The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous PapersCrile, George Washington
Science
The Origin and Nature of the Emotions; Miscellaneous Papers
Crile, George Washington
Emotions; Psychophysiology
be hurried, the chest to heave, and the nostrils to be dilated.
As these exertions have often been prolonged to the last extremity,
the final result will have been utter prostration, pallor, perspiration,
trembling of all the muscles, or their complete relaxation.
And now, whenever the emotion of fear is strongly felt, though it
may not lead to any exertion, the same results tend to reappear,
through the force of inheritance and association"[*] (Fig. 12).
[*] Darwin: Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals.
In an experimental research, we found evidence that the physiologic
phenomena of fear have a physical basis. This evidence is found
in the morphologic alterations in the brain-cells, which are similar
to those observed in certain stages of surgical shock and in fatigue
from muscular exertion (Figs. 2, 4, 5, and 13). For the present,
we shall assume that fear is a REPRESENTATION of trauma.
Because fear was created by trauma, fear causes a discharge of the energy
of the nervous system by the law of phylogenetic association.
The almost universal fear of snakes, of blood, and of death
and dead bodies may have such a phylogenetic origin.
It was previously stated that under the stimulus of fear animals
show preternatural strength. An analysis of the phenomena of fear
shows that, as far as can be determined, all the functions of the body
requiring the expenditure of energy, and which are of no direct
assistance in the effort toward self-preservation, are suspended.
In the voluntary expenditure of muscular energy, as in the chase,
the suspension of other functions is by no means so complete.
Fear and trauma may drain to the last dreg the dischargeable
nervous energy, and, therefore, the greatest possible exhaustion
may be produced by fear and trauma.
Summation
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