‘Fear’ Triggers : Fight : Freeze : Flight Reaction
When a person is faced with a threatening situation, the reptilian brain automatically activates the fight, flight or freeze reaction.
In today’s world, the “reptilian brain”, the oldest, most primitive regions of the human brain that govern automatic survival functions and hardwired behaviours still plays a powerful role in how we respond to fear.
While the term simplifies a complex reality, it captures the speed and automaticity of our survival-first reactions: the racing heartbeat, the tension in our muscles, and the impulse to fight, flee, or freeze.
In truth, when faced with fear today, whether it’s public speaking, a sudden loud noise or car rage; these ancient responses activate just as they did when our ancestors confronted predators.
The difference is that in modern life, threats are often psychological or social rather than physical, which means our reptilian brain can overreact.
Learning to recognize these fast, bodily responses and calming them through breathing, grounding, or mindful awareness, helps us harness this ancient system instead of being controlled by it.
“Rebuilding Me” page 68 (“Rebuilding Me” page 111)
