Programed for Fear?

This may sound silly, but i was thinking about scary movies the other day. Then i thought to myself, why are we so scared of things in the shadows, and beings with sharp teeth?
Then i was in anatomy class learning about dreams, more specifically nightmares, and why we have them. A man in the documentary i was watching said that he believed the visions we have during a nightmare are the ones of our ancestors. For example lets say we are being chased by some strange being, our brain cant really imagine up new beings, just like every person you see in your dreams you've already seen them before.
It just makes me wonder what is out there, or what was out there in the time of our ancestors, what do you all think?

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Scientifically, we all certainly carry deep seeded instincts that date back to survival. The reaction triggered is generally fight or flight, depending on how you're built and what you are encountering.

Most people, from what I have observed, tend to be more disposed toward flight. This means that their knee-jerk reaction to fear is more of a terror driven desire to be away from the source of the fear. This can actually cause them to avoid it, or can cause them to simply react in a manner that is rather panic driven.

In terms of fight, it tends to mean that the individual takes a stand. They react in a manner geared more towards confronting the fear. Not necessarily an actual fight, it might just mean standing up for themselves or acting in a calm manner in moments where others panic.

This is generally born of ancestral memory, which is somewhat rooted in our DNA and perhaps within some degree of spiritual consciousness.

When a dog bares its teeth, the instinct kicks in. When somebody jumps at you the instinct kicks in. When something catches fire, the instinct kicks in. It's been proven scientifically that those things that our ancestors may have had need to fear the most trigger the instinct more intensely. Meanwhile those who have had little need for such instinct may have it to a much lesser degree than others-the human has become somewhat of a domesticated animal, with such instincts being slowly bred out of us.