What Happens in the Brain When We Feel Fear - Deepstash
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Fear as a defense mechanism

Fear as a defense mechanism

Fear protects organisms against a perceived threat to their integrity or existence. Fear can be as simple as moving away from a negative stimulus, or as complex as existential anxiety in a human.

Some of the brain's main chemicals that contribute to the "fight or flight" response are also involved in other emotional states such as happiness and excitement. It makes sense that the high arousal state we experience during a scare may also be seen in a more positive light.

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Getting a “rush” vs. feeling terrorized

The main factor in how we experience fear has to do with the context.

When the "thinking" part of the brain gives feedback to the "emotional" brain, and we know it isn't really a threat, we can quickly shift from fear to enjoyment or excitement, such as in a haunted house during Halloween season. However, if you were walking in a dark alley at night and a stranger started following you, both your emotional and thinking areas of the brain would agree that the situation is dangerous and that it's time to escape.

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The fear reaction

The fear reaction starts in the brain's amygdala region and spreads through the body to prepare the body for the best defense or flight reaction. Fear also triggers the release of stress hormones and the sympathetic nervous system.

During a dangerous situation, the brain becomes hyperalert, pupils dilate, the bronchi dilate, breathing accelerates, heart rate and blood pressure rise, blood flow and a stream of glucose to the skeletal muscles increase, and organs not vital in survival slow down, such as the gastrointestinal system.

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The perception of control

We learn fear through observation, personal experiences, and through the instruction of spoken or written notes. The perception of control is vital to how we experience and respond to fear.

When you look to your friend at the haunted house, and she's quickly gone from screaming to laughing, socially, you're able to pick up on her emotional state, which can influence your own state.

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Why some hate a good fright

An imbalance between excitement caused by fear and the sense of control may cause too much or too little excitement.

If the experience is seen as "too real," an extreme fear response can overcome the sense of control. But if the experience is not triggering enough to the emotional brain, or is too unreal to the thinking brain, the experience can end up feeling boring.

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