Usually, people with depression don't realize the source of fear, but throw countless pessimistic possibilities into the external real life. It is this negative way that causes people's strong helplessness and deep pain. Fear is like fog, which makes people feel at a loss. But in fact, fear itself is a "radar early warning system" that animals must equip in order to adapt to survival and escape from death and danger. Why are we black and blue by this defense system? Only by understanding the working principle of fear can we understand and overcome our own fears.
Next, let's enjoy the translation: (Thank you very much for Tiffany's hard work in translating this article for a week! How fear works)
At night, it is dark outside the window, and you are alone at home. In the big empty house, there was silence except for the sound of TV programs. Suddenly, you saw the front door bang against the door frame. You are short of breath, your heart is racing and your muscles are tense. After a while, you find that the wind is working, and no one wants to break into your house.
But at that moment, you are suddenly very scared. Your reaction is like being in danger, and your body has also started the "fight or flight" reaction mode, which is very important for the survival of any animal. Despite the fact that there was no danger just now. Then what on earth caused such a fierce reaction? What is fear? In this article, we will study what fear is psychologically and physically, find out the causes of fear reaction, and find some ways to overcome fear.
What is fear?
Fear is a series of chain reactions in the brain. It begins with a kind of oppressive stimulus, and the brain sends out signals, and ends with the secretion of chemicals, which brings about rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, muscle tension and so on. This is also called "fight or flight" response (hereinafter referred to as "fight or flight response"). This stimulus may be a spider, a knife stuck in your throat, an audience full of people waiting for your speech, or the door in front of you suddenly slammed into the doorframe.
The brain is an extremely complex organ. It consists of more than 654.38+000 billion nerve cells, which is the starting point for us to feel, think and do everything. Some information exchange in the brain causes thoughts and reactions at the level of consciousness, while others cause reactions that are not dominated by the level of will. The fear response is almost completely independent of the will level: we didn't trigger it on purpose, and we didn't even know what happened until the reaction ended on its own.
Because brain cells are constantly transmitting information and triggering reactions, at least dozens of areas in the brain are more or less involved in fear reactions. But some studies have found that some parts of the brain play a central role in this process:
Thalamus-determines where to input sensory data (from eyes, ears, mouth, skin)
Sensory cortex-interpreting sensory data
Hippocampus-storing and extracting conscious memories; Deal with all kinds of stimuli and create situational environment.
The amygdala decodes emotions; Identify possible threats; Store fear memories
Hypothalamus-Initiate "Fight or Flight Response"
The process of fear begins with frightening stimuli and ends with the fight-or-flight response. But fear has at least two paths from the beginning to the end. Next, we will discuss in detail how fear arises.
Create fear
The process of fear occurs in the brain and is completely unconscious. There are two paths to fear reaction: the small path is fast and chaotic, and the big path takes more time, giving a more accurate explanation of the event. These two processes are carried out simultaneously.
The idea behind the path is "Don't take risks, be careful". If your front door suddenly knocks on the door frame, it may be the wind or a robber wants to come in. If you assume that a robber comes in, but the end result is only wind, it is far less than if you assume that it is only wind, and the end result is that a robber tries to enter danger. Fire the path first, then ask questions. This process is like:
The door hitting the door frame is a stimulus. As soon as you hear the sound and see this scene, your brain sends this sensory data to the thalamus. At this moment, the thalamus does not know whether the received signal is dangerous, but it is possible, so it sends this information to the amygdala. The amygdala receives this nerve impulse and takes action to protect you: the amygdala tells the hypothalamus to start a fight or flight response. Suppose what you see and hear is that robbers are entering, it will save your life.
The big path is much more detailed. If the small path starts the fear mode just in case, then the big path considers all the possibilities. Is it a robber? Or the wind? This longer process is as follows:
When your eyes see the door moving and your ears hear the sound of the door, your eyes and ears will send information to the thalamus, which will send this information to the sensory cortex, which will interpret the sensory data. The sensory cortex determines that there is more than one possible explanation for this data, and transmits it to the hippocampus to establish a situational document. The hippocampus will ask this question: "have I seen this special stimulus before?" If so, what did you mean before? Are there any other events that can give me some clues to judge whether this is a robber or a wind? " The hippocampus will extract some similar data transmitted through higher paths, such as the sound of branches knocking on windows, the low whistling outside, the sound of poultry flying around the yard and so on. Referring to this information, the hippocampus determines that the movement of this door is more like the wind. Therefore, the hippocampus sends non-dangerous information to the amygdala, which then tells the hypothalamus to turn off the fight or flight response.
