| There is an old expression; No man knows fear until it | | | | came first, then came the self-aware cognition of |
| comes to him. There is more meaning to this | | | | 'fear". |
| statement than there first appears too. | | | | How had the British climber then managed to by pass |
| Let me relate the experience of a man I knew named | | | | this autonomic response and reach the mental state of |
| Mike who was a good friend who often challenged | | | | apparent 'fearlessness' that he had? To say he got |
| himself mentally and physically. One method he did this | | | | used that way by "getting used to it" is true, but this is |
| was in 'technical mountain climbing'. After a few years | | | | also far too simple an explanation as well. |
| of this he was given his first 'lead climber' position. | | | | His previous climbing experience had provided him with |
| That meant he was the 'point man' and he had to | | | | repeated exposures to the adrenal complex dump in |
| climb the rock face first and put the chocks into the | | | | the 'mountain climbing context' and had thus given him |
| rock to provide the safety rope for the others to | | | | the opportunity to develop adrenal management skills. |
| follow. | | | | That is what adrenal stress driven scenario based |
| He was on a ledge and had to cross a missing part of | | | | training does as well. |
| that ledge to reach the other side. If he fell it was | | | | This is the same type of productive training experience |
| certain death of course. Mike seemed to me to fancy | | | | that an airline pilot, or a combat fighter pilot being |
| himself a sort of "hero" type in his own mind and he | | | | trained in a flight simulator experiences too. This reliable |
| often had an exaggerated idea of his abilities in many | | | | biochemistry is why simulator training and scenario |
| areas, but he was competent in most. Yet he told me | | | | based training is so very powerfully effective too. |
| that something quite remarkable occurred when he | | | | It works on the biochemistry of the individual. |
| extended his right leg out over the abyss to reach that | | | | Understand too that it is these involuntary, non |
| small 'foothold' on the other side of the ledge. | | | | self-aware adrenal stress driven responses that are |
| He was surprised to see and feel that his leg was as | | | | the real problem in conflicts of any kind with other |
| he put it, "moving up and down like a sewing machine | | | | human beings too. Those conflicts can be at the office, |
| needle'. He was genuinely surprised to see and feel his | | | | in personal relationships or wherever. |
| body involuntarily trembling with fear. A greater | | | | But developing adrenal management skills are the |
| knowledge of fear had thus come to him. | | | | especially demanded and are the essence of the |
| One thing I wish to point out here is that while his mind | | | | problem in preparing a person for survival and combat. |
| had not yet registered fear as he initially attempted to | | | | And authentic simulations and simulators have well |
| cross the ledge gap, his body was certainly and | | | | proven themselves as a superior training method to |
| dramatically had. And his body was reacting to that | | | | any other here. |
| fear first. Hence, he had a genuine epiphany here | | | | When we overcome a fear, we are learning to |
| about himself and the nature of true fear as well. | | | | overcome fears. When we recognize the role our non |
| That experience is an "awakening' and an act of true | | | | self-aware mind has in affecting one behavior, we |
| self-discovery and you certainly do not have to take | | | | have the tool needed to see that otherwise 'unseen' |
| up technical mountain climbing to experience it ether. It | | | | process in other behaviors, especially the ones that 'do |
| is precisely a part of that self-discovery that we | | | | not serve out interests'. This is a true key to correcting |
| provide the circumstances for our attendants to | | | | those behaviors and in all walks of life. |
| engage and experience in at our RMCAT training too. | | | | We have already discussed the special qualities and |
| You see there does not have to be any real danger | | | | durability of adrenal memoirs. They are at the root of |
| of death, we only have to first convince the 'body' that | | | | all PTSD of course. And this mechanism is why |
| there is because the self-aware mind will be partially | | | | scenario based, adrenal stress simulation training 'can't |
| dragged along with the body every time. | | | | be forgotten'. The concept of 'forget' simply does not |
| Mike's self-aware mind had to 'catch up' with his | | | | apply here. |
| body's message and engage the fear of death too | | | | The response trained under the adrenal stress driven |
| and that occurred when he saw and felt his leg | | | | simulation will be the automatic response that occurs |
| involuntarily 'moving up and down like sewing machine | | | | when the cues that were present in the simulation |
| needle". It is much the same way at RMCAT Training | | | | appear in the real situation. |
| many times too. | | | | For example, a woman is grabbed violently from |
| But there is more to the story and it is quite bit | | | | behind in a poorly lighted area walking to her car. |
| enlightening about this physiological/psychological | | | | Before she know it her body has side shifted and her |
| process too. | | | | open hand has slapped a snapping blow between the |
| Mike ultimately, after several minutes of trying and | | | | legs of the attacker. The action is instantly repeated |
