Fear
Family: Threat and vulnerability
How it differs from similar states
A specific threat; my body wants to flee or freeze.
How this can feel in the body
Your body freezes or wants to run away—your heart races, your pupils dilate, your instinct is to disappear.
It usually comes up when
A specific present threat—real or imagined.
What this might be pointing to
Survival response: the body gets ready to fight, run, or freeze in the face of a real or imagined threat.
What you can do with this
Name the threat out loud or write it down. A slow exhale (4-6-8) helps your nervous system settle. Ask yourself: Is this danger real right now, or is my brain projecting the past?
Where the name comes from
Fear can arise from a real external threat or emerge from within without any obvious reason.
Not quite it?
Closest by feel — the same ones the compass would show.
Two minutes, and you will see whether this is really it