!!!What is Fear???

[MattMooradian]

Here's a biological explanation of fear: Fear is a genetically programmed response to perceived threat. Within 1/2 of a second of perceived threat, the human (and animal) biology goes through enormous changes. Adrenaline is released, which elevates the heart rate. Blood rushes from the gastrointestinal system (stomach, intestines, throat, etc.) and into the major muscle groups (to enhance muscle strength). Breathing changes to either rapid short breaths (similar to an Olympic weight lifter's breath during 'clean & jerk), to enable bursts of energy. Or, breathing may become very shallow (these are the people who faint during fear), to allow for 'playing-dead' to avoid threats. Also, during fear, the pancreas secretes more insulin to break down fats into sugar, so as to increase available energy. During the fear response, the immune system gets turned on full force, but immune system resources can be depleted, so stressful fear often leads to a depleted immune system. Blood platelets are produced at a more rapid pace during the fear response, as well, in the event that the threat causes harm, the body will clot faster to prevent death.
Fear has many other aspects, as well. The triggers for fear, the tendency for fear to transform into anger, the behavioral impulse to fight or flee (or play dead).

 

[Enoch111]

So what is fear?

Fear is the absence of courage. That should settle it.

 

[Eternally Grateful]

The English word fear has many possible defenitions

it depends on context

 

[prism]

Fear happens when your wife takes off after you with a frying pan...or some such similar experience.

 

[Brakelite]

but at what point is self-preservation seeking to save your own life/soul?

I think that if self preservation was the foundation principle that guided someone's actions, it would have profound affects on gaining salvation. As you quoted, he who saves his life shall lose it, but he who loses his life for my sake and the gospels, shall save it.
Elsewhere we read that perfect love casts out fear. What is perfect love? It is that love demonstrated by Jesus... Self sacrificial love. Giving of oneself wholly for another... Greater love hath no man... Such love is the true character and nature of God. So if we have such a love abiding within... The Spirit of Christ... Then all fear ought to be gone. Because we know God is love... Pure perfect self sacrificial love... Then we know we can trust Him. We give everything on behalf of others... We know we won't go without ourselves because God loves us. There is therefore no need for self preservation and fear. Which is why the opposite of love is not hatred, it is selfishness.

 

[justbyfaith]

Fear is the absence of courage. That should settle it.

I believe that the definition of courage is acting in a courageous manner even when you are afraid.

 

[FollowHim]

here's one for you i bet no one can provide an all-inclusive definition of "fear" that cant be pretty easily challenged.

So what is fear?

Fear is an emotion that is our perception or response to harm, danger that we believe is real. It is an emotion that tells our systems to stop whatever they are doing and pay attention and deal with the cause.

The trigger can be anything, but we are programmed to respond to certain issues, quick movements just to the side, an unexpected noise, an unusual light, a memory of a past traumatic event.

Fear can become a dominating experience that stops us functioning. When the threat is pacified or balanced the fear goes away. Repression of fear can cause us to be overly sensitive to potential problems. People talk about becoming jumpy. So anything causes us a have a fear response. Some enjoy this state and seek to create it, because they detach real threat from the response. Horror movies are an example of this.

Fear is important in life to understand, because it is part of life and our survival. Taming fear with other emotional conclusions brings real freedom, to see real danger and overcome the problem with a solution, like climbing a climbing wall with vertigo, or having an injection with a phobia about needles, or having a spider walk across ones hand when you are terrified of spiders.

Paul talks of the fear of death, in Christ, where is your sting. In Gods grace we are set free, walking in His love. Amen.
The fear of God, is knowing who God is, and how much He loves us, and how much we are humbled in His sight, yet He desires for us to walk with Him. Some call this fear awe and wonder, or as Isaiah put it

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
Isaiah 6:5

I am sure I would be 100% the same or worse. Just the noise of a burglar can make me freeze, seeing what Isaiah saw I would collapse.
I have spent my life working out systems to de-stress and calm myself down, seeing God is the ultimate problem. In Jesus and encouragement of the Holy Spirit I am sure it will be fine, but realistically coping, off the scale.

 

[Brakelite]

Fear is the absence of courage. That should settle it.

I think if fear is the absence of anything, it would be the absence of faith.

 

[Brakelite]

Just to broaden the discussion somewhat, I was thinking that the greatest demonstration of fear that still impacts is today took place some 5000 odd years ago when the descendants of Noah decided to build that tower at Babel. You may not recognise the fear, but those folk knew the flood had been a very real significant event that they feared may happen again... So, let us build a tower that will reach heaven.
I suggested earlier that fear was self preservation. This was their mantra. Not only to protect themselves physically, but to "make a name for themselves". Biblically, names express character. ... Thus those early masons it seems to me wanted to preserve their character without "dying to self" and allowing God to convert them.
The descendants of those first confused Babylonian are today still attempting to build their own City and their own tower in order to reach heaven. Fearful of death... Fearful of giving up their own lives and surrendering themselves before their Creator, they are still going about trying to unite the world in a selfish endeavor to " make a name for themselves".

 

[Enoch111]

I think if fear is the absence of anything, it would be the absence of faith.

I can't disagree with that either, since courage comes from faith.

