We all have fears. Some people are afraid of the dark; some people fear animals and some fear heights, while others have more life-altering fears, such as the fear of crowded rooms or confined spaces. Feeling afraid or scared is nothing to be ashamed of; after all, fear is one of mankind's most primeval emotions.
But where exactly does fear originate? Is it safe to say that it's all in our mind? In this article, we will be exploring just what causes us to feel afraid and examine the psychological and physical properties associated with fear.
The Literal Definition of 'Fear'
The Oxford Dictionary defines fear as "an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat," but let's take a more in-depth look into how fear works.
What exactly is fear?
Fear is essentially a chain reaction within the brain that begins with a stress-inducing occurrence or situation that initiates the release of chemicals prompting noticeable and involuntary changes within the body and mind that result in a fight-or-flight response.
The brain is responsible for detecting stimuli, processing and evaluating threat levels, and then determining the body's reaction, with most cases ending in a conscious decision of how we choose to react. While most emotionally driven reactions are somewhat controllable, such as anger or sadness, fear, for the most part, is not.
Fear is almost always autonomic. This means that the triggering of fear is not a conscious decision, and most times, our responses happen before we are aware of what triggered us in the first place. This is evident when we are startled, and our body tends to convulse or jerk involuntarily.
How is fear created?
Fear is created through a process requiring several parts of the brain. First, the thalamus determines where incoming sensory data should be sent. The sensory cortex then decodes the data, after which the hippocampus stores and retrieves conscious memories and then processes sets of stimuli to establish context. The amygdala will then evaluate threats, and finally, the hypothalamus activates the fight-or-flight response.
Why is there initial terror followed by calmness?
This is most easily explained by imagining the brain working on two separate, unconscious levels simultaneously. Level One is designated for your protection, while Level Two has been tasked with providing a more precise evaluation of the event.
For example, you hear a loud knock at your door. Level One says it may be a friend, or it may be a murderer, but it's safer to assume that it's a murderer and act accordingly, rather than to assume it's a friend and become vulnerable. The fight-or-flight response is activated, and your body involuntarily jumps in anticipation of action.
Level 2, however, processes the loud noise and compares it to similar events stored in your memory. The brain then compiles the stimulus-the knock-with conscious memories and all the data collected and then contextualized. It's at this point you would remember that a friend had called prior to the knock and informed you that they would soon be arriving. The fight-or-flight response would then be deactivated and you would begin to calm down.
Why do we fear?
It's simple; without fear, we would not survive. Throughout human evolution, the people that feared survived. These traits were then passed on as they were beneficial to the survival of the human race.
