In Daniel it is related: “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks… I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen… His face was like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves” (Daniel 10:2-7). The scholars asked: Who were the people who were with Daniel? Answer: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (the prophets). The scholars added that Daniel had an advantage over the prophets who were with him, and that they had an advantage over him. Daniel’s advantage over them was that he saw the vision which they had not seen. Their advantage over Daniel was that they were prophets and Daniel was not a prophet. The scholars then asked: Since the prophets did not see the vision which Daniel saw, of what were they afraid? Answer: They did not actually see it, but the angel appointed for each of them saw it, “their destinies saw.” One of the scholars. Ravina, concluded that if one feels fear for no obvious reason it is a sign that his angel saw something scary which caused the person to feel fear. The scholars asked: How can one overcome the danger which lurks and have his fears eased? Answer: He should recite the Shema. If he is standing in a filthy place, such as a place with excrement in which one is forbidden to recite the Shema, what should he do? He should jump four (two meters) from his location and perhaps he will put distance between himself and the danger. If this does not help, he should say “A goat in the slaughter house is fatter than I.”
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Megillah 3a)