As I understand it, fear is essentially a warning system to alert you that you are in danger, and encourage you to take action (the Fight or Flight reflex). That being the case, why is it so common for people to freeze up, faint, or become catatonic, when these responses prevent them from reacting to the threat, and places them in more danger?
Same applies to other animals. Fainting Goats, obviously, rabbits will sometimes suffer fatal heart attacks in response to fear, etc.
In: Biology
When sensing fear, the reptilian part of the brain tipycally goes with one of two options: fight or flight. When none of the two options seem viable, the fallback reaction is freezing in place, or fainting in extreme circumstances, because you’re constantly switching between the two options, of which none seem good enough. Imagine you’re unarmed and out on an open field and a cheetah is attacking you. You might freeze in place because you know there’s no chance to outrun it (flight option), let alone fight it with your bare hands (fight option).
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