Why are creaking noises scary? Like In Ju-On the grudge?
If you watch this video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=e8R1dODSbzU), you will hear at some point in the middle that there is a noise that sounds a bit like a creaking door. This noise frightens me. Why? The noise somehow makes me think of big scary insects.
I understand why the hiss sounds is scary, as it plays on our evolutionary fears of big cats, but what would make the door sound scary?
And it’s not because it reminds me of haunted houses – I never heard of those when I was growing up.
And it’s not the rattlesnake sound, as rattlesnakes are very limited geographically. But the rattlesnake does indeed incoorporate a similar sound into its defense mechanism.
Any ideas?
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It could have something to do with the fact you’d only hear such a noise if its relatively quiet and it indicates movement, I.e. someone or something in the house…...and maybe you weren’t expecting there to be anyone but you…..?
Just a theory.
That’s a really interesting question. My guess is just that it’s been placed in the context of horror movies so much that we’ve come to associate the two. Do creaking doors still sound scary when you’re in a safe place, like your bedroom, and nothing scary is going on?
It would be interesting to see if infants or people who haven’t been socialized by horror movies think creaking is scary. If my theory is correct, they shouldn’t be bothered by it any more than they would be bothered by other high-pitched noises.
But what about people who never lived in houses? I believe this noise is primally scary, because it works across cultures. I’ve seen the same effect on an asian, european, american and african with that particular noise.
And I’m sure the rattlesnake never lived in an empty house…
Umm…..I’m sure you didn’t mean it to come across that way, but we do have houses in Europe ;)
Because late at night after you’ve watched a scary movie and your mom turns off the lights and goes upstairs, and you hear a creak from the floor while you’re alone, you start to think you’re not alone… I Am Legend.
Creaking noises make me think that there is someone there. Someone I don’t know. And it’s always worse when it’s dark…
I think it’s Old Dirty Bastard. I’ve heard him make the same noise on one of his albums.
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| asked April 24th, 2008
| 8 responses
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Topic:
horror psychology
