The human imagination
The human imagination has been able to create imaginary monsters from real creatures. They can be said to be representations of the exotic and inhabiting worlds that are out of sight. They could mark boundaries both geographical and anatomical in medieval culture, blurring the lines between humans and animals. Monsters were found not to be one hundred percent fantasy. Still, these cryptids were non-existent and brought forth when human reasoning combined with a rudimentary knowledge of nature with a healthy dose of imagination.
Humans are likely to create zombies to depict ideas of what they fear in contemporary society (Klosterman). Monsters that scare us, such as vampires, zombies, and witches, help us cope with what we dread most in life. Monstrous fear has brought communities and cultures together over the centuries and serves us well today. According to browning, monsters aspire to be what we hate most about ourselves and what we secretly yearn for, yet we should not. “Monsters are living breathing metaphors” and may be used to depict brutality, sympathy, or may be used as figures of humor or mockery (Big Think). Regardless of their different sizes, features, and forms, monsters have one trait in common: they feed on humans. Psychologically, monsters depict our dread of being torn apart, eviscerated, chewed, swallowed, and excreted. Millions of years ago, it is believed that our ancestors saw living creatures being torn apart and devoured by hungry animals. As a result, our brains dread this awful fate, and that stories we tell reflect this dread and attempt to express it. The archetype of the monster is an expression of primal fear exaggerated and intensified in no small degree. The primary function is to give fear a face and to graphically capture the dread that was instilled millions of years ago as a prey species that was stalked and, at other times, eaten by huge and terrifying carnivores. Monsters allow humans to express and confront their dark unconscious enabling it to materialize and, by so doing, exorcize hidden and repressed desires and fears. Owing to their wondrous nature, humans create monsters since they are beneficial in drawing daring adventures with whispers of their presence in uncharted lands.
Humans create monsters to bring out deeply hidden aspects of people, reminding them of the potential danger that comes with giving in to their primal urges. Also, monstrous movies tend to be an exact depiction of people’s day to day activities hence relatable to viewers; a good example being the first episode of the walking dead, which claimed a massive following in views. “Every zombie war is a war of attrition” (Klosterman). In conclusion, monsters are a fundamental piece of who we are as a species, reminding us of our past, enticing us to explore far off lands, while also deterring us from entering hazardous areas, and motivating us to become more significant than what we once feared.