Smell Of Fear Is Infectious

Disorders Cure

oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, December 8, 2008, 14:07

You could be infected with 'fear' from others around you, according to latest study. Other than love or giggles that are contagious, fear too is infectious, claim researchers and that that the smell of fear is real.

According to experts, sweat people produce when they are scared gives off signals that are subconsciously picked up by others. The finding by Stony Brook University in New York may explain why individuals with phobias such as a fear of flying can infect others who normally exhibit no such worries.

The study found people who are scared give off "pheromones" hormones that subconsciously trigger parts of the brain associated with fear, reports the Telegraph. The boffins, who said it was too early to say whether the brain triggers actually resulted in people being scared, concluded that fear could be "contagious".

To reach the conclusion, U.S. researchers collected the sweat of novice skydivers and then asked others to sniff it. First, the scientists taped absorbent pads to the armpits of 40 volunteers who were about to do their first skydive and collected the sweat produced as they fell to earth.

Then a second group of men and women were asked to smell the samples and some fear-free sweat while having brain scans. When 'fear sweat' was detected, the brain's fear centres lit up more, New Scientist reports.

The team, led by Lilianne Mujica-Parodi, told New Scientist magazine that their results "indicate that there may be a hidden biological component to human social dynamics, in which emotional stress is quite literally ''contagious".

So next time you are caught by an 'unreasonable' feeling of sudden fear, just check out the person next to you.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.