The Meaning of Fear

Fear is an emotion that holds a certain intensity of energy. Any number of situations, people, or events can invoke a person's sense of fear. And while this emotion is meant to be a protective response, the meaning it holds from person to person determines the role it plays in everyday life.

Identification

• The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fear as a painful emotion prompted by an expectation of danger. Fear can vary in degree according to a person's past experiences, mental state of mind and sense of potential danger. Sources of fear vary depending on the individual, and so do the meanings assigned to a perceived threat. In some people, a threat can spur a healthy, constructive response, while others may withdraw or avoid threats completely. Both emotional and physiological responses occur when a threat is present.

Function

• In its most basic form, fear is a natural response mechanism that allows a person to maintain a certain degree of safety in his life. However, the meaning of fear has greatly evolved within the life span of the human species. The Centers for Disease Control show as much as 18 percent of the U.S. population suffers from anxiety disorders, which are conditions in which fear itself has become the threat.

Brain Mechanisms

• The physiological responses that accompany a perceived threat further reinforce the meaning a person may assign to a particular fear. As physiological responses are in place to promote survival, a person's perception of what's dangerous and what's safe work to reinforce the response mechanisms that are in place. The brain centers that regulate perception, reasoning, emotions and fear are intricately linked. In effect, different emotions trigger different chemical release systems within the brain. Once the brain has assigned a particular meaning to an emotion like fear, neurotransmitter chemicals set up a "fight or flight" response pattern to deal with the impending threat.

Internal Representations

• Past experiences typically provide the background information from which meaning can be assigned to events as they occur. In the case of strong emotions like fear, past experiences become internal representations of the emotion, as well as the meaning assigned to it. Memory centers within the brain are designed to create pathways, or patterns, that represent strong, emotion-filled memories. As a result, associations between sensory experiences, emotional response and cognitive reasoning are kept and stored for future use.

Health versus Unhealthy

• A person's upbringing, past experiences and mental health all contribute to how she experiences fear and to the meaning these experiences hold. Fear, in and of itself, can play a healthy role in a person's life or it can serve an unhealthy role. Where one person may view a new experience as exciting or challenging, another may approach it with dread and anxiety. The meaning of the emotion is assigned by the individual based, on her psychological, physical and emotional conditioning.