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Just to broaden the discussion somewhat, I was thinking that the greatest demonstration of fear that still impacts is today took place some 5000 odd years ago when the descendants of Noah decided to build that tower at Babel. You may not recognise the fear, but those folk knew the flood had been a very real significant event that they feared may happen again... So, let us build a tower that will reach heaven.
I suggested earlier that fear was self preservation. This was their mantra. Not only to protect themselves physically, but to "make a name for themselves". Biblically, names express character. ... Thus those early masons it seems to me wanted to preserve their character without "dying to self" and allowing God to convert them.
The descendants of those first confused Babylonian are today still attempting to build their own City and their own tower in order to reach heaven. Fearful of death... Fearful of giving up their own lives and surrendering themselves before their Creator, they are still going about trying to unite the world in a selfish endeavor to " make a name for themselves".

Thank you for this!

 

[bbyrd009]

Here's a biological explanation of fear: Fear is a genetically programmed response to perceived threat. Within 1/2 of a second of perceived threat, the human (and animal) biology goes through enormous changes. Adrenaline is released, which elevates the heart rate. Blood rushes from the gastrointestinal system (stomach, intestines, throat, etc.) and into the major muscle groups (to enhance muscle strength). Breathing changes to either rapid short breaths (similar to an Olympic weight lifter's breath during 'clean & jerk), to enable bursts of energy. Or, breathing may become very shallow (these are the people who faint during fear), to allow for 'playing-dead' to avoid threats. Also, during fear, the pancreas secretes more insulin to break down fats into sugar, so as to increase available energy. During the fear response, the immune system gets turned on full force, but immune system resources can be depleted, so stressful fear often leads to a depleted immune system. Blood platelets are produced at a more rapid pace during the fear response, as well, in the event that the threat causes harm, the body will clot faster to prevent death.
Fear has many other aspects, as well. The triggers for fear, the tendency for fear to transform into anger, the behavioral impulse to fight or flee (or play dead).

Fear is the absence of courage. That should settle it.

well but i guess all those symptoms can be manifested by watching the right movie though, right

 

[stunnedbygrace]

Fear of God is good. Fear of what the world and men can do to you is not so good.

 

[bbyrd009]

In Jesus and encouragement of the Holy Spirit I am sure it will be fine, but realistically coping, off the scale.

emotionally then, yes?

Taming fear with other emotional conclusions brings real freedom

hmm, i would argue taming fear usually requires thought, but ok

 

[bbyrd009]

Just to broaden the discussion somewhat, I was thinking that the greatest demonstration of fear that still impacts is today took place some 5000 odd years ago when the descendants of Noah decided to build that tower at Babel. You may not recognise the fear, but those folk knew the flood had been a very real significant event that they feared may happen again... So, let us build a tower that will reach heaven.
I suggested earlier that fear was self preservation. This was their mantra. Not only to protect themselves physically, but to "make a name for themselves". Biblically, names express character. ... Thus those early masons it seems to me wanted to preserve their character without "dying to self" and allowing God to convert them.
The descendants of those first confused Babylonian are today still attempting to build their own City and their own tower in order to reach heaven. Fearful of death... Fearful of giving up their own lives and surrendering themselves before their Creator, they are still going about trying to unite the world in a selfish endeavor to " make a name for themselves".

yup

 

[bbyrd009]

Fear of God is good. Fear of what the world and men can do to you is not so good.

i wonder at what point fear of even Yah becomes "not good?"

 

[stunnedbygrace]

i wonder at what point fear of even Yah becomes "not good?"

Probably...at the point where you lose the balance of Him being BOTH severe and merciful...

 

[FollowHim]

emotionally then, yes?
hmm, i would argue taming fear usually requires thought, but ok

I hope I can make a suggestion. In a situation where I fear a bad outcome, the feeling of success and it coming about, is an emotional conclusion and changes the feeling of fear. I believe we have a emotional summary process that associates a situation with an emotional conclusion. So the fear becomes something else. This chain of logic is based on a simple presumption, we feel all the time, there is never a time when emotions are not underpinning our state of being. Because most of the time this is safety and security, we do not notice, because it is a place we like to be.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy works because it is taking past memory of good emotional outcomes to replace the depressed or current worried projected outcomes. As experience is gained which reinforce the positive emotional outcome, the depression and anxiety reduces and in some cases disappears. If our lives are governed by these fundamental motivations and emotional summaries, then Jesus is truly healing to our hearts because He who conquered death welcomes us into His eternal Kingdom. When I was praying with someone, who claimed to a degree they believed, rejected the emotional reality of this hope. I was praying with them as a way of connecting to Jesus and His support in our hour of need.

Fear is something that as babies we know, because though we have security with our parents, we can become desperate with no solution.
I have seen the way children explore, and taken tokens of security to comfort themselves as they explore further until things go wrong. Then the clear path to security, usually mum, is the top priority. To know this is how we work is very freeing. God bless you

 

[FollowHim]

I think if fear is the absence of anything, it would be the absence of faith.

An interesting proposal. I immediately think of the state of those who know their end with no hope or possibility of rescue. They are described as weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I think fear exists when we have a place of security that is threatened. When there is no security fear and everything else disappears, it is just desperation. Fear comes when our current place of security is threatened. When people know their fate and there is no alternative, things can become very still.

 

[Brakelite]

i wonder at what point fear of even Yah becomes "not good?"

When you start to clothe yourself with a fig leaf and hide behind a bush.