Halloween Fantasy
“This night belongs neither to one year or the other and is, as it were, free from temporal restraint. It seems that the whole supernatural force is attracted by the seam thus left at the point where the two years join, and gathers to invade the world of men.”
– Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Celtic scholar
The leaves spin in the crisp wind, the night lengthens and the stores bloom with candy displays, like toadstools grown overnight. Welcome to the month of Halloween!
As is tradition here, both bi-monthly articles will have a Halloween theme, and to celebrate our new readers of the year—thank you to you many—we will look back over some great articles of years past. As is tradition in many cultures of the world, Halloween is seen as a night when “the veil between worlds thins,” no matter if it’s the “seam” of years where supernatural forces gather, as noted by Sjoestedt above, or the veil between the living and the dead, or the land of the Fae. Halloween is a night which mingles fantasy and reality, and that will be our focus this month. We dig into our Halloween treat bag and divide our spoils into two piles; articles on the fantasy of Halloween horror, and those more anchored in reality.
But, let’s get into the spirit of things with a look at the fantasy of horror. These four articles are a click-
fest of movies and television shows that could make for an entire month of Halloween advent viewing to chill the bones, quicken the pulse, and also enlighten the mind. Because, as is noted throughout these articles, a healthy dose of horror does actually promote wellness.
Do you not believe it? Well, read on…if you dare…
Wholesome Horror – Horror stories, no matter their medium, are wholesome and healthy for the mind, character and even the body. Walking Dead, the Exorcist and others are mentioned, as well as the “slasher” genre.
Horrible Life Lessons One: Heroes of Film – Learn how to live well from A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and Cabin in the Woods. Seriously.
Horrible Life Lessons Two: Titans of TV – The nine fundamental human needs are for Subsistence, Protection, Affection, Understanding, Participation, Creation, Leisure, Identity and Freedom. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Walking Dead and Supernatural highlight the need to fulfil our potential for protection, identity and freedom, but all the needs are addressed in their stories and that’s why they live on.
Psychotherapy Horror Stories – The horror story can be the magnifying glass or carnival mirror view of the daily grind. It is from this perspective that we look at some of the common truths of therapy which take on sharper or greater focus, when put in the context of the horror story.
These treats above are sure to get us into the spirt of the season. See you next time for the reality of Halloween…. *cue spooky maniacal laugh*
“Halloween starts earlier and earlier, just like Christmas.”
– Robert Englund, Freddy from Nightmare on Elm Street
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Karabin, K. (2011) Psychotherapy Horror Stories. KeithKarabin.com. Retrieved from: https://keithkarabin.com//2011/10/13/psychotherapy-horror-stories/
Karabin, K. (2013) Wholesome Horror. KeithKarabin.com. Retrieved from: https://keithkarabin.com//2013/10/25/wholesome-horror/
Karabin, K. (2014) Horrible Life Lessons One: Heroes of Film. KeithKarabin.com. Retrieved from: https://keithkarabin.com//2014/10/10/horrible-life-lessons-one-heroes-of-film/
Karabin, K. (2014) Horrible Life Lessons Two: Titans of TV. KeithKarabin.com. Retrieved from: https://keithkarabin.com//2014/10/24/horrible-life-lessons-two-titans-of-tv/