The results suggest that using the term “bloodcurdling” to describe feeling extreme fear is justified, researchers said. Fourteen of them watched a horror movie, then an educational movie a week later; the other ten watched the educational movie, followed by the horror movie the following week. The researchers say blood curdling is an important evolutionary benefit that prepares the body to deal with the loss of blood in threatening situation where the body may become harmed. The remaining 10 participants watched the same two movies but in the reverse order.
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The team tested the blood of 24 healthy young adults after showing them the 2010 paranormal horror, Insidious.
The concept of bloodcurdling goes back a long time and refers to the fear that makes the blood congeal or curdle.
Insidious was expectedly found more frightening by viewers than the documentary, and levels of coagulating factor VIII increased in 57 percent of participants, as opposed to just 14 percent of participants’ levels going up during A Year in Champagne. Both films lasted about 90 minutes each.
“The underlying biological mechanism of acute fear associated with an increase in coagulation activity is still to be unravelled”, Banne Nemeth, first author of the study, told The Telegraph.
Blood samples of each volunteer were taken before and after each movie and were analyzed by scientists who searched for any clot formations.
The participants also completed a questionnaire to determine if they had previously seen the movies, along with questions about their general lifestyle and favorite types of movies. Levels of coagulant also decreased in 86 percent of the participants during the educational movie, but only 43 percent during the horror movie.
The horror movie was perceived to be more frightening than the educational movie, with a 5.4 mean difference in fear rating scores. They found out that even though the protein for coagulation is activated by fear, no clots are actually formed.
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On average, there was a 11 IU/dl (International Unit/decilitre) increase of the protein factor VIII in their blood, which helps the liquid to clot.
