THE FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

 

 Among the more common fears, the fear of the unknown is without doubt the most widespread but, have you ever wondered why we are so scared by the unknown?

 

Firstly, let's define the unknown: the unknown could be a person or a car we haven't seen before in our neighbourhood; a sound heard in the dark; a new experience we are going to face, like the first day of a new job, rather than the first date with a girl (or a boy). So, trying to define the unknown is difficult, because it may include so many aspects of our lives. But I would like you to notice something: it isn't important if the unknown is a good or a bad thing, an very important or a meaningless event: if we don't know what is going to happen, we feel scared, we feel anxious, and very often part of our mind suggests to shy away from the situation.

HOW DOES FEAR WORK?

                                                                                 

Fear is an apparently simple - and yet extremely complex - concept. The most general definition of fear we can use is the emotion that arises in response to a potential threat. But exactly, what are the biological causes of fear? Where does it originate? What are its origins? What is its goal? In today’s article, we will try to answer to these questions.

First of all, in humans fear originates from a part of the brain known as amygdalae, which also manages various different emotions. When it detects something it considers a potential threat, the amygdalae starts sending to the entire brain electrical signals, informing them of the threat and stimulating the production of fear-associated hormones, such as adrenaline and dopamine, in order to make the body ready to flee from the threat.