| True fear of an audience may develop out of heightened feeling if the speaker fails to evaluate the physical changes occuring within him for what they are worth. A speaker may suddenly become aware of a palpitating heart or a dry mouth. He may also, consciously or unconsci- |
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ously, recall that these symptoms were also present when he was frightenend. If he fails to recognize that the cause of his old fright is non-existent in his present situation, he may give way to fear. In effect, such a speaker is responding to two elements-palpitating heart and dry mouth-as he originally did to a total but different situation which |
| happened to include these two elements. The other fear symptoms such as trembling and excessive perspiration may take their appearance. If the speaker then becomes overwhelmed with the physical changes taking place within him, he may forget what he has to say. Random talking and random, disorganized movement may take the place of organized thoughts and gestures. True fear-stage fright in real sense-has set in. |
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