The Science of Fear.

Brutalized. Terrorized. Traumatized.

Safety threatened. People brutalized and terrorized. Individuals, family members, friends, and bystanders traumatized.

Through an abundance of validated video footage, there has been a theme of observed provocation tactics used by ICE to elicit reactions from people and then acting on those reactions, using those autonomic reactions as justification for their brutality.

I see some community members expressing their opinions that are focused on blaming the victim who is reacting out of fear. Fear is an emotion that causes the brain to go into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. The reaction is NOT a choice. It is a neurochemical response. The neurochemistry of fear involves complex interactions between brain structures, neurotransmitters, and hormonal responses that prepare the body to react to perceived threats.

Complex interactions between brain structures, neurotransmitters, and hormonal responses:

Brain Structures:

• The amygdala is the primary part of the brain that is primarily involved in fear responses. It detects danger and immediately sends emergency signals to activate a reaction as a form of protection. The goal is to keep you safe through finding a way to get you away from perceived danger with minimal harm. These reactions are categorized as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. When we experience fear, the brain routes energy to the amygdala, slowing down processing in other areas. This can cause difficulty with speaking and making rational decisions when we are afraid. Click here to watch a 2-minute video explaining the function of the amygdala: https://youtu.be/MWIQK9aRcwQ

• The hippocampus plays a crucial role in processing fear memories and modulating fear responses. Through memory and context, it helps assess whether a situation is genuinely threatening based on past experiences. Chronic stress can lead to atrophy of the hippocampus, impairing its function.

• The hypothalamus acts as a command center, responding to signals from the amygdala by activating the autonomic nervous system. This causes physiological changes such as increased heart rate and adrenaline release, preparing the body for fight-or-flight response.

• The prefrontal cortex is responsible for higher order thinking and decision making. It helps regulate the emotional response that is initiated by the amygdala. This is where a more rational assessment of the situation can occur. This part of the brain is not fully accessible when in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn due to energy being directed to the amygdala.

Neurotransmitters and hormones:

• Glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter that activates fear circuits in the brain, playing a crucial role in the initial fear response.

  
  

• Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps regulate and dampen the fear response, which provides a balance to glutamate's excitatory effects.

  
  

• Norepinephrine is involved in arousal and alertness. It enhances focus during fearful situations.

  
  

• Cortisol and Adrenaline are releases during flight-or-flight responses. They prepare the body for immediate action by increasing the heart rate, blood pressure, and energy availability.

It is important to understand the science of fear when interpreting situations through a second- or third-person lens. When people to not have the information to process through understanding or curiosity, they tend to judge actions as intentional behavior. Science shows us otherwise.