Sensory data about the door's stimulus propagates on two paths at the same time, but the big path takes longer than the small path. That's why we have a minute or two of fear before we calm down.
No matter which path we talk about, both paths lead to the hypothalamus. This part of the brain manages the ancient survival response, namely the fight-or-flight response. Next, we will discuss the fight-or-flight response in detail.
In order to cause a fight or flight response, the hypothalamus activates two systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal cortex system. The sympathetic nervous system uses neural pathways to initiate in vivo reactions, while the adrenal cortex system circulates through blood flow. The combined effect of these two systems is the fight-or-flight response.
When the hypothalamus tells the sympathetic nervous system to run quickly, the overall effect is that the body runs faster, strengthens and usually becomes very alert. If there is a thief at the door, you must take action at once. The sympathetic nervous system sends nerve impulses to various glands and smooth muscles, and tells the adrenal medulla to release adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood. These "stress hormones" can cause some changes in the body, including increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.
At the same time, the hypothalamus secretes corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) to the pituitary gland, which activates the adrenal cortex system. The pituitary gland (a major endocrine gland) secretes the hormone ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone). ACTH enters the blood and finally reaches the adrenal cortex, where it activates and releases about 30 different hormones, preparing the body for threats.
The sudden influx of adrenaline, norepinephrine and dozens of other hormones can lead to changes in the body, including:
Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Pupils are dilated to absorb as much light as possible.
Veins under the skin contract, sending more blood to the main muscle groups (which is why fear sometimes "trembles"-there is no skin under the blood to keep warm)
Elevated blood sugar level
Muscle tension is stimulated by adrenaline and glucose (goose bumps are the cause-when attached to the skin.
The small muscles of each hair on the surface are tense, and the hair is forced to stand upright, pulling the skin)
Smooth muscle relaxes and allows more oxygen to enter the lungs.
Unnecessary systems (such as digestive system and immune system) are shut down to provide more energy for first aid function.
Focus on the small point (the brain focuses on the big picture to determine where the threat comes from)
All these physiological reactions are to help you survive in a dangerous situation, whether it's running for your life or saving your life (hence the name "fight or flight"). Fear-especially the fight-or-flight response-is the instinct of every animal.
Why are we afraid?
If we can't be afraid, we will not live long. We will walk into oncoming traffic, fall down when walking on the roof, and touch poisonous snakes unscrupulously. In human beings and all animals, the function of fear is to promote survival. In the process of human evolution, fearful people survive and pass it on in genes. The characteristics and response patterns of fear are chosen to be beneficial to race and continue to be transmitted in genes.
In the debate on evolution in the19th century, the "frightened face"-the appearance of eyes wide open and mouth wide open, often accompanied by extreme fear-became the focus of discussion. Why do people make that expression when they are afraid? Some people say that God has given people a way to see their fears, even though they may not understand each other's language. Charles Darwin said that this is the result of instinctive muscle contraction caused by evolutionary fear response. To prove his point, he went to the reptile house in London Zoo. He tried to keep calm. He is standing on the other side of the glass, where poisonous snakes may come at him. Every time the snake jumped on him, he jumped back in fear. He wrote in his diary, "My will and reason are weak in the face of dangerous imagination that I have never experienced before." He believes that the whole fear response is an ancient instinct and has not been influenced by the differences of modern civilization.
Nowadays, most people no longer face fighting or fleeing in the wild, but fear is by no means an outdated instinct. Today, fear plays the same role, just as people used to meet lions when they came back from carrying water in the river. Only now, we are walking on the streets of the city with our wallets. When you are in the middle of the night, you decide not to take that empty lane, although it is a shortcut, which is based on reasonable fear of promoting survival. We are in countless dangers as we were hundreds of years ago, but our fears protect us as before.
Darwin had never been bitten by a poisonous snake, but he reacted as if he was already in such danger. Most people have never been to the place where the plague broke out, but when they suddenly see a mouse, their hearts will suddenly stop beating. For human beings, besides this instinct, there are some other factors related to fear. Humans sometimes have an unfortunate premonition, and we have a premonition that something bad may happen-something we may hear, read or see on TV. Most people have never experienced a plane crash, but this will not stop us from grabbing the handrail nervously on the plane. A hunch, a terrible stimulus will trigger a reaction, as if you are experiencing this terrible stimulus. This is also an evolutionary benefit: those who feel the rain and have a premonition that there may be lightning will hide in caves until the storm is over, and they will not be easily struck by lightning. Next, let's discuss what kind of conditioned reflex we are used to in fear.
