Certain stimulus can produce fear even in the bravest of people. In a circumstance where one might experience what is known as fear conditioning, the stimulus would produce a response within the body. This expression of fear would trigger a number of physical and emotional reactions. Such as: heart rate, breathing, muscle response, sweating, etc.
Could it be possible that there is a portion of the brain that is responsible for this emotion that we label as fear? What if scientists were able to locate that part of the brain specifically? What if surgeons could remove that section of the brain successfully, without causing any damage to the remaining part of the brain? This would effectively remove the fear that most of us experience.
Researchers have discovered that one particular patient (they refer to her as SM) doesn’t respond to fear like a normal human being would. It almost seems impossible doesn’t it?
The amygdala is an almond shaped part of the brain that is thought to produce the experience of fear in an average person. The patient called SM, a female, has bilateral amygdala damage. She is approximately 44 years old.
Her other emotions are completely normal. She has the normal facilities that an average adult would possess, such as IQ, memory, language, and perception. However, SM is severely impaired in relation to fear conditioning, recognition, facial expressions, and a sense of immediate danger. She doesn’t react to fear.
Justin S. Feinstein, Ralph Adolphs, Antonio Damasio, and Daniel Tranel performed a scientific investigation. The group tried three varied experiments that were designed to induce fear in the patient. The results of the study are very interesting, to say the least.
On the three tests that were exhibited, SM showed little to no fear on all occasions. But the study does state that it would be a false claim to say that SM is emotionless or unable to experience emotion.
The part of the human brain that we call the amygdala may be the sole unique component that provides the human species with a very important mechanism — fear. If you could eradicate all the phobias in your life, would you possibly consider it?
