Chapter 17 of A Head Full of Ghosts was the most frightening chapter to me so far. I was especially struck by the suspense that is created leading up to the blanket scene in which Marjorie seemingly has a demonic episode (or perhaps it really is just a performance) and Merry captures it all on camera. While this was the most frightening moment in the book for me, Merry seemed to be handling the suspense fairly well, considering her circumstances. I wondered why this might be and recognized that throughout the scene she was managing the situation and her own experience by using her video camera as an intermediary.
Instead of experiencing the terror of the blanket scene firsthand, she watched it through the camera display, distancing herself from what was happening right in front her. This prompted me to ponder how else we go about managing fear through our use of technology. When I looked into it further I found that companies have found a way to use this tactic in reverse — using the camera to bring us closer to terror.
A new game, called “Night Terrors,” uses the camera on your smartphone in conjunction with the accelerometer and GPS to create a map of your house and overlay horrific images of demons and zombies into the comfort of your own home. This augmented reality video game uses algorithms to configure the dimensions of your house and then to place monsters and ghosts on the screen as if they are standing in front of the player. Coupled with surround sound headphones that make it seem as if floorboards are creaking or someone is breathing right behind you, it could be quite the fright!
How else have we intentionally designed technology to mediate or fuel our fear?