A description of Fear itself.
A vivid description of fear was provided by Charles Darwin in his book, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals:
Fear is often preceded by astonishment, and is so far akin to it, that both lead to the senses of sight and hearing being instantly aroused. In both cases the eyes and mouth are widely opened, and the eyebrows raised. The frightened man at first stands like a statue motionless and breathless, or crouches down as if instinctively to escape observation. The heart beats quickly and violently, so that it palpitates or knocks against the ribs... That the skin is much affected under the sense of great fear, we see in the marvelous manner in which perspiration immediately exudes from it... The hairs also on the skin stand erect; and the superficial muscles shiver. In connection with the disturbed action of the heart, the breathing is hurried. The salivary glands act imperfectly; the mouth becomes dry, and is often opened and shut.
The facial expression of fear includes the widening of the eyes (out of anticipation for what will happen next); the pupils dilate (to take in more light); the upper lip rises, the brows draw together, and the lips stretch horizontally. The physiological effects of fear can be better understood from the perspective of the sympathetic nervous responses (fight-or-flight), as compared to the parasympathetic response, which is a more relaxed state. Muscles used for physical movement are tightened and primed with oxygen, in preparation for a physical fight-or-flight response. Perspiration occurs due to blood being shunted from body's viscera to the peripheral parts of the body. Blood that is shunted from the viscera to the rest of the body will transfer, along with oxygen and nutrients, heat, prompting perspiration to cool the body. When the stimulus is shocking or abrupt, a common reaction is to cover (or otherwise protect) vulnerable parts of the anatomy, particularly the face and head. When a fear stimulus occurs unexpectedly, the victim of the fear response could possibly jump or give a small start. The person's heart-rate and heartbeat may quicken.
by Jane Austen
MENTALLY TRAPPED
She cautiously stepped into the shadowy, rustic wooden elevator when out of the blue a prolonged creak was heard. A mystifying chill immediately traveled up her spine as she watched the light from outside gradually disappear as the sliding door slowly closed. Suddenly the atmosphere became dense, the feeling of impending doom hovered in the air. Her stomach started to churn; the motion was so vigorous that it would turn cream into butter. Her lips started to tingle. The tingling made its way down her neck and into her arms. When she thought that the tingling subsided, it evolved into the sensation of being pricked by tiny needles. Then the feeling continued to travel down her body until it reached her soles.
Her heart started to flutter, a second later; it skipped a single beat that could be detected by a seismograph. But it didn't take long until it took off like a steam train. During the ride she glanced towards her midsection and could hear the thumping, it sounded like a drum, blaring away at her chest. She tried to scream for help but no words came out. She felt like she had a lump as big as a California grape in her throat. Her chest felt heavy as though five large men sat upon it. She started to feel lightheaded. Her chest could not expand to accommodate the air her body needed, so it felt like someone was trying to smother her with a pillow. Her breathing became shallow so she fell to the ground gasping for air. She started to sweat profusely. The throbbing vein in her head felt as though she had a tight band that constricted with every waking second. An electric current surged throughout her body. The surge became stronger and stronger, ultimately culminating in the sensation of being thrown across the corners of the elevator. She felt detached from herself; disconnected from time and space and the realization of all the mysterious sensations occurring within her body made her even more fearful. Her thoughts started to race. She could not stop the loud internal dialogues in her head. She was losing control. The loss of her peripheral vision resulted in a constricted circular tunnel like vision. She later finds herself in a dreamlike state that resulted in the apparent delay then acceleration of time. She lied still on the creaky wooden floor and her left thumb began to tremble, followed by her index finger, to her middle finger and so forth. Soon her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. She turned hot then immediately turned cold, and then her entire body went numb.
Phobia and Obsession
“Vegetarian: A person who eats only side dishes.” – Gerald Lieberman
Carnaphobia is the feat of eating meat, which in our society is Vegetarianism.
I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants. ~A. Whitney Brown
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