Horror films: tales to master terror or shapers of trauma?

Full Abstract

The authors review the literature of cinematic-related psychiatric case reports and report the case of a 22-year-old woman who presented with intrusive thoughts of demonic possession and flashbacks of the film The Exorcist. Cinematic neurosis may be considered a form of psychological crisis shaped by exposure to a film narrative that is emotionally and culturally significant to the individual. The structure of horror films are examined from the perspectives of trauma theory, narrative theory, and borderline personality organization theories, using the film The Exorcist as an example. Within this framework, the horror film can be seen as a cultural tale that provides a mechanism for attempting mastery over anxieties involving issues of separation, loss, autonomy, and identity. An individual will identify with narrative elements that resonate in personal life experiences and cultural factors embedded within the film, which carry levels of either stress that will be mastered, or act as a trauma to the viewer. The outcome of this exposure is related to how the individual's personality structure is organized in combination with the stresses they are experiencing.

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Author information

Author/s: Ballon, Bruce (B); Leszcz, Molyn (M);

Affiliation: University of Toronto, Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada. bruce_ballon(-atsign-)camh.net

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Case Reports; Journal Article

Journal: American journal of psychotherapy (Am J Psychother), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-; vol 61 (issue 2) : pp 211-30

Dates: Created 2007/08/31; Completed 2007/09/26; Revised 2007/11/15;

PMID: 17760323, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Anxiety, Separation - psychology
Borderline Personality Disorder - psychology
Child
Defense Mechanisms
Fantasy
Female
Humans

Literature, Modern
Male
Models, Psychological
Motion Pictures as Topic
Narration
Neurotic Disorders - etiology; psychology; therapy
Psychotherapy, Brief
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Terminology as Topic
Violence - psychology

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