Roots Of Fear

Within the vehicle, the driving instructor, a grim and galling, old woman, penetrated the air with a stale aroma, while the rain quickly fell from the sky. As my mother, Patty, envisioned failing the driving test before it actually occurred, her fine hairs turned prickly, heart pounded frantically, and body encountered sudden perspiration. On a sunny day, a few weeks later, Patty clutched that exact steering wheel, wrinkled her eyebrows, and suddenly felt the urge to bury her head within her elbow crease where the upper and lower arm bones converge. In other words, although the rain and the unfriendly old woman were absent from the situation, she began to worry about failing the test again. Patty experienced anxiety, worry about the future

In the article, “Searching the Brain for the Roots of Fear,” written by Joseph Ledoux, a Neural Science Professor at the University of New York, Ledoux reveals that scientists define fear as a feeling brought on by certain stimuli that forms associations (Ledoux, 2012). In the words of Ledoux (2012), when experiencing fear, “the amygdala connects the two events, forming an unconscious memory of the association. When the neutral stimulus (the rock of the sound of an airplane) later occurs, it automatically activates the amygdala like the original danger did, eliciting fear…” Therefore, a few days later, the mountain ranger may become anxious or anticipate another menacing bear to appear while sauntering through the Spruce-fir forest with the black bear out of sight because in this case, the ranger associated the black bear with the forest. These two scenarios demonstrate the connection between and development from fear to anxiety. Within my family, fear of failure, a discomforting feeling of the unknown, derives from situations happening in their lives, including failing an exam, occupational duties, and as a parent or companion. After my mother failed her driving exam on a rainy day because of her fear of driving in the rain, a few weeks later, she took the test again with the absence of rain and unpleasant, instructor. However, this time, she became anxious and began to worry because she associated the car and the driving instructor with the