Lesson 2
Still not sure (or not willing to admit) if you have a boggart? Let's take a look at the origin of fear.
Fear is a primitive emotion. The presence of fear was important in the evolution of humans. Our ancestors had to adapt to harsh and inhospitable environments. Weather was a huge obstacle to overcome. To ensure their survival, they learned to avoid and fear poisonous plants and insects, as well as dangerous reptiles and animals. Some of these fears are passed down from our ancestors genetically. This is evidenced by the fact that the fear of snakes is one of the most common fears in the world. However, most people have never even encountered a snake nor been bitten by a snake to develop the fear personally.
Most fears develop by a process called fear conditioning, where we learn to fear something through experience. Fear becomes associated with an object or a situation. Ron Weasley's fear of spiders was triggered by Fred Weasley turning his teddy bear into a spider when he was young: "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my --- my teddy bear into a great filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick. . . . You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and . . ." Ron is able to handle dead spiders in Potions class, but the movement of live spiders makes his heart pound.
Fear is a primitive emotion. The presence of fear was important in the evolution of humans. Our ancestors had to adapt to harsh and inhospitable environments. Weather was a huge obstacle to overcome. To ensure their survival, they learned to avoid and fear poisonous plants and insects, as well as dangerous reptiles and animals. Some of these fears are passed down from our ancestors genetically. This is evidenced by the fact that the fear of snakes is one of the most common fears in the world. However, most people have never even encountered a snake nor been bitten by a snake to develop the fear personally.
Most fears develop by a process called fear conditioning, where we learn to fear something through experience. Fear becomes associated with an object or a situation. Ron Weasley's fear of spiders was triggered by Fred Weasley turning his teddy bear into a spider when he was young: "If you must know, when I was three, Fred turned my --- my teddy bear into a great filthy spider because I broke his toy broomstick. . . . You wouldn't like them either if you'd been holding your bear and suddenly it had too many legs and . . ." Ron is able to handle dead spiders in Potions class, but the movement of live spiders makes his heart pound.
The fear center of the brain is the amygdala. From the Greek word for almond, the amygdala is an almond-shaped region located deep in the temporal lobes of the brain. Functions of the amygdala include arousal, memory, emotional responses, hormonal secretions, and the autonomic responses associated with fear. Important in survival, the amygdala responds extremely efficiently to danger signals that the body senses. When you see, hear, smell, touch, or taste something that can be perceived as dangerous, the amygdala causes adrenaline and cortisol to be released into your bloodstream. Epinephrine, better known as adrenaline, is a hormone that is released when the body is stressed. Adrenaline is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, which prepares the body to fight or run away. Cortisol is the longer-acting stress hormone. One reason why you tend to crave sweets when you are stressed is because cortisol works against insulin's signal to remove sugar from the bloodstream. Both adrenaline and cortisol are involved in creating memories of short-term emotional events, which tend to contribute to fears.
The fight-or-flight response is a natural instinct for all human beings. It happens automatically, preparing the body to fight the threat or run away if necessary. When adrenaline is released, it signals all the organs in the body. The effects should be familiar to everyone.
- Fast thoughts - The neurons in the brain are firing faster to allow you to make rapid, split-second decisions based on the threat.
- Tunnel vision - Your vision becomes sharper and more focused on your immediate surroundings.
- Rapid breaths - In order to increase oxygen intake, your breaths are quicker and shallower. This may cause dizziness.
- Heart pounding - The heart beats faster to get more blood and oxygen to the muscles.
- Tense muscles - Muscles tighten as you prepare to fight or flee. They may even shake or tremble a little.
- Cold hands - Your blood is redirected away from your extremities (fingers and toes) and toward your larger muscles.
- Sweating - With so many bodily functions occurring at once, sweating helps keep the temperature down and cools your body.
- Relaxed bladder - The bladder muscles are the only ones that relax instead of tighten. It might seem a bit strange, but if you are trying to fight or run away, you really don't want to have to worry about going to the bathroom. The body wants to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of needing to urinate, so it actually forces you to empty your bladder.
Possessing fear and anxiety is not always a drawback. Worrying about the future often helps you become more prepared for what might come. It serves as a warning to stay alert and reduces your chances of being surprised or taken off guard. When you think of all the different possibilities, both good and bad, it improves your problem solving ability. You also tend to catch your own errors when you worry because you have to double check. However, don't let the worrying take over!