Just in time for Friday the 13th—a day that some people fear—award-winning author Tamela Rich reveals survey findings of what people fear most in the three main areas of life: home, work and play.

Rich worked with a statistician to conduct a survey of over 200 people, which was based on five universal fears: Humiliation, Separation, Loss of Autonomy, Mutilation and Death. Survey respondents were asked to consider scenarios that might evoke a fear response at home, work and play.

Today, Rich announced the results of that survey, which she conducted to research her new book, Steady On: Staying Centered in the Face of Fear. She is holding a free tele-seminar on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30PM-8:30 (EST) to discuss her findings in full and to answer questions about both the results and the five universal fears that were explored in the survey. Anyone interested in the tele-seminar can register (and get access to the recorded session) by visiting http://tamelarich.com/fear-debrief-video.

Some key survey findings:

• 72 percent of individuals surveyed expressed fears in their intimate relationships, most frequently humiliation, separation and mutilation.

• 64 percent of those surveyed reported fears in their workplaces. Of those,

o 81.3 percent of the respondents reported a fear of loss of autonomy

o 79 percent feared humiliation

o 72 percent feared of separation

o 54 percent feared death, compared to 36 percent who feared mutilation

• 63 percent of survey respondents expressed fears in their community lives, most often loss of autonomy and separation

“Most of the fears faced by people in advanced societies like the United States are psychological, not physical,” said Rich. “The survey focused on the types of scenarios where respondents might respond with fears of Humiliation, Separation, and Loss of Autonomy, more often than Mutilation and Death.”

In addition to using the survey results in her forthcoming book, Steady On: Staying Centered in the Face of Fear, Rich will use the survey as a basis for a self-assessment quiz that will give respondents a qualitative measure of how their responses compare to the "norm" for the five universal fears at home, work and play. Rich will watch the scores evolve over the years as more people take the quiz.

She adds, "In addition to the survey responses themselves, I am grateful that nearly 50 people took time to share their thoughts and experiences about their fears at home, work and play.”

About Tamela Rich

Charlotte, N.C. resident Tamela Rich is an award-winning author, storyteller and adventurer. Known as the “American Road Trip Expert” with a passion for solo travel, she was inspired to write Steady On: Staying Centered in the Face of Fear, after being asked so often about her travels, "Aren't you afraid?" For more information, visit http://tamelarich.com/.