We use fear as an adaptive response to help us recognize hazards. Thanks to this skill, humans can endure predators and natural disasters. Both natural and learned fears are possible. Infants may benefit from their innate fears, which are present from birth and are evolutionarily adapted.
Learned fears are based on stimuli that a child encounters later in life and how the environment surrounding the child perceives the stimulus.
What is the Origin of Our Fear?
Animals acquire anxieties for things that injure them or make them uncomfortable in addition to their intrinsic ones. Humans develop fear in a variety of ways. Some phobias are innate, while others are learned through experiences or social learning.
Innate fears are built into the human brain to protect us from potentially dangerous situations. Examples of innate fears include:
• Fear of Falling
Scientists have discovered that people are frightened of falling from birth. Fears typically develop with experience and societal ideas. However, they have found that our fear of falling develops at birth.
To demonstrate that, they conducted a brief experiment here. Babies and young animals have been used in experiments by being placed on transparent glass. Most infants and animals hesitated to step through the glass beyond the edge. They have therefore demonstrated that people are predisposed to dread falling.
• Fear of Loud Noise
We all have this particular form of fear from birth. When there is a loud noise, we instinctively cover our ears or unconsciously concentrate on it. The newborn newborns experience this as well. They become frightened even though they have no concept of what the sound is. By observing their pupils, we can confirm this.
How does the mind interpret fear?
Your brain’s fight-or-flight response kicks in when you are confronted with something frightening. According to studies, we can get over some of our phobias by continually being exposed to them. Our tolerance for our anxieties, whether related to snakes and spiders, extreme sports, or scary movies, will increase if we expose ourselves to them frequently.
The Science of Fear: An Overview
Fear Is Physical
Even though fear is a mental emotion, it causes a robust physical response in your body. Your amygdala begins to function as soon as you recognize fear. It wakes up your neurological system, which activates your body’s fear response.
Cortisol and adrenaline, two stress hormones, are released. Your blood pressure increases as your heartbeat become faster. Even the way your blood flows changes as your breathing quickens.
Fear Can Turn into Pleasure
Thanks to the excitement transfer procedure, your body and brain are kept awake even after your frightful experience.
Fear Protects You
Humans see fear as a complicated emotion that has both positive and negative effects. Speak with your primary care provider if a fear or phobia interferes with your life in a wrong or uncomfortable way. They can help you determine the type of treatment you may require.
Fear Is Not Phobia
There are apparent differences between fear and phobia. Fears are common reactions to objects or events. But fear becomes a phobia when it impairs your capacity for action and a stable quality of life. You may develop a phobia if you go to great lengths to avoid things like people, water, or spiders.
Fear might cloud your judgment.
Some of your brain’s processes are accelerating, while others are slowing down. Making wise decisions or thinking is now challenging since the cerebral cortex becomes hindered when the amygdala detects fear. As a result, you can panic and scream when an actor in a haunted home approaches you since you can’t make yourself understand that the danger is imaginary.
The impact of fear on your life
Fear and worry are the two main impediments to achievement, pleasure, fulfillment, and inner serenity. While fear is a necessary and fundamental component of our safety, it may also be harmful and crippling in some situations.
Fear, whether real or imagined, is an unpleasant emotion associated with risk or danger. Everyone has felt terror at some point. Although it is common and natural, how we respond to it matters. Keep in mind that being scared isn’t always a bad thing. In reality, it has served as a mechanism for human survival for millions of years.
