Georgia Tech researchers have now learned how a suspenseful movie affects your brain.  While you're watching those intense high suspense scenes your brain narrows, and you focus your attention on the story.

Nineteen people took part in the Georgia Tech study. They watched scenes from ten suspense movies like Hitchcock's North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Misery.  As the film was playing, in the middle of the screen the researchers added in a checker board pattern around the edges of the screen. As the scene got more intense the brain narrowed and the audience basically got tunnel vision.

Matt Bezdek, the Georgia Tech researcher who led the study says, "Suspense causes people to have tunnel vision in the films, it can cause the world around you in the cinema to just sort of disappear."

Researchers say they have other evidence that suggests that increasing suspense also leads to better memory of story related information.

Bezdek says one way this research could be used is in commercials or public service announcements. He says by putting the message or product around suspenseful moments it could help people remember the commercial.