A new study has found that phobias may be passed down through generations from our ancestors, and this could mean that we may be born with fears already predetermined for us. Almost everyone in this world has phobias or fears that are so extreme they interfere with our daily lives.
Some people are afraid of public speaking, others are the dentist and some are afraid of dogs. It is different for every person, and some may not even be able to remember when, and why, this fear started. Research is always being done to see how children develop, and a part of that includes phobias.
According to Virtue Baby, a study found that memories may be passed down through generations with DNA, and this can have implications when it comes to what we are afraid of. The study was done by researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine, and it can be read in full here.
Before this, researchers assumed that memories and learned experiences are passed down through teaching and parenting influence, but now they believe that our DNA plays a part, and this means that babies are born with phobias engrained in who they are.
The study was done with mice, and it found that they were able to pass on learned information about stressful experiences to future generations of mice. The stimuli were the smell of cherry blossoms, and this “phobia” was seen in mice that were generations beyond the initial mice.
The researcher states that this could explain why some babies grow to be adults who have irrational fears, meaning there is no known reason for them to be afraid of what they are. This is different from someone who was attacked by a dog and then developed a phobia.
However, could that person grow to have a baby who is scared of dogs due to their traumatic event? This study seems to think it is possible. The researchers state that this study could have a lot of implications, and it certainly is interesting. It may benefit parents to know a bit more about their family history, and what traumatic events members lived through to watch out for signs of fear in their babies as they grow.
It could also help parents who find themselves in traumatic situations know how to handle their fear so that they do not continue to pass it down through their generational line.
Sources: Virtue Baby, Nature