If watching a slasher flick this October has left you feeling unexpectedly turned on rather than just scared, there’s a biological reason for it, according to certified sex therapist Brianna Makówka.
Makówka says fear and sexual arousal travel through many of the same pathways in the body and brain. “The same nervous system pathway responsible for increased adrenaline, a racing heart, and dilated pupils is linked to the arousal-processing region in the brain that registers a threat response and the release of dopamine and norepinephrine,” she explained. “In essence, fear and sexual arousal can feel like the exact same body sensation.”
Why Horror Movies in Particular
According to Makówka, horror films trigger what’s known as an excitatory arousal response. “We experience changes in our bodies like shallow breathing, bracing in anticipation, and unexpectedly, we might feel turned on in the same moment,” she said. She added that this overlap also explains why some people experience arousal from the intense sensations involved in kink or BDSM play.
In short, the shallow breathing, racing heart and bracing-for-impact feeling that comes with a good scare can register in the body in much the same way as excitement does — which may explain why a horror movie night sometimes turns into something else.
Pairing the Mood with the Right Products
For readers looking to lean into that overlap, a range of sex toys and intimacy products have been recommended to pair with a scary movie night. These include a medical-grade silicone finger vibrator with five intensity levels and up to an hour of battery life at its highest setting; a warming, non-greasy lubricant gel; a card game featuring different intimate positions; a suction-technology vibrator with color-coded vibration settings; an egg-shaped toy with three speeds and 17 patterns; a heated stroker with a textured interior sleeve marketed toward men; and a bath product made with jasmine, ylang-ylang and clary sage oil intended to promote relaxation and confidence.
Whether or not you reach for any of those, the underlying takeaway from Makówka’s explanation is simple: feeling a jolt of arousal during a scary movie isn’t unusual. It’s your nervous system responding to fear and excitement through many of the same channels.
