Are you scared yet?

I've always been a big fan of the horror setting Ravenloft and I like a lot of the trappings of horror adventures.  That said, in my experience it can be really hard to scare the players, or to make them feel scared for their characters.  About the only thing the average player seems to worry about is either a force of nature they don't feel they can fight and just need to run from (for example a tornado) or something that assaults their possessions (for example a rust monster).  Maybe it's the abstract nature of the combat system in D&D that leads to this.  I could have a maximum of 80 hit points and be down to my last one and still be 100% functional.  It's not like a real fight in the sense you could be maimed and lose the ability to walk or see.  I think another aspect of horror games that is a little more difficult is that you have to feel some closer attachment to the character and be more concerned about their goals, history, worries, etc.  If the character is just a game piece and the game style is strictly about tactical combat or optimized skill usage then you'll be too detached to feel any fear or horror.  I need to think about this more before my next game which should have a horror element to it.  And no, putting on spooky music and turning the lights down so you're too blind to see the table isn't going to cut it.