By AL PARKER
Special to the Record Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY -- For some it might be heights or snakes or driving across the Mackinac Bridge.
But whatever the cause, everyone is familiar with the heart-pounding, chest-tightening specter of fear.
But, exactly what is this universal emotion and how does it affect the body?
According to Dr. Vincent Cornellier, a clinical psychologist based in Traverse City, fear is an emotional response linked to the anticipation of impending danger. Fear of death is the greatest fear.
"I like to refer to Woody Allen's comment -- 'I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens,'" said Cornellier, with a smile.
Fear often occurs when a person feels out of control, either physically or emotionally. When fear rises, blood gathers in the large skeletal muscles, such as those in the arms and legs, preparing your body to flee. Blood leaves the face, making a person appear paler. The body freezes for a moment to gauge possible reactions, such as what is the quickest escape route.
"Fear is the anticipation of a threat of some sort," explained Cornellier, who works in a pain clinic and regularly cares for patients dealing with phobias. "Many, many patients become angry because of an injury and we often learn that fear is the emotion that causes that anger."
While the body is reacting, the brain sends out hormones that put the body on alert, which makes it edgy and ready for action. The body focuses on the threat at hand to allow a person to better evaluate the threat and its response.
The physiological cues of fear include a quickening of breathing, a tightening of the throat and chest, perspiration, difficulty breathing, quickened heart rate and a feeling of wanting to flee. At the same time, there can be a flood of anxious thoughts which are seemingly uncontrollable. This intense cycle of fear and worry often paralyzes the individual in a figurative sense.
"The physiology of fear is the same as the physiology of excitement," explained Cornellier. "It's the same hormones -- epinephrine, dopamine, serotonin and others. There's a very thin line between excitement and fear."
That helps explain what attracts people to roller coasters, bungee jumping, skydiving and other adrenalin-producing activities -- including scary movies.
"The more civilized we get, the more we repress our sort of uncivilized nature and one way to release that is through festival occasions, vicariously enjoying horror movies and all sorts of related things," explained Dr. Leon Rappoport, a psychology professor at Kansas State University.
In a study, Rappoport asked people about the films and TV shows they enjoyed watching. Results showed a shift in the age of people who enjoyed horror movies, so popular with teens.
"There is a pleasure that kids experience by exploring unconventional boundaries of these movies," said Rappoport. "It's sort of forbidden territory when horror films come out, and parents or adults say they're not fit for children. It makes them even more attractive."
But for many, watching scary movies is just, well, fun.
"There seems to be this general quality that almost all of us share in enjoying a certain level of threatening stimulation or hazardous stimulation," said Rappoport. "The ability to do something that seems to go beyond the usual range of things."
And no holiday combines fear and excitement more than Halloween.
"Halloween can be a very scary time for children," said Cornellier, an avid Halloween fan. "Parents should be attentive to how their child is handling all of the potentially scary situations. With all the snakes, vampires, ghosts, witches and things, a child may not know how to deal with it."
At the same time, Halloween is a special time for youngsters to enjoy.
"It gives them a chance to take on another personality for awhile," said Cornellier. "They can be Superman or Freddy Krueger for a day."
