You step onto the stage, your heart hammering in your chest. The spotlight’s glare overwhelms your vision, and dozens of expectant eyes fix upon your trembling form. In that electrifying moment, every fiber of your being screams for escape. Your legs feel like jelly, quivering uncontrollably beneath the weight of your fear. As the audience holds its breath, you find yourself asking: What mysterious force within your brain and body drives this visceral reaction?