Why does our brain sometimes not initiate the fight or flee but make us unable to move when we experience intense fear?
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Freeze is actually technically a valid option during some forms of danger, as predators are often attracted to movement. If, say, you had two mice that saw a cat approaching, the mouse that froze may blend in to their surroundings while the running mouse may attract the cat’s attention.
For people, this is not often a valid technique since their predator is all too often another human.
It’s the shock of the unexpected. You are so startled that you need to comprehend what is happening which is why you freeze. Some people instinctively will be faster than others but for a split second everyone has a pause which is the best route fight or flight. Usually happens before you even realize it but sometimes you are just so shocked the instinct doesn’t kick in until you realize how much danger you’re in. Also situational, if it’s a guy with a gun most will instantly run or duck but if it’s an animal you might pause in shock as to not startle it.
Avoiding detection has already been covered, though a bit too dismissively with respect to other humans: in the darkness or behind concealment becoming immediately motionless can certainly sometimes be a better option to avoid being caught then tearing off. But also a sudden danger is not always from another being at all. The frozen lake you’re standing on creaks and cracks. The cliff above you just rumbled ominously. Sometimes the best way out of a natural danger is to become still and then to move slowly and carefully, minimizing vibration until you determine a place of safety.
A lot of predators have a really strong “chase” instinct. You can see that with a house cat and a laser pointer.
Now, let’s say you’re out walking and you encounter a lion. If it’s hungry, you’re going to die no matter what, so we’ll assume it isn’t.
If you attack a lion, you’ll obviously die.
If you run from it, it will probably chase you (see the cat/laser example), and you’ll die.
If you stand still, it might very well ignore you. (Remember, it isn’t hungry.)
So, the only really good choice is to stand still. That’s why your body developed the “freeze” option, in addition to “fight” and “flee.” We usually only talk about the other two, because “freeze” doesn’t sound as cool.
In addition to freezing, your body will sometimes empty your bladder and/or bowels. This helps make you unappetizing to the predator, and also helps you to run faster if you need to switch to “flee.” (I know, TMI.)
Thing is people wrongfully call it fight or flight but the real thing is freeze-flight-fight, in that order.
Freeze is the first natural response. It not only is the most convenient way of dealing with most threats, but it also gives you time to think about what you want to do next.
Then, if necessary, we go into flight mode. This is because even if you can win a fight, you will probably still get hurt, which can mean certain death in the long run (unable to hunt, run away etc)
Lastly, we fight.
You can read more about it in Joe Navarro’s book What Every Body Is Saying.
Freezing up is also a insticitve reflex.
some predators are attracted to motion, while this doesnt really apply in our case anymore since the only real “predator” that would threaten you to this scale would be a massive animal that wouldnt care, or another human who wouldnt be fooled.
‘Deer in the headlights’
Kinda like jurassic park. STAY STILL, ITS VISION IS BASED ON MOVEMENT!
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