The Science Behind What Scares Us

Insights by Lou Manza – Chair and Professor of Psychology, Lebanon Valley College

Key Takeaways:

• Fear is a natural response that helps protect us from danger, but it can become a problem when it interferes with daily life.
• Understanding the difference between immediate threats and anticipated dangers can help people respond more effectively to fear and anxiety.
• Avoiding frightening situations may bring short-term relief but can create challenges when it limits work, relationships, or everyday activities.
• Slow breathing, critical thinking, and professional counseling can help people manage fear and recognize when they may need support.

Fear can help people escape danger, but the same response can also keep them from going to work, seeing friends or leaving home. Understanding when that protective instinct begins to interfere with daily life is an important step toward recognizing when to seek support.

“Fear is a basic, and universal, emotion that helps us identify potentially dangerous situations,” said Dr. Lou Manza, Chair and Professor of Psychology at Lebanon Valley College. Recognizing a threat can prompt someone to change course, move away from danger and, in some circumstances, save their life. The challenge comes when that response makes even safe, necessary activities feel threatening.

The physical effects can be immediate. The amygdala, a brain structure involved in detecting threats, helps activate responses through other areas of the brain, including the hypothalamus and brain stem. Heart rate and breathing increase as the body prepares to respond. Survival takes priority, which can make it harder to think calmly through what is happening or decide what to do next.

Fear and anxiety can produce similar feelings, but they differ in their focus. Fear centers on an immediate danger, while anxiety involves anticipating something that might happen. Stress can blur that distinction, making a possible future problem feel like a present threat. “They really just need to assess if the threat is literally happening now or not, and then act accordingly,” Manza said. That pause can help someone identify whether the moment calls for immediate action or a closer look at what they are anticipating.

What triggers fear also varies from person to person. “Experiences play a major role here,” he said. A dog bite can leave someone afraid of dogs, while news reports of airplane crashes can contribute to a fear of flying even without a frightening experience on a plane. Fear can also develop through observation: A child watching a parent react fearfully to a scary movie may learn to respond similarly. Those differences help explain why one person eagerly enters a haunted house while another avoids it altogether.

One way to assess fear’s usefulness is to look at what happens next. Changing a walking route to avoid a heated argument between others, occurring on the street ahead of you, can be a protective decision that reduces exposure to a potentially dangerous situation. Being too afraid to leave home for work, visit friends or buy groceries, however, can threaten a person’s livelihood, relationships and health. The intensity of the feeling matters, but so does the extent to which it limits daily activities.

Avoiding something frightening may provide immediate relief, yet that relief does not always mean the underlying problem has been resolved. Repeatedly withdrawing from necessary activities can create additional difficulties and make everyday life increasingly restrictive. “If one can’t see the difference between real dangers and manageable ones, they’d likely benefit by seeing a counselor,” Manza said. Professional support can help people assess those situations and address fears that interfere with their responsibilities or well-being.

For someone who is safe but experiencing a surge of fear, slowing the physical response can be a useful starting point. “When experiencing fear, stop what you’re doing and take several slow, deep breaths,” he said. Slower breathing may help ease the body’s response, while a brief walk, when safe and appropriate, can shift attention and provide time to regroup before deciding what to do next.

Taking that time also creates room to examine the threat more carefully. “When under stress, think slowly, and critically, about what’s happening around you, and separate true from false threats,” Manza said. Considering what is happening in the present can help people distinguish a situation that requires protection from one in which fear is making a manageable challenge feel dangerous.

The clearest signal that fear needs attention may be the life someone is missing because of it. When work, relationships or basic needs begin to suffer, seeking help becomes an important step toward restoring daily routines. Understanding fear’s protective purpose—and recognizing when it has become a barrier—can help people make informed decisions about their safety and mental health.

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