I think it's very much something that hysterical and unskeptical people get carried away with. Most people will realise that prophecies are unlikely to become truth, that the world is actually quite stable.

So was this experient done on animals?

Yep, I teach this in dog training all the time. Anxiety comes from not knowing. Not knowing what that sound was, not knowing who's on the other side of the door, not knowing what you are asking, not knowing what is expected. Religion whether correct or not, gives people the answers that they need to reduce their own stress.