Extension:
If you like horror movies, you know that fear can make people excited. Many people like fear-arousal related to the fight-or-flight response can be exciting and even imitative. Then it is not difficult to understand why so many people choose to go to a horror movie or go on a roller coaster date together.
There is practical scientific evidence to support the correlation between fear and attraction. Psychologist Arthur Allen conducted a study, using the common high fear. Aaron asked a group of people to cross an unstable bridge 450 feet long (about 137 meters) and 230 feet high (about 70 meters). He asked another group of people to walk on the same height but completely stable bridge. At the end of each bridge, participants will meet Aron's very beautiful female assistant. She will ask each subject a series of questions about the hypothetical study, and then give them their own phone number in case he wants to know more information. Of the 33 people who crossed the stable bridge, only two were named Aron, but among the 33 people who crossed the rocking bridge, nine were named Aron. Allen concluded that fear stimulates attraction.
Fear conditioned reflex
The route of fear response may have been honed by evolution, but there is another aspect of fear: conditioned reflex. Conditioned reflex leads to why some people are afraid of dogs as if they are fire-breathing monsters, while others think dogs are a member of the family.
In the 1920s, perhaps not the best time of psychology, American psychologist John Watson trained a baby to be afraid of mice. Little Albert was not afraid of experimental animals at first. He is very happy to see the mouse and often touches it with his hands. Watson and his assistant trained baby Albert to be afraid of mice. They used the classic Pavlov conditioned reflex. Every time a baby reaches out and touches one of the mice, they will make a terrible sound behind the baby of 1 1 month. Little Albert soon learned to be afraid of mice. When he saw the mouse again, he began to cry and wanted to leave. Not only that, he also cried when he saw other furry animals and the mask of white beard Santa Claus.
Just as Albert Jr. is afraid of mice, a person's fear of dogs is probably a conditioned reflex. Maybe this man was bitten by a dog when he was three years old. Twenty years later, this person's brain (especially the amygdala) will still associate the scene of a dog being bitten with the pain of being bitten. Let's take a closer look at some common fears.
Universal fear
According to a Gallup poll conducted in 2005, the most common fears of American teenagers are:
terrorist attack
Spider; Spider-like objects; Star wheel; Cross; Connecting handle; crosshead
die
fail
war
height
Criminal violence
separate
future
nuclear war
Most of these basic fears will continue into adulthood. Other common fears include public speaking, going to the dentist, pain, cancer and snakes. Many of us are afraid of the same things, so are these things universal fears?
Some studies show that people may have a genetic tendency to be afraid of some harmful things, such as spiders, snakes, mice and other animals that once posed a real danger to human beings, because these animals may be toxic or carry diseases. For example, people who have never seen snakes are also afraid of snakes. If you think that fear is an evolutionary instinct embedded in human consciousness, it makes sense. The concept of universal fear is sought after by some well-known TV programs that are popular with viewers: NBC's program "Who dares to challenge" provides winners with a weekly prize of 50,000 US dollars, and the contestants have to perform some tasks, such as putting their heads in a box with hundreds of spiders, or eating a milkshake mixed with mice.
This idea has also been supported by scientific research. Psychologist Martin seligman conducted a classic conditioned reflex experiment. He showed the subjects some subject pictures and clicked on them. The idea is to create phobia (a strong, irrational fear) for the object in this picture. When the object in the picture is a spider or a snake, only 2-4 electric shocks can cause phobia. If the picture is a flower or a tree, it needs more electric shocks to cause real fear.
Although there may be "universal fear", there are also unique fears about individuals, communities, regions and even cultures. Those who grew up in cities are more afraid of being robbed than those who live on farms. People living in South Florida may be more afraid of hurricanes than people living in Kansas, and people in Kansas may be more afraid of tornadoes than people in Vermont. Our fears tell us a lot about life. There is a phobia called adult convulsion, which is considered as a "culture-specific phobia" in Japan in Community Psychiatry (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition)). Adult panic disorder refers to "fear of offending others because of being too modest and showing respect". Complex social etiquette has become a part of Japanese life, which has formed a unique fear in Japan.
Feeling scared occasionally is a normal part of life. But long-term fear will make you physically and mentally weak. Living with unhealthy immune response and high blood pressure will lead to diseases, and you will refuse to participate in daily activities because you may face a bad social life, which will prevent you from living a better life. So what can we do in the face of fear?
Overcome fear
Studies have shown that mice with damaged amygdala will directly become cats. Most of us don't want a knife in the amygdala. Therefore, scientists explore other ways to overcome fear.
The fear subsided.
