What Are Common Things That Startle Or Frighten People And Why?
Roller Coasters
Your family tells you it will be fun, and you believe it. You slowly lift to the top of that track lift hill, and your stomach and brain switch places. HOW IS THIS FUN??!! Your family is cheering for joy. You don't understand. Why? Roller coasters appeal to the same part of the brain that enjoys horror movies, extreme sports, and other activities that give you an adrenaline rush or startle you. If our brains are hardwired to enjoy controlled fear, then why do some hate coasters? Well, some people are afraid of being afraid, and afraid of not being able to control their fear, and some people just don't like the feeling of that adrenaline rush.
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Scary Movies
So you watch a scary movie, and that night, you are covering your head with your sheets. Why? Well, one of the reasons scary movies appeal to some people, is the feeling after the movie. For some, that adrenaline rush afterwards feels awesome. For some others, it is horrific. That adrenaline rush increases heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration, and that is what freaks some people out. People who love that rush normally love roller coasters or thrilling activities.
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Nightmares Oh No! It's coming! It's coming! AAHH! You wake up horrified. Why? After you wake up from a nightmare, you are still half asleep, and since your senses are still dulled, and that you woke up from the nightmare being afraid, you automatically think you are still in the nightmare, and remember how afraid you were, making you more afraid.
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What Parts of the Brain Help us Handle Fear?
Fear isn't just an emotion, but a biological instinct designed to help us survive. One of the parts of our brain that helps us with fear is the amygdala. The amygdala is a peanut-sized part of your brain that determines whether a situation is dangerous, then fires signals to other parts of the brain. This also triggers the release of hormones, which causes reactions like muscle tensing, and sweating. There are also these things called fight-or-flight hormones controlled by the amygdala. They determine in a situation if you should fight it, or flight it (run away). Like if you suddenly spot a vicious gorilla glaring at you, Your amygdala's fight or flight response will determine whether you fight it, or run away.
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The Reptilian part of our brain is thought to come from our reptilian ancestors, and it includes all of the main parts of a reptile's brain. The reptilian system is reliable, but tends to get somewhat compulsive, or dramatic. For example, when you are experiencing some kind of anxiety, (like a scary movie) your reptilian brain will tell you that you are in danger. That is the reason you get scared while doing things like that. When you break down why you were so scared later on, it doesn't make sense. Your reptilian brain has fooled you with irrational anxiety and fear. Since you are not afraid now, you can't understand it.
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General Idea and Summary
So basically, when you are encountering something your reptilian brain thinks is dangerous, your amygdala releases hormones that cause reactions. Your reptilian brain, of course is being a little dramatic, which can be good in a real situation, but in a scary movie, roller coaster, nightmare, or anything else pleasurably thrilling, it is not necessarily a good thing. Your brain is fooled by your reptilian brain and fight or flight hormones controlled by your amygdala overreacting and thinking the harmless situation is dangerous, causing irrational fear or anxiety. Everyone has experienced irrational fear due to your hormones tricking your reptilian brain and amygdala.
Sensory Cortex and Hypothalamus
The sensory cortex is the part of your brain that controls your muscle tensing reactions based on fear or surprise. Like if you laid your hand on a stove, your sensory cortex will make you jerk your hand backwards. It also works with irrational fear, like if you hate roller coasters, it might make you grip the handlebars because you think you are in danger.
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The hypothalamus is a section of the brain responsible for the production of many of the body’s essential hormones, chemical substances that help control different cells and organs. The hormones from the hypothalamus take control of physiologic functions such as temperature regulation, thirst, hunger, sleep, and mood. Thirst, hunger, sleep, and mood are essential parts in fear response. When you are thirsty, hungry, tired, or moody, that can make you more dramatic or sensitive, changing how you respond to fear or stress.
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General Idea and Summary
The sensory cortex controls all of your muscle reactions that were transferred by the amygdala and reptilian brain. It can also react to irrational fears. The hypothalamus controls hormones, which take charge of physiologic responses, which trigger different types of fear response. Not too complicated...
*Passion Time Project by Regan R. In Mr. Solarz's 5th grade class at Westgate Elementary School. :-)