The Science of Fear: How Our Brain Reacts to Danger

Fear is a universal emotion that has shaped how we have developed and evolved through the years impacting our survival as well as decision making. Whether it is the rush of adrenaline when riding a roller coaster or the slight stage fear before a public speaking, fear is deep rooted in our system and for good reason. Do you know what happens in our brain when we feel scared or afraid? Let’s dive into the science of fear and how our brain reacts to it. 

 There are 4 key centers that take care of how your brain responds to fear. The said players are the amygdala - aka the fear center, the hypothalamus - aka the activation center, the adrenal gland - the hormone center, and the prefrontal cortex - aka the fear regulation center. 

Now let us see what role each of these centers play. 

The amygdala, aka the fear center is a tiny almond shaped structure in our brains, it detects threats and signals other parts of the brain and body when encountered with a potential threat. The hypothalamus, aka the activation center activates the Autonomic NervousSystem (ANS) which regulates involuntary bodily functions like respiration. This also triggers the Sympathetic Nervous System which then initiates the famous “fight-or-flight” response. 

Following this signal, the hormone center then releases stress hormones like adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol and yeah this is why they say when we do something scary we get an adrenaline rush. These hormones increase our heart rate, blood pressure, redirect blood flow to muscles and enhance alertness and sensory perception. Many of you will be thinking then what is the role of the prefrontal cortex aka the fear regulation, well its main role is to interpret threats and regulate fear responses. Now that we know how the brain reacts to fear, let us know in the comments if you want us to do another bit on fear!