What Happens in Your Brain When You Spot Something Scary?

Abstract

Have you ever noticed that you are good at spotting things in your environment that are potentially dangerous—like a spider crawling on the wall? The brain systems that cause us to notice threatening things are so fundamental that most people are not even aware of them. Brain systems called defensive circuits are tuned to detect threats in our daily lives. These circuits help us to notice the specific features of threatening objects, like the curvy shape of a snake, and they prepare the body to take quick action, like fighting back or running away, therefore increasing our chances of survival. However, sometimes these circuits are overly sensitive, and they sound the alarm too often. These “false alarms” can cause us to see threats in places where there are none. Understanding how threat detection works may help us to understand—and maybe even overcome—our fears!