Eliminate the Fear of Watching Really Scary Horror Movies: Learn the Mental Trick That I’ll Teach my Daughter

7/11/2017

Eliminate the Fear of Watching Really Scary Horror Movies: Learn the Mental Trick That I’ll Teach my Daughter

I remember those late nights as a kid when I would walk through the dark hallways to my parents’ bedroom to snuggle up with them in bed.
The air-conditioning would be on so I’d hide under the blanket to avoid the cold.
The TV would be on: sometimes it would be screening the news, sometimes a documentary, and sometimes, unfortunately, really scary horror movies.

As the terrifying scenes played on, the excessive gore, heart-stopping jump scares from ghosts and chilling screams from victims in the movie made deep impressions in my mind and heart.
On those nights where I chanced upon really scary horror movies in my parent’s room, I would kiss my parents goodnight and immediately feel a sense of foreboding: now I had to walk back through the dark hallways to get back to my own room.

Every flicker of light, every moving shadow, every weird sound in the night fueled my active imagination.
Was there a ghost behind me, in the corner of my eye waiting to kill me? I couldn’t stop the horrific imaginations.

It got worse when I was back in my bed. I would cower under the blanket as my safe haven, make sure that my toes were not sticking out from the end of it, and try not to imagine an ugly face staring at me from within the blanket.
I would try not to imagine a demon hiding under my bed waiting for me to fall asleep before crawling out to murder me.
After struggling to be at peace for a long time, I would fall asleep and most of those nights after watching really scary horror movies I would be attacked with nightmares.

I would try not to imagine a demon hiding under my bed waiting for me to fall asleep before crawling out to murder me. After struggling to be at peace for a long time, I would fall asleep and most of those nights after watching really scary horror movies I would be attacked with nightmares.

My Recurring Nightmare from Watching Really Scary Horror Movies

I still remember a particular recurring nightmare that I had back then: I would find myself near the top of a dark and high tower that was dimly-lit by torches.
There was nothing in the tower except for a never-ending flight of staircase going round and round, all the way down.
I never reached the bottom before so I don’t know if there is an exit.
Then while I’m standing there on the steps, a thin female figure dressed in a flowing red dress with long black hair would appear behind me.
There’s nothing on her face except for one big staring eye, and she only has one leg down the middle of her body.
She would slowly but continuously hop on her one leg down the stairs to chase after me.
When I saw that she started to come towards me, I would run down the stairs in terror.
All the while I’d be hearing the sound of her foot landing on the stony steps with each successive hop.
All the while, she never utters any sound.
The nightmare would continue like this, me with running away from this malicious apparition...
The feelings of fear, hopelessness and my heart pumping so hard like someone was punching my chest are etched in my memories.

I believe that this nightmare was a product of the really scary horror movies that I watched in my parents’ bedroom.
The terrifying imaginations also never went away.
When I shut my eyes, I would see them.
When I look in my bathroom mirror I would imagine seeing a creepy square-faced figure with bulging eyes and huge lips staring at me from the corner of my eye.
When I look outside the window at night, I would imagine a long-haired female ghost wearing a white dress floating outside, waiting to be let in.
When I walked around at home in the dark when it was late at night, I would imagine a ghostly figure somewhere in the darkness, watching me...

The sort of trauma and fear that I experienced while growing up because of a nightmare-fueled imagination is something I never want my daughter Maeleth Sarah Goh to go through.
She’s currently 21 months old and has never seen anything scary like ghosts or demons on TV.
I intend to keep it that way, but in case she happens to chance upon really scary horror movies, what would be a good way to eliminate the fear?

Explanation of the Mental Trick I Use When Watching Really Scary Horror Movies

Nowadays due to my Christian faith, I have no fear of ghosts (which don’t exist) or demons (they do exist) because I know that my God is greater than them and He is always protecting me.
How do I explain this? When imagine encountering a demon in real life, it’s like seeing a ferocious lion at the zoo -
It’s a dangerous animal, but when it is behind the enclosure, I have nothing to be afraid of.
To be super clear, the lion represents the demon, and the enclosure represents the hedge of protection around me that defends me from it.
But before my faith developed to this level, I thought up and used an easy mental-trick to eliminate the fear of watching really scary horror movies:

It works like this: While watching really scary horror movies, I would see in my ‘mind’s eye’ the film director, camera crew, and many other people who are involved in the production of the horror movie.
They would be positioned just outside the screen, and would be in the process of filming the movie.
I would imagine hearing the director shouting “Cut! Action!” and even imagine the ghost or demon of the movie taking off the costume and makeup to reveal the harmless human being underneath.
By using this mental trick, I am reminding myself that it’s all just a movie and that it’s fake.
I would remember that it’s for entertainment, and that it doesn’t exist in real life.

Not too long ago, I watched “The Conjuring 2” which is considered by many to be one of the really scary horror movies (such that someone in India even died from a heart attack while watching this movie), and I used this mental trick too.
When the hideous demon-nun Valak appeared for the first time, I could feel the fear and my heart racing, but once I used the mental trick, the fear was totally eliminated.
All that remained was the thrill of the movie, and the enjoyment of laughing whenever my wife Amilee screamed loudly during the scares -
and she’s a vocal coach who was trained in the US by the “The King of Pop” Michael Jackson’s vocal coach, so her screams are VERY loud - usually the loudest in the theater.

I feel that this mental trick would be something useful to teach my daughter, so that she won’t have to go through the same terror that I experienced while growing up.
When she watches her first horror movie in the future, she can use the mental trick and enjoy the thrills without the damaging fear.
She would know how to differentiate between reality and fiction - that everything on screen in really scary horror movies is a work of art, the result of the creativity of movie makers.

I really enjoy watching really scary horror movies now for the thrills, and I gotta thank God for inspiring me with this mental trick that eliminates the fear.
If you and your kids can watch really scary horror movies and feel no fear, that’s a new level of bravery attained isn’t it?
If demons in the spiritual realm see you watching terrifying films without even backing up a bit in your seat, I think that they’ll rather choose someone else to attack, someone who’s a scaredy cat, an easier target.
Someone who doesn’t know about this easy mental trick!

Practice the Mental Trick with this Terrifying Scene from "The Conjuring 2" - one of the really scary horror movies!

I really enjoy watching really scary horror movies now for the thrills, and I gotta thank God for inspiring me with this mental trick that eliminates the fear. If you and your kids can watch really scary horror movies and feel no fear, that’s a new level of bravery attained isn’t it?

Pinterest Pinnable Image. Many people have been traumatised by images from horror movies, unable to sleep well and feel safe in the dark. Learn my mental trick which can help you and your child to eliminate the fear of watching really scary horror movies!

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Milton Goh

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