Hello Friends,
I would like to share an interesting article
by KATIE KOERNER.
‘The
Surprising Reasons We Like Sad Movies’
Isn’t a little weird that people pay money to watch
other people endure tragedy after tragedy on the big screen? All these years later, I’m still scratching
my head over the fact that watching Titanic for the eighteenth time in six
months was considered “normal” when the movie first hit theatres. But turns out
tragedy addicts aren’t so odd after all. In fact, they might have a good reason
for queuing up for a cry-fest, and it all comes down to neurobiology.
A lot goes on in our brains when we watch sad,
emotional, or tragic films, and what’s surprising is that a lot of this brain
activity actually promotes feelings of happiness, closeness in our
relationships, and a sense of community. Say what, now?
What’s the Deal?
When we sit down to watch a movie, we activate
portions of our brain that process visual and sensory inputs in both hemispheres.
“Neurocinematic” research (a relatively new term) finds that on a basic level,
our brains are able to process the basic plot and storyline of a film in
similar ways. After that, the ways our brains process information related to
the emotional aspects of the film becomes pretty individualized.
The parts of our brains responsible for the regulation
of emotional processing are definitely affected while watching films, but the
ways they’re affected vary based on a couple of factors, including the narrative
of the film (funny/sad/neutral/etc.), the individual person viewing the film,
and maybe even gender. One study found that women are more likely than men to
respond to negative emotional stimuli in films (such as heartbreak, death,
despair, and tears), while men are more likely to respond to positive emotional
stimuli (like when the bad guy finally gets what’s coming to him).
But even though our emotional responses to films
aren't entirely uniform, research suggests that watching tragic movies might
actually make us feel happier across the board. There are a couple of possible
explanations for this phenomenon. One is that watching sad films prompts us to
get reflective and feel grateful for the ways our lives and relationships are
better than those of the characters on screen (“Hey, at least I’m not lying
frozen on a board in the ocean while my boyfriend drowns!”). This comparative
reflection actually mirrors a therapeutic technique in which patients are asked
to imagine someone in a worse situation in order to gain perspective on
challenges in their own life, says Greatist Expert and Clinical Psychologist
Jessica Magidson.
Other research suggests it’s not just about turning
inward — there might be some serious neurochemical involvement in our happy feelings
post-tragedy viewing. According to Paul Zak, Greatist Expert, Professor, and
Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies, sad films make us feel
empathy for others through the release of oxytocin. When we empathize with
other people (even fictional ones on screen), our brain releases oxytocin,
which engages brain circuits that prompt us to care about others. Exercising
empathy makes us better able to connect to the real people around us, says Zak
— both right after viewing a sad film (in the form of hugs and shared tears)
and later on, by training our oxytocin system. These feelings of connection
just might explain why we can't stop watching films that end in tragedy or
sadness .
Is It Legit?
Seems like it. Apparently our brains have a habit of
turning us happy in times of sadness. For one thing, survey data shows a high
percentage of men and women report feeling better as a result of crying
(arguably our prime indicator of sadness). But it’s not just about catharsis.
Research has found that when people watch emotional scenes together, their
brains sometimes “tick” collectively (in other words, they “sync up” with other
viewers’ brains) . This brain meld may
prompt feelings of closeness and community, adding to the ironic “feel good”
effect of heart-wrenching films .
Bottom line: We may be drawn to sad movies because we
tend to feel happier after watching them. These good feelings may result from
feeling grateful for the circumstances in our lives or from feeling connected
to other people (or both). Perhaps it’s time to finally hit "play" on
that sad film in the Netflix queue!
I think this
article would help us to find out why do we love to watch the tragic love
stories like ‘Bajirao Mastaani’, ‘Ek duje ke liye’, ‘Aashiqui 2’ and so
on…..May be we never think why do we like to see this type of stories.
Do you enjoy
watching sad films? Why or why not? Share in the comments below!
Comments
Post a Comment