Although Albert Jr. learned to be afraid of white mice in the 1920s, it was more than 80 years later that mice were afraid of a simple noise. Mark Ballard, a scientist at UCLA, did an experiment. He and his team associate noise with electric shock. They gave a knock and immediately shocked the metal floor of the rat cage. This is a typical conditioned reflex. Before long, the mouse was ready to face the electric shock as soon as it heard the sound. At this time, their amygdala associates sound with electric shock, which will cause fear response. Then, the researchers began the fear retreat training process. In training, they knock out the sound, but don't use electric shock. After hearing the sound frequently, but without electric shock, the mouse is no longer afraid of noise.
Fear fading needs to create a conditioned response corresponding to the existing conditioned response to fear. Although studies have made the amygdala a place to store fear memories formed by conditioned response. Scientists speculate that memories of fear fading are formed in the amygdala, but then transferred to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for storage. This new memory produced by fear fading is stored in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and attempts to cover the fear memory triggered in the amygdala.
Most behavioral therapies for fear of regression focus on frequent contact. For example, the treatment of a person who is afraid of snakes may require him to go to a snake farm repeatedly and let him touch snakes step by step. First of all, this person may stand 0/0 feet away from the snake/kloc and see that nothing terrible has happened. Then he may walk 5 feet away from the snake. When nothing terrible happens in this position, he may approach the snake and touch it. This process continued until a new fear memory faded-"snakes won't hurt you" was formed, and the fear memory of snakes falling into amygdala was denied. Fear still exists, but this view holds that the original memory of fear will be covered by new memory.
Extension:
frightened
Phobia is a strong and persistent fear, which is not based on any rational feeling of imminent danger and will prevent them from participating in activities that may lead to danger. There are three main types of phobia:
Wilderness phobia: a place where it is not convenient to escape or ask for help in case of an accident.
Social phobia: fear of contact with others
Specific phobia: fear of specific things or situations, such as snakes, public speaking, heights or blood.
Drugs to eliminate fear
Scientists have known that inhibiting protein in the amygdala called NMDA(N- methyl -D- aspartic acid) can promote fear to subside. They believe that stimulating this kind of protein can stimulate the fear to subside. Studies have shown that the antibiotic D- cycloserine (widely used to treat tuberculosis) may help to promote the function of NMDA[ reference] in fear regression. This drug method, when combined with behavioral therapy, will be beneficial to trying to form memories of fear fading.
This statement is not to replace exposure therapy, but to speed up treatment. This hypothesis was applied to a study in which a group of mice were trained to respond to a combination of bright light and foot electric shock. When the strong light appeared repeatedly and the electric shock was cancelled, the mice injected with the antibiotic D- cycloserine forgot their fears faster than those without the drug. This antibiotic has also achieved research results in the population study of overcoming acrophobia. Virtual reality dialogue aims to expose the individual's height in a safe environment. People who are injected with antibiotics are twice as likely to get in touch with the real world as those who are not injected with drugs.
This kind of research brings hope to those who are exhausted by phobias and anxiety. But what about those of us who are flustered before giving a speech or have difficulty seeing the scenery near the balcony on the 30th floor?
Eight practical skills
There is an article "What Are You Afraid of: Eight Secrets to Make Fear Disappear" in Prevention magazine, which provides some ways to deal with daily fears:
It doesn't matter why you are afraid. Trying to find out why you have this special fear will not help you overcome it, but will delay the progress that can really reduce your fear. So don't try to find out why you are afraid.
2. Know what you are afraid of. Uncertainty is an important part of fear: knowing what you are afraid of is very helpful to eliminate fear.
3. training. If you are afraid to try something, because it looks terrible or difficult, start with the smallest thing and take it step by step. Gradually building a sense of familiarity with this horrible thing will make you feel that it is more and more manageable.
4. Find someone who won't be afraid. If you are afraid of something, find someone who is not afraid of it and get along with it. It will be relatively easy for you to take your fear with you when you go to customer service.
5. Speaking of fear. Speaking out your fears can make them look less terrible.
6. Play mind games with yourself. If you are afraid of public speaking, you are probably thinking that the audience will judge you. Then try to imagine that the audience is naked, and you are the only one wearing clothes in this room, so put yourself on the side of making comments.
7. Don't stare at grand plans. Think about every small step in a row. If you are afraid of heights, don't imagine your feet standing on the floor of the hall just because you are standing in a 40-story building.
8. ask for help. Fear is not a simple emotion. If you encounter difficulties in overcoming your fears alone, seek professional help. There are many therapies to overcome fear, and it is also helpful to try the guidance of people with professional training and experience.
Above!
Translation: Tiffany, FT Psychological Studio
Editing and finishing: Frank, psychological studio of Financial Times.
Original link:
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