What Do You Think?

What does anyone think about being terrified of a movie monster?

I will tell you this...I am absolutely plagued by a phobic-like fear of a stupid monster from a film that I saw in 1985.

Basically, it has tormented me for 23 years!

It was the film 'John Carpenter's The Thing' from 1982. It was about a shapeshifting alien that parasitically infested another creature and took on its form until confronted or feeding...then it was just horrid. The scene that terrified me the most was the sled dogs in the pen.

So...after that, I had nightmares for a good TWELVE YEARS. They finally stopped, but it was to the point that I could not stand to be alone in the dark (and still can't) for fear of that monster (which I can still see in my head).

I am STILL deathly afraid after all these years. I even tried to watch that film again back in 2005 just to 'make fun' of (what I thought SURELY would be) the cheesy effects. It was SO real-looking!!! It scared me JUST as bad as it did twenty years earlier!

What would you call that? An anxiety? A phobia?

Has anyone else had anything similar happen?

YES!!!

And I've never ever ever admitted it.

Basically I got to watch a few too many tv shows as a kid. My dad was away a lot and we had too much access to the tv.

I watched an episode of Doctor Who once which featured an alien like thing called 'The Malice'.

Now the first sign of The Malice appearing is something akin to the shimmer on water...

Soon after the show, my brother and I were on a river trip when he pointed at the suns reflection in the river and told me The Malice was coming to get me.

Now the fear manifests itself in the very fact that I cannot and will not go on river trips. I'm happy on dry land looking at the reflection of the sun on the water - but I cannot be on the water and see the thing.....

edited to add - this was in the very formative years of being something like 5 years old.

and I thought I was bizarre all on my lonesome

I have an intense fear of clowns - well, all masked things really.

I watched IT when I was about 4 or 5 - and since then, I cannot stand clowns. I had to quit my drama GCSE because we had a module where we had to wear creepy faceless white masks - I am terrified of them.

Seems silly really, just something I have never got over...

xxx

Actually yeah, I've had something similar happen with The Ring (which turned me off all thriller movies afterwards) and that creepy evil supernatural child horror THING. And I hate it.

I want to try and get over that.

There are several things I've been thinking of trying for myself:

1. Watching it with a good friend in broad daylight, who will happily talk to me throughout it, won't mind if I pause and go outside etc.

2. I picked daylight because it diffuses the bad guys, especially when you know they don't exist. And if, every ten minutes of the movie, you go outside, deep breathe, say 'I know it's not real, boy those scriptwriters were okay and those special effects folks should've got paid a shitload. And I bet that that guy was really hot in all that make up and plastic crap on his face etc.' it will help to make it more real.

3. It's important to tell yourself that it's not real even if you don't believe it. Not in a belittling way 'oh my god I'm so stupid for being scared of this' not in that way... but in a 'it's not real, I know I'm scared, but it's not real, I'm safe, I'm okay' etc.

Going through the motions, or telling yourself something even when you don't believe it, will get your mind used to gently telling yourself that you're safe and okay. So that eventually the fear won't last as long, or be as acute.

It takes time, and practice, but I think it would work.

I'm going to do it one day, I have other 'phobias' to overcome first.

That's a really great suggestion!

I never really thought of telling myself that it's not real. I suppose because I thought that 'yes, you're stupid'...

What you've suggested seems to be a great way to condition your brain to stop jumping to the conclusion that the thing is out there...a lot like affirmations. And THAT is something that I never thought to use!

I see that it could work very well or has the potential to do so. I am going to try it.

I now have to find the DVD...ye gods I wouldn't have believed that I'd actually be buying 'The Thing'!! lol

Thank you so much for this, Moonvoice.

And...Dethas...lol No, you see, you're not alone at all! lmao

I remember IT, took me ages to realise it was Tim Curry!

I had a phobia of vampires most of my life, until my early 20s. If a vampire movie came on TV and I got more than 10 minutes into it, I had to watch it til the end, to see the vamp killed. Even then I couldn't sleep until after sun up! I remember one night going to bed and drawing crosses on my neck and wrists in red pen just in case. I drew 3 on my neck, one each side and one in the middle (clever I thought lol. I was only 14!)

I think that is clever, Justme.

I haven't found anything yet that has really worked with The Ring.

The problem I have with supernatural films is that being raised with an element of the spiritual in my life, there is a small part of my subconscious devoted to just believing these sorts of horrors are possible. :/

And I reckon I have far less of a chance against an evil, soul-stealing child than some serial killer who has no supernatural prowess.

Moonvoice wrote:

And I reckon I have far less of a chance against an evil, soul-stealing child than some serial killer who has no supernatural prowess.

I know! Omg... I have never been frightened by serial killer films...they're so damn normal...and I feel like monsters/spirits/demons are so much more able to really have an upper hand...sheesh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way!