Fear may be as old as life on this Earth. It is a fundamental reaction, evolved throughout the history of biology to protect organisms against perceived threats to their integrity or existence. Fear can be as simple as an antennal freeze in a snail being touched or as complex as existential anxiety the one om.
Thinking about brain circuits and human psychology, some of the main chemicals that contribute to the fight-or-flight response are also involved in other positive emotional states, such as happiness and excitement. So everything has a certain meaning… The state of high arousal that we experience during a scare can also be experienced from a more positive perspective. But what exactly is the basis of this differentiation?
Studies by researchers in the field and clinical interactions suggest that a major factor in how we experience fear has to do with context.
When our “thinking” brain gives feedback to our “emotional” brain and we perceive ourselves to be in a safe space, we can then quickly change how we experience that high arousal state, moving from one of fear to one of joy or positive emotion.
The fear response starts in the brain and spreads through the body to make adjustments for the best defense or flight response. The fear response begins in a region of the brain called the amygdala. This set of almond-shaped nuclei in the brain’s temporal lobe is dedicated to detecting the emotional salience of stimuli—how much something stands out to us. A threatening stimulus, such as the sight of a predator, triggers a fear response in the amygdala that activates areas involved in preparing for motor functions involved in fight or flight. It also triggers the release of stress hormones and the functioning of the sympathetic nervous system.
This leads to bodily changes that prepare us to be more effective when we are in danger:
the brain becomes hyperalert, the pupils dilate, the bronchi dilate, and respiration accelerates heart rate and blood pressure increase blood flow and glucose flow to skeletal muscles increase organs that are not vital to survival, such as the gastrointestinal system, slow down.
Activating the amygdala not only changes the perception of bodily sensations, raising the pulse and increasing blood and muscle pressure. In addition to all this, it transforms our thinking: those who are afraid think clearly and concentrated, and this means that fear makes us more attentive and, for example, we become able to find more mistakes than usual in a text which we need to review. The downside of this accuracy is the limitation it comes with; under the influence of fear we don’t think “laterally”, i.e. expansively and openly – i.e. we are not creative.
Like other animals, we often learn fear through personal experiences, such as being attacked by an aggressive dog or seeing other people being attacked by an aggressive dog. However, an evolutionarily unique and fascinating way of learning in humans is through instruction – we learn from spoken words or written notes! If a sign says we are in an area with a dangerous dog, approaching the dog will trigger a fear response.
Furthermore, when we experience scary things with the people in our lives, we often find that the emotions they can be contagious in a positive way.
We are social creatures, capable of learning from one another. So when we look at our friend in the haunted house who quickly went from screaming to laughing, we can socially understand her emotional state which will positively influence ours.
While each of these factors – context, distraction, social learning – have the potential to influence how we experience fear, a common theme that connects them all is our sense of control. When we’re able to recognize what is and isn’t a real threat, we’re renaming an experience and enjoying the thrill of that moment, and that means we’re in a place where we feel in control. That perception of control is vital to how we experience and respond to fear. When we overcome the initial “fight or flight” intention, we often experience contentment, peace, safety, and come to be confident in our ability to face the things that initially scared us.
The causes and symptoms of fear
According to psychological research, fear is a primal emotion that involves a universal biochemical response and a heightened individual emotional response. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological. Sometimes fear comes from real threats, but it can also come from imagined dangers. While fear is a natural response to some situations, it can also lead to stress and disruption when it is extreme or out of proportion to the actual threat.
Fear can also be a symptom of mental health conditions, including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Fear is composed of two primary reactions to a perceived threat: biochemical and emotional.
Biochemical reaction
Fear is a natural emotion and a survival mechanism. When faced with a perceived threat, our bodies respond in specific ways. Physical reactions to fear include sweating, increased heart rate, and high levels of adrenaline, which make us hyper-alert.
This physical response is also known as the “fight or flight” response, whereby the body prepares to either fight or flee. This biochemical reaction is probably an evolutionary development. It is an automatic response that is crucial to our survival.
Emotional response
The emotional response to fear, on the other hand, is personalized. Because fear involves some of the same chemical reactions in our brains that positive emotions such as happiness and excitement do, feeling fear in certain circumstances can be seen as fun, such as when we watch scary movies.
Some people are adrenaline seekers, enjoy extreme sports and other emotional situations that cause fear. Others have a negative reaction to the feeling of fear, avoiding fearful situations at all costs. Although the physical reaction is the same, the experience of fear can be perceived as positive or negative depending on the person.
Fear often involves both physical and emotional symptoms.
Each person can experience fear differently, but some of the common signs and symptoms include:
Chest pain Chills Dry mouth Nausea Fast heartbeat Difficulty breathing Sweating Trembling Digestive symptoms
In addition to the physical symptoms of fear, people may experience psychological symptoms of being overwhelmed, angry, feeling out of control, or a sense of impending doom.
Fear is incredibly complex and there is no single, primary cause. Some fears may stem from experiences or trauma, while others may represent a fear of something else entirely, such as losing control. Some common fear triggers include:
Certain specific objects or situations (spiders, snakes, heights, flying, etc.) Future events Imagined events Real environmental hazards The unknown
Certain fears tend to be innate and can be evolutionarily influenced because they aid in survival. Others are learned and connected to traumatic associations or experiences.
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Article date: 01/12/2023
2023-12-01 18:42:24
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