, editing, and directing style.

  The researchers relied on two methodological tools in their study: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and inter-subject correlation (ISC) analysis. fMRI utilizes a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner—like that routinely used for clinical evaluation of human anatomy. But it is reprogrammed to get a time-series of three-dimensional images of brain activity. In a typical fMRI experiment, a time-series of brain activity images is collected while a stimulus or cognitive task is varied. ISC analysis is employed to measure similarities in brain activity across viewers—in this case, it compared the response in each brain region from one viewer to the response in the same brain region from other viewers. Because all viewers were exposed to the same films, computing ISC on a region-by-region basis identified brain regions in which the responses were similar across viewers.

  "In cinema, some films lead most viewers through a similar sequence of perceptual, emotional, and cognitive states," the researchers wrote. "Such a tight grip on viewers' minds will be reflected in the similarity of the brain activity—or high ISC—across most viewers. By contrast, other films exert—either intentionally or unintentionally—less control over viewers' responses during movie watching. In such cases we expect that there will be less control over viewers' brain activity, resulting in low ISC."

  To stimulate subjects' brain activity, the researchers showed them three motion picture clips: thirty minutes of Sergio Leone's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly"; an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents "Bang! You're Dead"; and an episode of Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." To establish a baseline, subjects viewed a clip of unstructured reality: a 10-minute, unedited, one-shot video filmed during a concert in New York City's Washington Square Park. Uh huh

   'To stimulate subject's brain activity'. Now there's something I can wrap my mind around and have enough left over to wonder what in THE hell are these people talking about. Am I missing something? Is it just me? You watch scary movies and your brain gets stimulated. The scarier the movie is - the more you get  scared/stimulated. Maybe it IS just me. For me, some things just kinda pop right up and say 'NO SHIT'.

   In fact, the obvious seldom has to hit me over the head with a blackjack - I tend to get 'it' without the application of physical force. If some guy walked up to me and put a pistol to my head and said, 'DO YOU GET IT'? I'd wonder why he's asking. Think about it. And yet, these people really want to know why, or more exactly, how human beings get scared at movies? AND just how scared they get?

   Funny story. When 'ALIEN' was showing for the first time in Portland OR, it was playing at a local theater in my neighborhood. Just down the street from my space. The other human who occupied my space wanted to 'be there' when it 'debuted'. Don't ask me why.

   We went. Did I mention that I hate being confined in a dark room full of total strangers? Especially a dark room full of strangers who are certain to scare the shit outa me everytime they react to something on the screen. They scream and I go 'oh shit'. I gotta get outa here. But I was with my 'date'. I couldn't just up and walk away.

   I did the next best thing. I went to the lobby and watched most of that movie through the porthole in the door. And I have to tell you this. 'ALIEN' was so f*cking scary to me that I'd only look in when I knew it was safe. There's me, in the lobby of this pretty cool theater in ever so chic Northwest Portland OR, just bobbing my head often enough to get a glimmer of WTF is going on through a small round window in the door.

   Scared the crap outa me. I had my revenge soon enough. The same theater had a double billing. 'Freaks' and 'Erasurehead a few weeks later'. My significant other had not a clue. Ever seen either? No special effects. No sub-sonic theme music designed to stop your heart. No color. Just good old scare the livin' crap outa ya in beautiful black and white.

That was the last time she asked me to go 'see a movie'.Spread the word! 

Comments

[Oldcatman]

I guess when I was a kid, I'd put my hand over my eyes and peek thru my fingers at a SCARY MOVIE SCENE.....

Today I usually laugh thru the scary movies, knowing it is pure creative fiction and certainly not a reality.

The last movie that I have seen (many times) that had some real shock value to me, was JAWS.

[Uncle Fester]

Heh.

I don't scare easy at movies but the chestburster scene got me good. Thing is, I never thought of Alien as a horror movie.

[Steel]

Uncle Fester ...

The soundtrack on that was patterned on that of Jaws.

There's a sub-sonic component that affects the heart rate.

Another on that got to me 'The Thing'.

ACK!

[Uncle Fester]

Now, 'The Thing' is one of the few that's made me jump. I refuse to watch it a second time.

And I no longer trust dogs...