Are Jumpscares Unhealthy?

As a lifelong gaming enthusiast and horror aficionado, I‘ve had my fair share of jumpscares over the years. My heart races and I scream involuntarily when a creepy figure pops out of nowhere in games like Resident Evil and Five Nights at Freddy‘s.

So when concerned viewers or anxious players ask me "are jumpscares actually unhealthy?", I understand where they are coming from. The sudden flood of stress hormones and spike in heart rate can feel alarming and dangerous in the moment.

However, research suggests that for most healthy individuals, moderate exposure to jumpscares is harmless thrill-seeking rather than a legitimate medical threat. But for those with pre-existing conditions or high susceptibility to fear, extra precautions are warranted.

How Jumpscares Impact Your Body

When a jarring visual stimuli like a flashing image or monstrous face appears without warning, it triggers your body‘s primal fight-or-flight response. Your amygdala signals the adrenal glands to flood your system with cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones that elevate your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing.

For example, a widely-cited study analyzed audiences watching Insidious and found average heart rates spiking from 60bpm to over 130bpm during jumpscare moments. Their systolic blood pressure also rose from 117mmHg to 174mmHg on average.

So while these frightening moments only last a few seconds at a time, they do temporarily max out your cardiovascular functions to prepare you for perceived danger.

Fright Factors: Everyday vs Extreme Jumpscare Reactions

As you can see from the table above, while extreme horror movie jumpscares can spike our heart rate and blood pressure measurements higher than average scary incidents we experience in everyday life, the durations of these responses are very short-lived.

Our cardiovascular system has quick regulatory mechanisms that bring levels back to normal baselines within minutes. This allows our body to avoid any harm to our organs from prolonged stress responses.

Evaluating the Risks

However, researchers have noted that individuals with pre-existing heart conditions have a higher chance of experiencing chest pain or irregular heart rhythms from intense jumpscare reactions. Those with PTSD, anxiety disorders, or panic attacks may also have exaggerated and prolonged responses that disrupt healthy cardiovascular regulation.

In a study of over 200 horror movie goers, around 25% were considered above average risk:

<img src="https://i.ibb.co/3C5HpzW/jumpscare-risk-factors.png"
alt="Pie chart showing 25% of surveyed movie goers had clinically high blood pressure, anxiety, or other risk metrics that made them more susceptible to jumpscare risks">

So while the majority of viewsers are not at risk, 1 in 4 having elevated risk factors is still a significant portion of the population that should take extra precautions around extreme startling stimuli.

Sensible Scare Tactics

Here are my tips as an experienced gamer for managing surprise frights:

• Adjust volume and brightness settings to minimize shocking effects
• Look away briefly if you think a jumpscare is coming
• Play with others so you feel safer and have emotional support
• Take deep breaths during tense build up to regulate nervous system
• Limit gameplay sessions to avoid emotional exhaustion

I also advise anxious players to acclimate themselves slowly with less intense frights, comedic horrors, or familiar replays to build up their resilience.

And be mindful of your personal warning signs – if you feel lingering agitation, chest tightness, or pain after being startled, take a break and consult your doctor.

Thrills & Chills in Moderation

Horror fans have loved controlled doses of adrenaline and thrills delivered by jumpscares for decades. Myself included!

Used effectively in fantastic games like Dead Space, Outlast, and Resident Evil 7, unexpected shocks enhance immersion and ratchet up the terrifying atmosphere. We enjoy testing our limits in safe, fictional settings.

But research makes clear that regularly subjecting oneself to extreme cardiovascular reactions for prolonged periods can increase risks over time. Our nerves and organs need recovery periods.

So enjoy the fun frights gaming and movies provide, but listen to your body – and your empathetic gamer friend here – and employ some caution too! With common sense pacing and awareness, jumpscares can be harmless horror entertainment rather than unhealthy hazards for most of us.