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Horror as Proxy & Fear of the Unknown: Psychology Inside DarkMatter TV

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Horror as Proxy & Fear of the Unknown: Psychology Inside DarkMatter TV

February 19
16:54 2020
Horror as Proxy & Fear of the Unknown: Psychology Inside DarkMatter TV

Billy San Juan, PsyD // DARKMATTER TV
We fear apocalypse. We fear each other. The unknown serves as a threat to our lives, and the lives of those we love. That’s why we love horror.

Los Angeles, CA – Feb 19, 2020 – Join the dark side today by downloading the app, available on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Android devices. Download and stream DarkMatter TV for FREE here or on Google Play.

The Unknown

We fear the unknown.

We fear the unknown state of consciousness after death. We fear the unknown terrors lurking in the dark, which we may not comprehend even when it is revealed. We fear war. We fear apocalypse. We fear each other. The unknown serves as a threat to our lives, and the lives of those we love.

That’s why we love horror.

The horror genre is a way for us to explore these fears in a safe, beneficial manner. Much like an athlete runs drills or an author writes drafts, horror fiction is a way for us to safely play in a space that is usually too dark and uncomfortable for human beings to dwell in.

Because there is a dichotomy with the unknown. When there is unknown, there is possibility.

The possibility that we continue on after death, in the form of ghosts and spirits.

The possibility that in an apocalypse, we will have the wherewithal to survive.

The possibility that there is more to life than this mundane existence.

Horror as Proxy

Horror serves as a way for human beings to explore concepts that are often taboo to discuss in everyday life. After all, you wouldn’t want to be in your quarterly finance meeting at work and blurt out: “Say, does anyone else here struggle with your inner primordial urges in our modern, highly structured, civilized society?” You’d be fired.

However, if we place those concepts in a fictional world with metaphors to represent our subconscious concerns, it suddenly becomes acceptable. Instead of discussing the dichotomy of human civilization with innate animalistic desires… we’re watching a werewolf movie. Instead of discussing the tendency of a society to collapse when placed under threat and terror, were watching The Mist. Instead of having an uncomfortable discussion about the struggles of the black community in America, we’re watching Get Out. In fact, one can argue that horror serves as a bridge between taboo and acceptance, that the medium serves as a way to broach sensitive topics in a positive manner.

One strong example of horror as proxy is the zombie sub-genre. In the wake of 9/11 and the looming threat of international terrorism on American soil, there was a resurgence in the Zombie Apocalypse genre. The Walking Dead, World War Z, 28 Days Later (albeit a British Film), and the like all boomed in popularity. Theorists posit that the reemergence of the zombie apocalypse subgenre of horror is due to the collective fear of living in an urban world teeming with visceral threats. And certainly, I personally attest to fantasizing about how I may survive a zombie apocalypse. Who among us has not created a “zombie-event protocol” in our heads? How generalizable is our zombie-event protocol to a similar event, such as the collapse of civilization or military invasion?

Think about your favorite horror movie. Ask yourself why you like it. Beyond the guts and gore and jump-scares, is there something about the movie that speaks to you?

By: Billy San Juan, PsyD

About Billy San Juan:

Dr. Billy obtained a PsyD from Alliant International University in 2014. He is a San Diego based therapist working in the community mental health field, a graduate-level adjunct professor, convention panelist, and writer. His professional interests include masculinity as a culture, the psychology of the horror genre, and the dichotomies of human nature. In his spare time, he enjoys playing Magic: the Gathering and watching mixed martial arts. He is also an avid professional wrestling fan. 

Visit: https://www.amazon.com/Billy-San-Juan/e/B01MY0ZWZN%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share.

Share us with your friends! Follow DarkMatter TV on Twitter @TVDarkMatter (https://twitter.com/TvDarkmatter), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DarkMatterTV/) and Instagram (@DarkMatterTVapp). Please contact DarkMatter TV at [email protected] for more information.

Join the dark side today by downloading the app, available on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Android devices. Download and stream DarkMatter TV for FREE on the Apple Store or Google Play.

As a free streaming service available across all various devices, DarkMatter TV is available on mobiles and tablets (Google Play, Android, Apple iOS), OTT devices (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, Chromecast), Smart TVs (Samsung, Vizio, TCL, Hisense, Phillips, LG), gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox) and more. Viewers may also subscribe commercial-free for $4.99 per month. DarkMatter TV has also partnered with major worldwide mobile device companies to expand the App and Linear channel to the international market in Q2 2020.

About DarkMatter TV: 

DarkMatter TV is an A-VOD app and Linear TV channel that is available in the U.S October 31st 2019, and available in Africa, and South East Asia Q2 2020. Founded in 2019 by TriCoast TV, DarkMatter TV features science fiction, horror, and action themed content that is expertly curated by our staff TV, film directors and festival Programmers. DarkMatter TV’s operations are based at TriCoast Studios in Culver City, CA, United States.

Official app page: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1474261935

About TriCoast TV: 

TriCoast TV is a premium provider of Genre content for fans worldwide. The company is also located at the TriCoast Studio facility in Culver City, Los Angeles.

Founded by: Marcy Levitas Hamilton, Strathford Hamilton and Daisy Hamilton. The curation and acquisition team is headed by Daisy Hamilton.

For more information, please visit: https://www.tricoastworldwide.com

Media Contact
Company Name: TriCoast Entertainment
Contact Person: Jenna Wilen
Email: Send Email
Phone: 3104587707
Address:11124 Washington Blvd.
City: Culver City
State: California
Country: United States
Website: http://www.tricoastworldwide.com

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