Frank McAndrew, who is the Cornelia H. Dudley Professor of Psychology at Knox College and an elected Fellow of several professional organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science (APS), says that the portrayal of cinematic haunted houses has remained remarkably consistent over time.
"From a psychological point of view, the standard features of haunted houses trigger feelings of dread because they push buttons in our brains that evolved long before houses even existed," McAndrew writes. "These alarm buttons warn us of potential danger and motivate us to proceed with caution."
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Haunted houses give us the creeps not because they pose an obvious threat to us, but rather because it is unclear whether they represent a threat or not.
"This ambivalence leaves you frozen in place, wallowing in unease," McAndrew explains.
For example, it would be considered bizarre and embarrassing to run screaming out of a house that makes you feel uneasy if there is nothing to fear. But on the other hand, it could be perilous to ignore your intuition and remain in a place that feels dangerous.
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Think of it this way: if you’re walking through the woods alone at night and hear something rustling in the bushes, you’ll respond with a heightened level of arousal and attention. You’ll behave as if there is a willful "agent" who plans to harm you.
If it turns out to be a gust of wind or a stray cat, you lose very little, if anything, by overreacting. But if you fail to activate the alarm response and a true threat is present, the consequences of your miscalculation could be very high.
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"We have evolved to err on the side of detecting threats in ambiguous situations," McAndrew says.
"Things that activate hypervigilance for malevolent supernatural (or natural) agents abound in large, drafty old houses: rattling or creaking sounds in upstairs rooms; the sighing and moaning of wind passing through cracks; ragged curtains fluttering in the breeze; echoes; and cold spots."
"Research has consistently shown that we need more personal space while seated than while standing, more space when we are in the corner of a room rather than in the center of it, and more space in rooms with low ceilings," the psychologist adds.
"We feel uncomfortable when our personal space is violated anywhere, but especially so in situations where we feel as if escape will become difficult."
Such feelings of discomfort are symptomatic of the fact that we are constantly—even if unconsciously—scanning our surroundings and evaluating our ability to flee if it should become necessary.
Consequently, evil buildings are our worst nightmares.
