Pathological fear is, in a real sense, cancer

Towards an evolutionary model of anxiety

Let us imagine the human mind generating thoughts at random. This is a simplification, of course, the human mind generates predominantly contextually relevant thoughts, but they are in a sense partly random.

Now when a thought arises, either that thought receives attention or doesn’t. If the thought receives attention the thought multiplies and produces offspring. This is a process with real similarities to biological evolution. This idea is of course, similar to Dawkins's concept of the meme, but the difference is that most people in the meme paradigm have primarily tried to use evolution to understand how ideas develop in populations of humans. This is fascinating, but my goal is different. I am interested in using evolution to understand the development of ideas within an individual.

Typically if a thought receives attention it will be because it is useful, entertaining, or interesting- although thoughts attended to in this manner may be counterproductive, they are very often valuable. However, fearfulness also grabs the attention, and so fear thoughts replicate and evolve- fear, especially pathological fear, mutates to grab ever more attention- making itself more extreme to captivate us, finding ways around the stories we tell ourselves to convince ourselves we will be safe. Any variation that grabs attention is promoted, and variation that loses attention shrinks away.

Hence, pathological fear is a lineage within us, evolving, seeking to expand, to grab ever more attention for itself and its offspring. And what do we call a part of an organism evolving, trying to take over as much real estate within its host as possible- even, potentially, unto the death of the organism?

Cancer.

This is why, for example, people with OCD’s fears generally revolve around losing the thing they value most- their mind, their reputation, their freedom, their life- because such fears find the most fertile ground and thus outcompete others. For the same reason, this is why their fears often revolve around what most shocks, abhors or disgusts them- what they are most ethically opposed to.

Edit: An important objection and clarification. Reality generator on Reddit writes:

If the thought receives attention the thought multiplies and produces offspring

This is incorrect. Attention is not a reward signal. Thoughts that receive attention but no reward will eventually extinguish. This is the core premise behind exposure therapy.

OCD self reinforces via associated reward loops. One is afraid of germs. One learns that washing one's hands helps them feel safer, calmer. The self soothing behavior is a reward; soothing feels good. However, by taking the threat seriously and rewarding it, that causes the underlying fear to resurface.

To which I reply:

I think there are multiple kinds of attention. There's the attention of bare awareness and acceptance, and there's the active attention of engagement. The latter is what the article is talking about.