I've always wondered if fear could actually cause illness or even death.
Growing up I heard terms such as scared to death or scared me to death and I.
would ask myself could that really happen. In researching for this paper I've.
found many cases of fear causing death or near death experience. In this paper.
I will refer to evidence I've found too better explain the negative effects fear.
may have on the human mind and body.
Fear is defined by the American Heritage Dictionary "as an emotion of alarm and.
agitation caused by the expectation or realization of danger; extreme reverence.
or awe, as toward a supreme power." The medical and psychological definitions.
from the Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary are as follows: "Fright, dread. .
Primitively, the emotional reaction to an environmental threat." Fear may also.
lead to terror, anxiety, and panic. It needs to be understood that fear, panic,.
terror, and anxiety are spiritual principles.
The first case I want to bring out was printed in the New York Times, July 26,.
1970. A four-year-old girl, which in the past had a bad experience while under.
local anesthetic for the removal of stitches from her forehead, went to the.
dentist to have some baby teeth removed. She screamed hysterically in the.
dentist's chair so, he gave the child a sedative to help calm her down for the.
examination. A few minutes later, after she had her teeth pulled, she had a.
heart attack and was immediately taken to the hospital. There, she died two.
days later. The autopsy showed high levels of adrenaline in her blood, due to.
the fear which caused her to have a heart attack. So one can see that because.
of her past experience, she had a fear of that situation which resulted in her.
death. This type of fear is called paradoxical fear. It is a type of fear that.
may occur when one feels totally helpless in the midst of a threatening.
situation. In this scenario, the girl felt threatened by her situation which.
