"Inventamos horrores para ayudarnos a lidiar con los reales."

People create stories and scenarios about monsters and ghosts as a way to deal with the real, often more terrifying, things in life. It's almost like a coping mechanism. When we watch a scary movie or read a horror novel, we're facing those fears in a controlled environment. It's a lot less scary to think about a fictional creature in a book than it is to face the unpredictable and often uncontrollable issues in the real world, like sickness, loss, or personal failures.

Stephen King, the master of horror, is the person behind this idea. He knows a thing or two about fear—both creating it and understanding it. When he talks about making up horrors to deal with real ones, he's drawing from his own experience. He’s faced his own demons, including addiction and a nearly fatal accident. For him and for many, writing or immersing oneself in horror is a form of therapy.

Take the example of watching a horror movie. Imagine you're watching "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Freddy Krueger is horrifying, but you know he’s not real. The fear you feel while watching the movie is intense but temporary. It's a safe way to experience fear. Compare this to the anxiety of dealing with a real-life trauma, like losing a loved one or facing a serious illness. That’s not something you can turn off or escape from easily. By confronting fictional horrors, we get a sense of control and can perhaps better manage our responses to real-life fears.

So, how can you use this wisdom in your own life? Next time you’re overwhelmed by something real, try watching a scary movie or reading a horror story. It might sound weird, but it works. It's like a mental trick. By allowing yourself to experience fear in a controlled setting, you can release some of the tension and anxiety that’s building up inside you. It's a way to distract your mind, giving it a break from the real-life stressors.

Now, picture this: You’ve had a rough week at work. Deadlines are piling up, your boss is on your case, and you’re just about ready to snap. Instead of stewing in your stress, you decide to watch "The Conjuring." As the movie progresses, you're scared out of your mind, but you're also not thinking about work. Your heart races, you clutch the armrest, but it’s a distraction—a release. After the movie, the work stress might still be there, but you’ve given your mind a break and allowed it to reset.

This isn’t just about horror movies. It’s about finding ways to face and release your fears in a controlled manner. Maybe for you, it's writing down your nightmares or drawing the things that scare you. It’s all about finding that outlet. By creating or engaging with fictional horrors, you can better handle the real ones. So next time life throws you a curveball, remember that sometimes it’s okay to lose yourself in a good scare. It might just help you face your real fears with a bit more courage.