Understanding and Overcoming Fear
Course Overview
Course No. 40010
Explore the complex dimensions of fear with sociologist Dr. Margee Kerr in this 24-lecture journey through:
✔ The biological foundations of fear
✔ Cultural manifestations of fear
✔ Practical strategies for fear management
✔ The surprising benefits of controlled fear
Key topics include:
- Neuroscience of fear responses
- Phobias and their treatments
- Societal fears throughout history
- Therapeutic approaches to trauma
- Post-traumatic growth
Video Lectures
01: What Is Fear?
Duration: 28 min
Explore fear’s biological basis through nervous system responses and individual variations in fear experiences.
02: Why Do People Want to Be Scared?
Duration: 32 min
The psychology behind haunted houses and horror entertainment – what brainwaves reveal about “fun-scary” experiences.
03: How We Sense Fear
Duration: 30 min
Modern theories of constructed emotion and why no two fear experiences are identical.
04: Understanding Specific Phobias
Duration: 33 min
Categories of pathological fears and evidence-based treatment approaches.
05: How We Learn to Fear
Duration: 29 min
How our mental predictions shape fear responses to creepy dolls, clowns, and robots.
06: Why We Feel Afraid: The Science of Emotion
Duration: 29 min
The body’s predictive systems during voluntary fear experiences like rollercoasters.
07: The Function and Meaning of the Scary Story
Duration: 27 min
How horror narratives help process the unknown and transmit cultural warnings.
08: Monster as Metaphor
Duration: 29 min
From Godzilla to serial killers – how monsters reflect societal anxieties across cultures.
09: Fear of Criminal and Deviant Behavior
Duration: 29 min
The sociological function of labeling behaviors as terrifying or reprehensible.
10: Fear of Confinement
Duration: 31 min
Psychology behind “total institutions” and their paradoxical popularity as tourist attractions.
11: Fear of Crowds
Duration: 30 min
Distinguishing crowd panic myths from realities of crowd collapse dynamics.
12: Facing Fears as a Nation
Duration: 27 min
Evolution of American fears and military contributions to fear science.
13: Fears for Our Kids
Duration: 27 min
Changing parenting attitudes about risk and childhood anxiety trends.
14: How Avoiding Risk Can Increase Fear
Duration: 28 min
The risk management paradox – why safety measures sometimes amplify fears.
15: Fear of Cybercrime
Duration: 29 min
Internet security anxieties and legal frameworks addressing digital vulnerabilities.
16: Fear of Pandemics
Duration: 28 min
Examining fear’s role in COVID-19 response – motivation versus panic.
17: Fear of Climate Change
Duration: 30 min
Rise of eco-anxiety and behavioral responses to environmental threats.
18: Fear of Corrupt Government Officials
Duration: 28 min
Historical cases of broken trust in government and paths to restoration.
19: Fear of the Supernatural
Duration: 29 min
Neuroscientific perspectives on paranormal beliefs and experiences.
20: How Society Shapes Our Fears of Death and Dying
Duration: 27 min
Cultural shifts in death familiarity and their psychological impacts.
21: Confronting Our Own Mortality
Duration: 27 min
Channeling mortality awareness into meaningful living beyond terror.
22: Understanding Trauma and Fear
Duration: 28 min
Factors influencing trauma responses from genetics to bodily awareness.
23: Managing Fear with Mindfulness
Duration: 28 min
Post-traumatic growth possibilities through interoceptive awareness.

