Garth Sundem

Are you traumatized by terror flicks? Maybe more than you know. Scary  movies actually create a light version of post-traumatic stress disorder. This is what causes bad dreams and irrational fears of kids riding Big Wheels in hotel hallways (and, perhaps more rationally, of Jack Nicholson peeking through axe holes into your bathroom). 

And by exploring how people stop these dreams and fears, researchers are learning how we might combat more serious PTSD. For instance, researchers find that talking about a horror movie afterward reduces the occurrence of bad dreams.

But potentially even more helpful is writing bad poetry about the movie. It's no surprise that writing about emotional turmoil helps the brain process it. But it turns out that the best therapeutic writing is bad poetry. Unlike good poetry, bad poetry is devoid of vivid description, which could itself trigger stress. From phobias to daily distresses to past traumas, writing detached verse or sappy song lyrics can provide emotional regulation.

Researchers failed to describe the cycle of trauma that is (perhaps) inadvertently generated when you read or otherwise show your bad poetry to others. Certainly more research is needed.


How much are you planning to spend tomorrow on bags of mini candy bars? Eight bucks? Thirteen bucks? There are two places this candy can go: into hapless children contributing to the obesity epidemic in the United States, or into yourself, contributing to the obesity epidemic in you.

Wouldn't you be better off spending that money on a copy of my new book, Brain Candy? Read it. It contributes to the obesity of your mind. And tell the little kids at your door tomorrow night they're better off with celery.