This Is How Your Brain Responds to Fear


With Halloween just a few days away, millions are flocking to horror films and haunted houses for their annual dose of terror. Our latest video uncovers the chemistry behind the spine-tingling sense of fear.

The case of SM, the fearless woman

The amygdala, an evolutionarily ancient part of the human brain, is the most important structure in the fear response. In this bonus Bytesize video, Georgetown associate professor of psychology Abigail Marsh tells the story of “SM,” a woman without a functional amygdala who is — quite literally — fearless.

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