The Woman Without Fear
The intriguing (real) case of a woman incapable of feeling fear.
Fear. Arguably the one emotion we all wish we could do without, though it has its purpose, warning of the potential of physical danger but at the same time could prevent us from taking leaps of faith on chances in the event of risking rejection (e.g., asking someone out on a date, or pursuing jobs). However, what would happen if you were utterly incapable of feeling any fear whatsoever? Sounds impossible, right? Well…
The Woman with no Fear
S.M.
The 44-year old anonymous woman and mother-of-three, known only as “S.M.” though might not experience fear, among other symptoms, it’s not for no reason at all. In 1994, when the woman’s condition was first studied, it was noted that she had a condition known as Urbach–Wiethe disease, which meant her amygdala was affected which led to her loss of experiencing fear. Not only that, but S.M. was found to be unable to recognize facial cues related to fear in other people as well. To figure out how far her lack of fear went, she was to go about her routine while rating what she felt in a given moment for a period of three months. After that point, she was found to have experienced a complete lack of fear.
