Part 2/13:
Dr. Huberman begins by defining fear as a complex emotional response involving the nervous system, body, and mind. Emotional responses like increased heart rate, skin temperature changes, and hypervigilance are classic markers of fear, but so are cognitive components such as memories and thoughts.
He emphasizes that fear often overlaps with stress and anxiety but remains distinct. Stress is a physiological reaction that can exist independently of fear, while anxiety primarily involves anticipatory feelings about future threats, which can occur without an immediate fear response. Conversely, fear itself is a specific emotional state that involves observable physiological reactions and cognitive appraisals.