Man : Losing (Fear in Life)

 
Fear of Life

Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn't feel it, we couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good reason. Traumas or bad experiences can trigger a fear response within us that is hard to quell. Yet exposing ourselves to our personal demons is the best way to move past them.

What is Fear?

A brain chain reaction starting from a stressful stimulus in the brain and ends with the release of chemicals that cause heart to beat faster, fast breathing and energized the muscles, known as the fight-or-flight response. The stimulus for this reaction could be a spider, a knife at your throat, an auditorium full of people waiting for you to speak or the sudden thud of your front door.

­ The brain is a complex organ with more than 100 billion nerve cells.  It is an intricate network of communications. These communications lead to our consciously thought and action, while others produce autonomic responses. The fear response is almost entirely autonomic.

 Cells brain are constantly transferring information and triggering responses, and one of them involved fear.

Research has discovered that certain parts of the brain play central roles in the process:

·      Thalamus - decides where to send incoming sensory data (from eyes, ears, mouth, skin)

·      Sensory cortex - interprets sensory data

·      Hippocampus - stores and retrieves conscious memories; processes sets of stimuli to establish context

·      Amygdala - decodes emotions; determines possible threat; stores fear memories

·      Hypothalamus - activates "fight or flight" response

Creating Fear

The process of creating fear takes place in the brain and is entirely unconscious involving two paths:

a.       the low road is quick and messy

b.      the high road takes more time and delivers a more precise interpretation of events.

Both of the processes happens simultaneously.

a.      Low Road

The main principle of this response is “take no chances." An example : If the wind cause the front door to your home to suddenly knocks against the frame. The possible cause maybe the wind or a burglar trying into your house.

The mind human response :

The low road shoots first and asks questions later. The process:

                     i.      The door knocking against the door frame is the stimulus. As soon as you hear the sound and see the motion, your brain sends this sensory data to the thalamus.

                   ii.      At this point, the thalamus doesn't know if the signals it's receiving are signs of danger or not, but since they might be, it forwards the information to the amygdala.

                  iii.      The amygdala receives the neural impulses and takes action to protect you: It tells the hypothalamus to initiate the fight-or-flight response that could save your life if what you're seeing and hearing turns out to be an intruder.

b.      High Road

The high road is much more careful and thoughtful. It is considering all of the options. The long process:

                     i.      When your eyes and ears sense the sound and motion of the door, they relay this information to the thalamus.

                   ii.       The thalamus sends this information to the sensory cortex, where it is interpreted for meaning. The sensory cortex determines that there is more than one possible interpretation of the data and passes it along to the hippocampus to establish context.

                  iii.      The hippocampus asks questions like, "Have I seen this particular stimulus before? If so, what did it mean that time? What other things are going on that might give me clues as to whether this is a burglar or a wind storm?" The hippocampus might pick up on other data being relayed through the high road, like the tapping of branches against a window, a muffled howling sound outside and the clatter of patio furniture flying about.

                 iv.      Taking into account this other information, the hippocampus determines that the door action is most likely the result of wind.

                   v.      It sends a message to the amygdala that there is no danger, and the amygdala in turn tells the hypothalamus to shut off the fight-or-flight response.

The sensory data regarding the door -- the stimulus -- is following both paths at the same time. But the high road takes longer than the low road. That's why it take a moment or two of terror before you calm down.

Regardless of which path we're talking about, all roads lead to the hypothalamus. This portion of the brain controls the ancient survival reaction called the fight-or-flight response. In the next section, we'll take a closer look at the fight-or-flight response.

Basic Fear

Five basic fears are manufactured. Those five basic fears are:

a.      Extinction –

fear of annihilation, of ceasing to exist. This is a more fundamental way to express it than just calling it the "fear of death". The idea of no longer being arouses a primary existential anxiety in all normal humans. Consider that panicky feeling you get when you look over the edge of a high building.

b.      Mutilation –

fear of losing any part of our precious bodily structure; the thought of having our body's boundaries invaded, or of losing the integrity of any organ, body part, or natural function. For example, anxiety about animals, such as bugs, spiders, snakes, and other creepy things arises from fear of mutilation.

c.       Loss of Autonomy –

fear of being immobilized, paralyzed, restricted, enveloped, overwhelmed, entrapped, imprisoned, smothered, or controlled by circumstances. In a physical form, it's sometimes known as claustrophobia, but it also extends to social interactions and relationships.

d.      Separation –

fear of abandonment, rejection, and loss of connectedness - of becoming a non-person - not wanted, respected, or valued by anyone else. The "silent treatment," when imposed by a group, can have a devastating psychological effect on the targeted person.

e.      Ego-death –

fear of humiliation, shame, or any other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the loss of integrity of the Self; fear of the shattering or disintegration of one's constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.

