The (Only) Five Basic Fears We All Live By

[Ian David]

1 - Extinction
2 - Mutilation
3 - Loss of Autonomy
4 - Separation
5 - Ego-death

The (Only) Five Basic Fears We All Live By
We're all afraid of the same few things.
Published on March 22, 2012 by Karl Albrecht, Ph.D. in BrainSnacks

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Medical experts tell us that the anxious feeling we get when we're afraid is a standardized biological reaction. It's pretty much the same set of body signals, whether we're afraid of getting bitten by a dog, getting turned down for a date, or getting our taxes audited.

<snip>

There are only five basic fears, out of which almost all of our other so-called fears are manufactured. Those five basic fears are:

Extinction - fear of annihilation, of ceasing to exist. This is a more fundamental way to express it than just calling it the "fear of death". The idea of no longer being arouses a primary existential anxiety in all normal humans. Consider that panicky feeling you get when you look over the edge of a high building.

Mutilation - fear of losing any part of our precious bodily structure; the thought of having our body's boundaries invaded, or of losing the integrity of any organ, body part, or natural function. For example, anxiety about animals, such as bugs, spiders, snakes, and other creepy things arises from fear of mutilation.

More:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/brainsnacks/201203/the-only-five-basic-fears-we-all-live

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Under the category of "ego-death" I'd include for some demographics

fear of poverty/loss of social status and power-supremacy.

[saras]

2. Interesting progression...

In the sixties, experimentalists (and people who had their minds blown) explored the fear of ego-death
Consumerism then went after separation, offering social membership through product use
In the last couple decades, corporations and the security apparatus have done loss of autonomy pretty well
Between modern wars and the extinction of health care, we've got mutilation covered.

I guess it's time to face the fear of annihilation, huh?