![]() And that’s okay! All people respond to fear in different ways. In fact, many people would refuse to go into a haunted house, even though they know it’s not a real threat. Some people definitely like being scared more than others. So, even though you might feel fear, your brain knows that you’re not in real danger. It knows that you chose to go into the haunted house and that none of the things you’re seeing are really going to hurt you. If you feel fear (emotion) in a haunted house ( context), your brain will know that the threat isn’t real. When they’re working to decide whether a threat is real, they consider two things-emotion and context. It all has to do with the response of your hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. So why is it that people like to be scared sometimes? Both of these events trigger fear, but one is fun and the other definitely isn’t. But seeing that shadowy figure in the middle of the night is a much different feeling than going into a haunted house on Halloween. ![]() Most people are familiar with the feeling of fear. Of course, you feel all these processes in the faster beating of your heart and breathing of your lungs. This helps your body preserve energy for the processes that are more essential for your safety. For example, when you’re afraid, your digestive organs slow their work. The brain also tells your pupils to dilate so that you can see better.Īt the same time, your brain tells other parts of your body to slow down. Whether you run (flight) or engage with the threat (fight), you’ll need those organs working in overdrive. This helps you prepare for your fight-or-flight response. It tells some of your organs-like your heart, lungs, and adrenal glands-to speed up. Once it interprets your fear, your brain sends out messages to the rest of your body. Then, the hippocampus tells you how to respond. The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex work together to decide whether there is a real threat to your safety. Have you ever heard that all people have a fight-or-flight reaction to fear? That reaction is triggered by another part of the brain-the hippocampus. The amygdala then communicates the fear to other parts of the brain. When you see something that scares you, a part of your brain called the amygdala is alerted. Thanks to fear, you avoid both.Īnd your body’s reaction to fear protects you, too. That snake could be venomous, and you could fall off that edge. These actions are triggered by fear, and they stop you from getting hurt. When you near the edge of an elevated surface, you don’t get close enough to fall. When you see a snake slithering through the grass, you probably head in the other direction. How’s that? Well, in many cases, fear protects people. Experts have found that humans have fear to thank for helping them survive as a species for thousands of years. People have studied the science behind fear for many years. What just happened? Why did your body respond the way it did? How do your heart, hands, lungs, and knees know when you’re afraid? There’s nothing to worry about, and you can drink your glass of water and get back to bed.īut that’s when you start to WONDER. The coat rack! You forgot that a family member moved it in front of the window a few days ago. Your breath quickens as you summon up all your bravery. ![]() You move toward the light switch as your knees go weak. There’s a knot in your stomach, and you feel tense all over. You can see its outline illuminated by the streetlight outside. What is that? Down the hall, in front of the window, is a dark figure. That’s when a sight stops you dead in your tracks. You head down the hallway to the kitchen. A glass of water may help you get back to sleep. Imagine you’ve woken up in the middle of the night.
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