Supernatural Occurrances in Real Life

When watching a horror movie, why are we more inclined to believe in the supernatural? After watching The Innocents, it was apparent that most everyone in the class believed that the movie was definitely horror on account of the "impure-ness" of Miles and Flora, them "sharing their bodies" with the dead chaffeur and governess. However, once talking about it, it was more obvious that this movie was a very real example of the fantastic because everything "horrific" that happened in the movie could technically be explained naturalistically.

I think that when we sit down to watch a scary movie, we want to be scared. We want to believe in the supernatural, that ghosts and monsters do really exist. We watch the movies with the intent of being scared - we get an adrenaline rush from it. But when dealing with real life, I always look at the naturalistic explanation - there is never a time when the supernatural explanation is the best explanation. Besides, do we really want to believe that there are zombies, ghosts, witches, and monsters walking amongst us, everyday? I know that I don't. Of course, I am the world's biggest chicken, so for my own sanity I need to believe that there is always a logical natural explanation for "ghostly" occurrances. When faced with supernatural possibilities, I tend to naturalize them as best I can, or completely just ignore it or put it out of my head. If I didn't, I would feel as if I were going insane, or might possibly drive myself insane.

Here is an example of a "supernatural" experience that I try to not think about because I cannot naturalize it. I was at my cousin's house in Fort Thomas years ago. We were at that age when it's really cool to stay up as late as you can. So we were upstairs in her living room (her parents slept downstairs) playing cards. In the middle of our game, I heard this noise that sounded like a horse galloping. Staying perfectly still, I whispered if she heard it, and she did - so I know it couldn't have been my own imagination. Granted, this was only a noise, not an actual vision or anything. But I am not inclined to believe in ghosts. We were playing cards, not telling ghost stories or anything that would subject me to a wild imagination. And to top it off, we were in the middle of a Fort Thomas subdivision, at the end of a dead-end street. Horses do not go running around a subdivision at 4:00 in the morning. This is one of those things I had to force out of my mind, otherwise I would not have slept at all that night.

In conclusion, for one's own sanity, it is never the best answer to conclude that supernatural beings are at work. If for no other reason than the rest of society will think you're nuts, you should always naturalize any phenomenal happenings. Unless you are holding the vampire by the hand, leading him around town to introduce him to everyone, always find the natural in real life and leave the supernatural to the movies.