Why Do We Fear?

Fear or afraid, is a human response to handling the world challenge for survival.  Without it we would be walking into oncoming traffic, stepping off of rooftops and carelessly handling poisonous snakes. In humans and in all animals, the purpose of fear is to promote survival of mankind.

For humans, there are other factors involved in fear beyond instinct. Human beings have the sometimes served with unfortunate gift of anticipation - anticipating terrible things that might happen -- things we have heard about, read about or seen on TV. In flight, we feel fearful in anticipation of a plane crash even though we haven’t been in a crash plane before. It is an evolutionary benefit: During rain, anticipation of lightning and we will remain under cover until the storm passed over. A response in anticipation due to fear of our life.

Common fears

According to surveys, there are numerous common  fears: ghosts, the existence of evil powers, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, heights, water, enclosed spaces, tunnels, bridges, needles, social rejection, failure, examinations and public speaking.

Though most arachnids are harmless, a person with arachnophobia may still panic or feel uneasy around one. Sometimes, even an object resembling a spider can trigger a panic attack in an arachnophobic individual.

One of the most common fears in humans is the fear of public speaking. Human feel comfortable in informal speaking but when it comes public speaking, fear just enters into our body: suspicious and conscious whether the words uttered are correct or incorrect and be judge upon. A self-depiction fear, become self-conscious on stage. Another common fear is the fear of pain. Fear of pain in a plausible situation brings flinching, or cringing and suffering in the person. .

A Gallup Poll conducted in 2005 reveals the most common fears of teenagers in the United States. The top 10 list goes like this:

1. Terrorist attacks
2. Spiders
3. Death
4. Failure
5. War
6. Heights
7. Crime/Violence
8. Being alone
9. The future
10. Nuclear war

Overcoming Fear

Overcoming fear doesn’t happen instantly or automatically. It is the result of deliberate intention, and conscious action towards doing things that scares you. As a result of overcoming your fears, you grow as a person, and expand the possibilities that surround your life.

Tips for dealing with everyday fears:

1. It doesn't matter why you're scared.

 Knowing why you've developed a particular fear doesn't do much to help you overcome it, and it delays your progress in areas that will actually help you become less afraid. Stop trying to figure it out. Fear comes from the mind, finding logical solution is not common sense but belief in you sense.

2. Learn about the thing you fear.

Uncertainty is a huge component of fear: Developing an understanding of what you're afraid of goes a long way toward erasing that fear. Understanding fear may elevate and eliminate the phobia by pinpointing the “sick- ness” of yourself.

3. Train.

If there's something you're afraid to try because it seems scary or difficult, start small and work in steps. Slowly building familiarity with a scary subject makes it more manageable. A strong and steady house starts from strong foundations. It takes time to build a solid foundation but it must be done to have a perfect structure.

4. Find someone who is not afraid.

If there's something you're afraid of, find someone who is not afraid of that thing and spend time with that person. Take her along when you try to conquer your fear -- it'll be much easier. A companion, a soul mate, an alter mater of life, understanding human vulnerability and trying to ease the burden. A true friends.

5. Talk about it.

Sharing your fear out loud can make it seem much less daunting. A voice from the heart will ease the burden of sorrow and pain. It is natural act for human to talk of their “dis-ease”.

6. Play mind games with yourself.

If you're afraid of speaking in front of groups, it's probably because you think the audience is going to judge you. Try imagining the audience members have the same “dis-ease”, uneasiness and same fear.  Imagine you are the expert, and giving a motivational talk of your life about your life.

7. Stop looking at the grand scheme.

Think only about each successive step. If you're afraid of heights, don't think about being on the fortieth floor of a building. Just think about getting your foot in the lobby.  The first step is the important step. Like a child having the first walk, stumbling and trying but persevered.

8. Seek help.

Fear is not a simple emotion. If you're having trouble overcoming your fear on your own, find a professional to help you. There are lots of treatments for fear out there, and no good reason not to try them under the guidance of someone with training and experience.

Excerpt and narrations taken, with thanks from:

Wikipedia

science.howstuffworks.com

www.KarlAlbrecht.com