Ultimately when we develop new habits, we can adapt to, and overcome repeated behaviors driven by fear. Supporting ourselves in the midst in fear rather than trying to get rid of it, allows us to liberate the energy from our defensive reactions while breaking the cycle of repeated adrenalization. They may also help alter breathing rates so that serotonin is released. The Fear Melters® are designed to rewire our automated neural patterns as an easy first step in unlocking the fear response, giving us choice and freeing up resources in the body, such as working memory. Shifting between different passive and active defensive modes happens in a part of the brain called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Most people have difficulty in controlling their responses whilst in fear and unconsciously shift into a combination of the four types of fear. If I am in fight fear, an active defensive behavior, then movements and actions that activate a more passive state are likely to alter the feeling of fear and activate different neural pathways in the brain. What solutions do we have to shift us out of fear easily? Fear Melters® 8 assist us in moving out of the defensive behaviors engaged by our nervous system by activating the opposite pathways in the brain. The purpose of flee or flight is to create space between the predator and prey thereby increasing the prey’s chances of escaping. So what are the four types of fear?įlee (flight)-an active defensive behavior essential for survival in the face of threat. 3 In the presence of these different neural ingredients, fear emerges similarly to the way the essence of a soup emerges from its ingredients and gives rise to our particular flavor of fear which could involve any or all of the four types of fear. He compares it to the creation of a soup, with different ingredients such as survival circuit activity, brain arousal, body responses, feedback, memories, thoughts and predictions. Renowned neuroscientist Joseph Ledoux suggests that the difference between fear in humans and animals is that we experience fear as a feeling. The four types of fear that have ensured our survival for so long, interact with each other in ways that scientists are only beginning to recognize. The researchers suggest that we can switch rapidly between responses to ensure the highest chance of survival. Activation of the other set of cells, which expresses somatostatin (a peptide hormone that regulates the endocrine system and neurotransmission), initiates freezing.
Activation of one of these set of cells, which expresses corticotropin releasing factor (or CRF-a peptide hormone involved in the stress response that indirectly lowers cortisol), triggers flight. Two different types of neurons are responsible for fear responses. Recently, research scientists have found distinct cells in areas of the brain responsible for flight responses in the amygdala (the fear center in the brain). Understanding how our defensive responses are controlled in the brain is important for those in high-risk professions who need to perform optimally under stress. Passive and active defenses are mutually exclusive: a prey cannot simultaneously flee and fight, or freeze and flee. In animals, behavioral reactions to threats fall into two general categories: 1) those that reduce chances of being noticed by predators, such as freezing (passive), and 2) those that enhance it (to avoid capture), such as fleeing or retaliation strategies, such as fight (active). Choosing and rapidly implementing the appropriate response in a threatening situation is critical for survival. Humans have evolved with a variety of innate, hard-wired, automatically activated defense behaviors, termed the defense cascade. 1 These four types of fear are less well understood but highly prevalent in our everyday behaviors and reactions, most of the time without us even noticing. Since then, neuroscientists have come a long way in their understanding and characterized four types of fear. This term has described our body response to fear for over a century. The fight-or-flight response was discovered by Walter Canon in the early 20th century.
“Emotions are played out “in the theatre of the body”-A.R Damasio Why is learning about fear important?īiology tells us that fear increases the chances for survival when expressed in friendly ways and, conversely, can lead to anxiety and stress-related disorders when suppressed or undealt with.