Where does fear live?

A person as a participant in practical and theoretical activity cognizes and changes the world. He does not remain impassive contemplator of what is happening around him. He does not remain the same impassive machine that produces various actions in an automated mode. He experiences what is happening to him and what is happening in the world; he emotionally treats everything that surrounds him. The experience of such a relationship of man to the surrounding reality is the sphere of his feelings and emotions.

In the psychology, fear is considered to be a negatively tinged emotional process, a kind of internal state, which is caused by a real or perceived threat. It mobilizes domestic resources to overcome a threatening situation, but its long-term presence can deplete these reserves and adversely affect health.

So where does it “live”?

They say - "fear has big eyes" - suggesting that it is localized in the eyes. Indeed, our eyes are one of the main channels of perception, therefore, when there is an unconscious fear of reality, or an unwillingness to see and recognize the truth as it is, fear appears there.

It is sometimes said that fear is shown on the face, it is enough to recall the horror grimaces or the picture of the “Scream” of Edvard Munch. Fear of "losing face" is often found in people who devote great importance to the opinion of others. The way they are perceived. Fear is reflected in the cervical segments, it is expressed in the unwillingness to express the feelings. Perhaps you have heard such expressions as: “the heart is paralyzed with fear” or “the heart bleeds”. It means the involuntary connection of feelings of fear with the chest and heart. Usually, as psychologists say, a feeling of “loneliness” and low self-esteem is deep in your chest. Fear of being incomprehensible and rejected by the world. Such beliefs and experiences adversely affect the work of the heart muscle and lead to coronary heart disease.

Quite often, fear is associated with legs. The statements "soul in heels" and "knees are shaking" indicate that a person does not have enough stability and support in life. He is not confident in stability and in himself, and here come various anxious experiences and diseases of the legs.

As we see, a lot depends on our consciousness and perception of ourselves. Being aware of our emotional state, we try to make it objective and put it in various areas of our body. Or we give this state to various items around us. By the way, thus various phobias appear.

Studies in the first half of the 20th century showed the role of various brain structures in emotional behavior. Irritation of certain areas of the brain with the help of microelectrodes allowed us to make an assumption about the specific centers involved in the realization of the reactions of rage and panic fear. Thus, it turned out that stimulation of the hypothalamus, posterior-ventral nucleus and hippocampus causes, in addition to the characteristic somatic and vegetative reactions, a person to experience fear. In connection with the further study of the limbic system, separate components have been identified and they are directly involved in the implementation of emotional reactions.

So, in the subcortical olfactory centers there are two amygdaloid bodies, one in each hemisphere. It is the tonsils that play a key role in the formation of emotions, including fear. This fact also confirms the observation of the patient, whose amygdala was destroyed by the disease, resulting in a complete lack of fear. The realization of the emotion itself takes place at the expense of two neural paths that function simultaneously. The first responds quickly to signs of danger, but often triggers as a false alarm. The second way is slower than the first, and allows us to assess the situation more accurately and react to danger. By the way, it is with inadequate work of the second way that the feeling of fear develops in the form of phobias.

In general, it should be remembered that the brain is a multifunctional, complexly organized integral system. Thus, it is fully involved in the implementation of our emotional behavior, which allows us to live in harmony with ourselves.