Thought on TMA 113

[dhampyresa]

Episode 113 of The Magnus Archives, "Breathing Room", is the first time a horror canon has made me less afraid of something. i don't know how to feel about that?

Comments

[sovay]

Episode 113 of The Magnus Archives, "Breathing Room", is the first time a horror canon has made me less afraid of something. i don't know how to feel about that?

I think that's really cool and want to know how the show did it, although I understand if things you are afraid of are not up for discussion.

[rydra_wong]

Seconded!

I don't know if it's in the same sense, but I have heard other people mention the show helping them manage specific fears or generalized anxiety. It's definitely a thing.

[dhampyresa]

See reply to sovay!

To stay in the general TMA neighbourhood, I have used The Bifrost Incident as a sort of exposure therapy to become unscared of cosmic horror nonsense, lol.

I can totally believe it helps with generalised anxiety too, I know a good scare sometimes helps me with mine. I think I saw a study about this even?

[dhampyresa]

It was not intentional on the show's part, I don't think!

TMA is an anthology show (with a larger plot surrounding but here irrelevant) and the "statement" in this episode made a supernatural serial killer responsible for people dying of carbon monoxide poisoning as they slept. Which removed what -- to me -- is the scary thing about that sort of death: the randomness of it.

I think the ep* is also trying to make dying in your dreams sacry but I'm just... no? That is not scary? Idk, maybe it's because I experienced Worse Things In My Dreams (that one med at the hospital recently was Something) or because I am a fairly competent lucid dreamer.

Although it is entirely possible to have/use horor media to get over fears on purpose, see answer to àydra_wong below.

* Episode transcript and audeio -- the statement parts starts about halfway through (it's one of the more plot heavy so far, sorry).