Why Do People Seek Out the Unknown?

                Human beings are naturally imaginative creatures and, because of this, we tend to reject the most logical reasons for things to happen, and instead search for and invent the most fantastic version of events we can. As people, we are naturally drawn towards the unknown, the mysterious, the conspiracy because we tend to be unsatisfied with the simplest, most logical truth. People are often bored with their lives and situations, and with that boredom and dissatisfaction they will invent a way to make it all seem more interesting and make everything seem more significant. We invent stories, find new ways to spin our experiences, in an attempt to make sense of the monotony and bring meaning to experiences. However, most things people experience on a daily basis are just mundane events that hold no significance. In relation to every other person, one individual's life is no more or less important than any other individuals. We are all the same. However, no one wants to have a boring life of mediocrity; everyone has an innate need to be important.

                The idea of seeking the fantastic in the everyday is what gives people the desire to create art in any form. In film, the horror genre tries to take the most relatable of human experiences and turn them into the most exciting, and the most horrifying, version it can. The Conjuring is an American horror film directed by James Wan, released in 2013. Taking place in 1971 in Harrisville, Rhode Island the film tells the story of the Roger and Carolyn Perron who, along with their five daughters, move in to a new home. However, malevolent things start to happen and, in desperation, mother Carolyn seeks out the help of renowned paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. The Warren's very profession shows that they strive to invent the most fantastic version of events that they can. They travel far and wide helping people with paranormal problems, and collecting supposedly haunted items along the way. In their home, they have a room full of proof that their lives aren't boring, and that they are constantly battling against terrible and powerful forces. They essentially collect mysteries, and then put them on display for others to see.

We see the Warrens during one of their investigations.

                In the film, Ed Warren suggests that he and his wife take a break from their seemingly dangerous lives and settle on tamer pursuits. Ed suggests to Lorraine that she write the book she'd always been planning, a rewarding yet slightly dull task. Lorraine dismisses her husband's idea and says that "God brought us together for a reason, and I'm pretty sure it's not to write a book." . This idea, that every person is meant to do something great, is the driving force behind creativity. People want to make their mark in life, they want to feel important. We read books, watch TV shows and movies, and share stories with others  because we are dissatisfied with reality, so we need to invent a new, more exciting reality.  Everyone sees themselves as the protagonist in life, and they don't want the story of their life to be disappointing so they continually jump to the fantastic as a way of explaining things. Lorraine refuses to settle down and write a book, because she believes that she and her husband have a higher calling in life.

"God brought us together for a reason, and I'm pretty sure it's not to write a book."

                Carolyn seeks out the Warrens because she knows that there must be some outside force acting on her and her family, because if there isn't an outside force then all Carolyn has is a scared family and an old house. Accepting Carolyn's offer, the Warrens go to the Perron's home to see how bad the situation Carolyn described truly is. While there, Ed notices that one of the doors inside the house is tied shut with a small rope. When he asks Roger about it, we learn that every night the door would bang and, after getting fed up, the family decided it best to tie the handles. Logically speaking, a door banging in an old house is a very common occurrence, however Ed is dissatisfied with the logical reason and instead informs the Perrons that a knocking noise at night, especially when in groups of three, is typical of demonic infestation. Specifically, the three knocks serve as a mockery to the Holy Trinity. This way of thinking is incredibly typical for people. Instead of using the most logical, realistic approach, every immediately jumps to a fantastic idea. It isn't just a simple draft in the Perron's home, it's demons mocking God.

                People have a need inside of them to make the mundane seem extraordinary, so they try to spin their experiences in a way that makes it all seem so fantastic. People religiously seek out the unknown by reading anything from conspiracy theories to ghost stories to fantasy novels and etc. By watching horror, science-fiction films, or mystery films people are exposing themselves to the unknown and letting their own mind fill in the gaps. This is evident in the Conjuring when we see daughter Christine pointing behind the bedroom doing claiming there is someone watching them. 

It's more enjoyable to imagine the
"monster" than it is to actually witness it.

As an audience, we never see the figure behind the door and so all of the horror happens inside our mind. The only limit to the horror is our own imagination. It's more fun, in both the horror genre and in life, to speculate about what could be out there than it is to actually know what is out there. To most people, the mystery is better than the reality. The hunt for the truth in a fantastically constructed reality is more satisfying than knowing the truth in a dull reality.