Several pathways prepare different body systems to perform intense physical work when danger is felt
Published on: September 13, 2023: 05:48 AM GST Last updated: September 13, 2023: 07:28 AM GST
When a person is exposed to a situation in which he realizes that he is in danger, he feels strange things happening to his body.
According to experts, when a person sees something dangerous or is exposed to a critical situation that arouses fear within him, sensory inputs are transmitted first to the amygdala, which detects the emotional importance of the situation and how to respond to it with the speed required for that.
According to experts, there are a few key areas in the brain that are significantly involved in processing fear.
The amygdala has evolved to go beyond the areas of the brain involved in logical thinking, so that it can participate directly in physical responses.
The hippocampus, located near and in contact with the amygdala, is involved in remembering what is safe and what is dangerous, especially in relation to the environment, and putting fear into context.
Seeing an angry lion at the zoo and in the desert triggers a different fear response in the amygdala. For example, the hippocampus intervenes and prevents this fear response when you are at the zoo because you are not in danger.
According to a report prepared by Arash Javanbakht, associate professor of psychiatry, from Wayne State University, the prefrontal cortex, located above your eyes, is involved in the cognitive and social aspects of fear processing. For example, a snake may trigger your fear, but when you read a sign stating the fact that the snake is non-venomous or its owner tells you that their pet is friendly, the fear goes away.
If your brain decides that a fear response is warranted in a particular situation, it activates a series of neural and hormonal pathways to prepare you to take immediate action. Some fight or flight reactions occur in the brain. But the body is where most of the action happens.
According to Science Alert magazine, several pathways prepare different body systems to perform intense physical work. The brain’s motor cortex sends quick signals to your muscles to prepare them for powerful movements, including: the chest and stomach muscles, which help protect vital organs in those areas.
This may contribute to feelings of tightness in your chest and stomach during stressful circumstances.
The sympathetic nervous system speeds up the systems involved in fight or flight. Sympathetic neurons are also spread throughout the body and are particularly dense in places such as the heart, lungs, and intestines.
These nerve cells stimulate the adrenal gland to release hormones such as adrenaline, which travels through the blood to reach these organs, increasing their readiness for the fear response.
Signals from the sympathetic nervous system increase your heart rate and the force with which it contracts.
In your lungs, signals from the sympathetic nervous system dilate the airways and often increase the rate and depth of breathing. This sometimes leads to a feeling of shortness of breath.
Sympathetic activation slows your intestines and reduces blood flow to your stomach to provide oxygen and nutrients to more vital organs such as the heart and brain.
All physical sensations are then transmitted to the brain via spinal cord pathways. Your anxious, highly alert brain processes these signals on both conscious and subconscious levels.
The prefrontal cortex is also involved in self-awareness, particularly by naming these physical sensations, such as a feeling of tightness or pain in your stomach, and attributing cognitive value to them, such as “This is good and it will go away” or “This is terrible and I am dying.”
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2023-09-13 01:48:00
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