Introduction
Fear, a primary emotion essential to survival, plays a central role in the perception and interpretation of threats. This study uses Charles Sanders Peirce’s semiotics, with the categories of firstness (emotion), secondness (feeling) and thirdness (control), to understand how fear is interpreted and used at individual and social levels. The approach considers the impact of fear on memory, cognition and behavioral responses, in addition to its use as an instrument of social control.
Methods
Based on theoretical and interdisciplinary analysis, the study integrates concepts from Peircean semiotics and neuroscience. The methodology includes a review of scientific literature (Peirce, Foucault, McGaugh), exploring the relationship between fear, episodic memory and control systems. Semiotic categories were applied to analyze the processes of signification of fear in cultural, religious, political and neurobiological contexts.
Results and discussion
Fear is categorized as firstness, being a primary and unconscious impulse; feelings emerge as secondness, translating emotions into interpretations; and control mechanisms correspond to thirdness, as rational and behavioral responses that aim to protect against suffering. Episodic memory, modulated by the amygdala and hippocampus, plays a crucial role in the intensification or mitigation of fear, especially in situations of trauma.
The semiosis of fear is largely modulated by social and cultural elements, such as political and religious discourses, which use narratives and signs to reinforce fear as a tool of manipulation and control. Neuroscientific studies with fMRI confirm the interaction between emotional memory and cognitive processes in the prefrontal cortex, highlighting how fear influences decisions and behaviors.
Conclusion
The semiosis of fear, analyzed from the perspective of Peircean semiotics, offers a deep understanding of the emotional and cognitive dynamics involved in the interpretation and management of fear. This knowledge contributes to the development of effective strategies for dealing with fear, promoting healthier and more constructive approaches in the individual and collective context.
Reference :
RODRIGUES, FAA; SILVA, AA; AVILA, E. The semiosis of fear. Journal of Bioinnovation, v. 14, no. 1, p. 01-15, 2025. DOI: 10.46344/JBINO.2023.v14i01.01.
