Why Do People Experience Fear? A Phenomenological Study of Nurses

What I find most interesting in the article above is the line “unexpected journey into recovery”. The concept of “unexpected journey” refers to the fact that many of our behaviors and reactions do not originate from our conscious mind, but rather, are caused by the strong emotional imprint that is left on us over time. For example, when we experience fear, that fear may cause an intense physical reaction such as sweating, rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, etc. Unsurprisingly, none of these symptoms come directly from our conscious mind, but instead, they are the result of a series of associations that were made by the unconscious mind over time.

This brings up the question of why humans experience fear in the first place. It seems that fear has evolved over the course of history as part of the survival function of our species. In this case, it would make sense to attempt to understand the unconscious causes of fear before trying to confront them head on. By studying the physiological and psychological basis of fear, we can better understand and control it so that we don’t have to go through the experiences of extreme fear on a regular basis. Understanding the physiological and psychological basis of fear could help us develop skills to both protect ourselves and deal with the unknown.

One good thing about understanding fear is that it allows us to take an objective look at how society relates to fear and how it affects us as a whole. In many cases, we tend to think of fear as something that only happens to other people, when in reality, fear is a very widespread and natural human emotion. Understanding why humans experience fear helps us to put our minds at ease and makes it easier to communicate with others. Learning more about how the mind works could be crucial to our ability to prevent and cure phobias.