This a is quite an interesting story, this past Saturday I came to school to get together with a group to wok on an assignment. We left pretty late, so my friend decided to walk me to my car, there was not a single soul in the hallways, and I kept on freaking my friend out with spooky stories. Suddenly it got quite, then out if no where I hear this loud peircing sound, looked back and screamed from the bottom of my lungs! My friend just stood their puzzeled at my actions, and insisted me to stop. As i was running i kept thing, "stop stop stop, its no big deal", but It was as if my brain wasn't getting the message and was reacting to the loud noise not taking into consideration that there was no danger. The loud noise just turned to be the sprinkeler system going off, and yes, i know that it is not scary at all, but I was internally in the attach and escape stage. My friend of course was dying of laughter and said she had never see me run that fast; my sympathetic system was doing its thing! The fasincating thing about all of this that makes me so confindent that our body will do anything to alert us of danger or sometimes may misinterpurt danger, is the fact that, i had already looked back and known it wasn't an asultant, it was just water, but my brain could not interpert the message and reacted on its first instinct.
The startle relex can be seen all the way back to a babies reaction to a loud noise, and is usually the sudden recation gauges of fear and anxiety. According to the book, your current mood or situation modifies your reaction. Since I was already tense before my stratle reflex kicked in, my response was more vigorous. Take for example, the feeling you get when you know someone is near or watching but not sure who it is, you get up to see what it might be, and BAM! you little brother jumps out of nowhere to scare the heck out of you. You have the consious that he is no danger, but you cant seem to have contorol over you reaction. That is your startle relfex in action! The amygala is important for leaning what to fear. Since I had not learned how to react in that particular situation, I responded the only way I knew....RUUUNN!!
There this little portion of our brain that controld how we may react to unexpected events, it is known as the amygdala, which enchances the starle reflex, its axons the extend to the midbrain that relay information to the pons are a big attribute in controlling the stralte reflex.
I know exactly what you are talking about! That always happens. I remember not too long ago I was getting out of school a little before 12am (before the library closes) along with my cousin. There was no one in school practically it was just us. As we were walking suddenly I scream and make a scene just to scare my cousin. She overreacts and just mimics everything that I am doing (start running, scream, and have that terrified stare) even though there was no one behind us and no sounds. Of course, then we find the experience funny, but it is true that we do not know how to stop our sympathetic system from producing the flight or fight system, it just happens naturally because our brain is trying to prevent us from any harm by telling us we should run or defend ourselves.
hahaha the little girl in the video was so cute. Poor little girl. I also know how you must have felt. I have been in similar situations like that before and i just freak myself out more than what i should. Its also happens to me out of no where. Like for example, i've gotten scared all of a sudden for no reason. My hearts starts pounding and i will have shortness of breath.Sometimes i even feel like i have the tightest knot in my stomach and i just automatically loose my appetite. I don't know if im just confusing it with a minor panic attack, but i will have all this physical effects before im actually scared. it may just be the physical symptoms it self that brings fear in me. Not always, but most of the time when my body does this, something bad does happen afterwards. I have no idea how i know beforehand! I think it may be that my brain captures little signals subconsciously and then warns me and i get all of these feelings. I know that in the book it mentions about a theory that states something about and when i read it i was like "oh that is so me." Even though the common sense theory states the opposite ( which it has happened to me as well), the James- Lange theory is not completely false either! im a prime example.
Good post - It's interesting how these creepy situations can "prime" our SNS to respond. OK, I have to admit to my wife and I jumping out and scaring the other in the house at times, but I don't think I was ever mean enough to do it to my kids (at least, not when they were toddlers)
I know exactly what you are talking about! That always happens. I remember not too long ago I was getting out of school a little before 12am (before the library closes) along with my cousin. There was no one in school practically it was just us. As we were walking suddenly I scream and make a scene just to scare my cousin. She overreacts and just mimics everything that I am doing (start running, scream, and have that terrified stare) even though there was no one behind us and no sounds. Of course, then we find the experience funny, but it is true that we do not know how to stop our sympathetic system from producing the flight or fight system, it just happens naturally because our brain is trying to prevent us from any harm by telling us we should run or defend ourselves.
ReplyDeletehahaha the little girl in the video was so cute. Poor little girl.
ReplyDeleteI also know how you must have felt. I have been in similar situations like that before and i just freak myself out more than what i should. Its also happens to me out of no where. Like for example, i've gotten scared all of a sudden for no reason. My hearts starts pounding and i will have shortness of breath.Sometimes i even feel like i have the tightest knot in my stomach and i just automatically loose my appetite. I don't know if im just confusing it with a minor panic attack, but i will have all this physical effects before im actually scared. it may just be the physical symptoms it self that brings fear in me. Not always, but most of the time when my body does this, something bad does happen afterwards. I have no idea how i know beforehand! I think it may be that my brain captures little signals subconsciously and then warns me and i get all of these feelings. I know that in the book it mentions about a theory that states something about and when i read it i was like "oh that is so me." Even though the common sense theory states the opposite ( which it has happened to me as well), the James- Lange theory is not completely false either! im a prime example.
Good post - It's interesting how these creepy situations can "prime" our SNS to respond.
ReplyDeleteOK, I have to admit to my wife and I jumping out and scaring the other in the house at times, but I don't think I was ever mean enough to do it to my kids (at least, not when they were toddlers)