I believe fear is a reflexive trigger which can overwhelm or make someone more aware of their surroundings. Some can deal with external stimuli with less apprehension than others due to their makeup or knowledge of the unknown. Then, others have an innate handicap to not being able to control their physical being. The psyche of different people reacts on different levels. To the point of a catatonic state or a just an elevated sense of curiosity. As I recall on my first days of attending school, I would suffer colonic distress which would result in an aggravated bowel movement. Fear to an extent can be a useful tool too. Our heightened levels of adrenaline sharpens our senses, increases reaction times and strength. Existential anxiety is different for everyone; a positive or debilitating experience. So, as far as being able to find truth, you need to become one with your surroundings. Once you understand your fears, there will be no more ‘unknown’.
Fear is always somthing that can can be overcomed.
( Either you break it or let it consume you upon agony.)
( Your choice.)
No choice.
When the fear of a thing becomes more painful than the actual pain that thing might inflict, then the original fear is overcome.
It’s simply a matter of the lesser of two evils.
For instance, if the fear of a bully becomes more painful than any pain that bully might inflict, then you end up confronting the bully. But not a second before! It’s not some sort of “internal spirit” like courage or bravery, it’s just the path of least resistance, which dominates everything we do.
The anxiety is more basic than reasoning. You can have excellent reasoning telling you that there is nothing to be anxious about, yet the body will not listen. I’m not sure if it’s ever possible to gain control of the body by reason, but if it is, then one must advance into the deepest realms of the body to destroy the anxiety apparatus.
I would agree that anxiety is akin to an autonomic function. Through approaching and dealing with those ‘unknowns’, we can at least dispel that particular cause of our anxiety.
What your talking about is called Aversion therapy, and is the most commonly used Therapy used on anxiety sufferers. In fact its very rare to find a case that it will not work on, OCD and other very dehibilitating forms of anxiety are occassionally too risky for this however, if someones fear is too great the therapy can make the fear even worse, it depends on the patient