| stopping several times crossed the ledge gap and the | | | | and continuously and without thought, but only intent as |
| climb proceeded. He was the lead climber and so he | | | | she screams until that attacker releases. Then she |
| had the climbing team sit on the safety of some large | | | | turns immediately and strikes him with a very powerful |
| flat rocks to take breather. | | | | heel of palm carrying her full and articulated body |
| He told me the view was beyond magnificent and as | | | | weight under his chin. It is only now that her self-aware |
| he looked back at the ledge he had just crossed he | | | | mind realizes she is under attack. Now she can use |
| could barely imagine how he had managed to cross it. | | | | that' self-aware mind for a fluid decision as to her best |
| He told me that he felt a bursting sense of | | | | tactical option, fight or flight? |
| accomplishment; no person could get to the spot they | | | | But what occurred UP to that point in time (fractions of |
| were at now and see that view unless they too faced | | | | a second) was not decided on as it was fully |
| and conquered the fear of that crossing! | | | | automatic. This is because this motor response had |
| And then, from nowhere and impossibly he heard a | | | | been previously programmed into her through adrenal |
| voice call out in a heavy British accent: | | | | stress driven scenario-based training. That is in an |
| " I saw old man, would you have a hammer?" | | | | 'authentic simulation and simulator' that engaged the |
| Mike then saw a man with no gear at all but a chalk | | | | adrenal response. |
| bag around his waist effortlessly swing past the ledge | | | | There is and can be more to this type of simulation |
| gap and into view. He then climbed up to Mike's | | | | training which is necessary because of its reliability and |
| position totally unassisted and totally without any | | | | power. Once the basic motor responses are |
| protection. He behaved as if he were strolling through | | | | programmed into the body then some level of |
| Garden State Park. | | | | communication has been established with the |
| Mike said he was rendered absolutely speechless with | | | | amygdala ('frog brain' which is not self-aware, but is an |
| disbelief and then man asked him again. | | | | initiator of gross muscle responses) and the |
| " I say there, a hammer sir, could you spot me a | | | | self-aware mind. |
| hammer? I saw some rather interesting old pitons | | | | This communication between these two brain centers |
| there at the ledge, I collect them you see? Need a | | | | is a primary training goal too. Taken further, this |
| bloody hammer to take them out". | | | | communication can be developed to provide an |
| Mike gathered his senses about him just barely enough | | | | adrenal initiated but more 'discriminatory response'. But |
| to hand the man his climbing hammer. | | | | that demands a portion of the self-aware mind be |
| 'I thank you, be back in a jiffy" the Englishman said as | | | | involved and there lies the challenge. |
| he merrily returned to the deadly ledge gap and then | | | | While it is through the self-aware mind that we have |
| crawled about the sheer rock face happily extracting | | | | the type of learning or instruction everyone is familiar |
| the old pitons. | | | | with, it is another challenge to develop an instantly |
| Now think about this please. What was it that made | | | | initiated 'mental orientation' with the autonomic survival |
| this quirky Englishman so apparently fearless at the | | | | instinct (amygdala) while engaging a limited set of |
| same ledge crossing that left Mike's knee's shaking | | | | options held in the self-aware mind. Experience has |
| and which held up his climbing team for nearly twenty | | | | demonstrated to me however that this is possible to |
| minutes? | | | | achieve. |
| Was the Englishman truly fearless, or was he just | | | | After all we can't have the woman who is grabbed |
| crazy? Was he so naïve that somehow he felt | | | | behind by someone 'meaning her no harm' (perhaps a |
| he could not possibly fall? Had he ever seen anyone | | | | careless and unthinking acquaintance) being so |
| else fall to their death? These are all good question | | | | immediately and effectively counter attacked as true |
| which we can't positively answer with any real | | | | assailant would be. |
| certainty either, but perhaps the true answer is a | | | | Let me say that the necessity of creating this limited |
| 'mixed bag' of a bit of all these things too. | | | | set of discrimination options held in the self-aware mind |
| But here is something I can say with certainly here; | | | | becomes greatly increased when teaching the use of |
| This was not the fist time that strange 'Brit' had been | | | | firearms under adrenal stress. |
| mountain climbing! | | | | But then when would any rational and decent person |
| Now if you see that truth then you must see that | | | | use a firearm on another human being except under a |
| there had to be first time for him too, maybe there | | | | high adrenal state? Hence training for 'fire-control |
| was even a 'shaking knee experience' many years | | | | discipline' is quite essential here. Because no matter |
| ago for him like Mike's when he was on his very first | | | | what the adrenal response is the only thing you can |
| 'lead climb' position. | | | | consistently count on in any real survival situation is |
| Now some might simply say " Well, the guy was just | | | | that adrenal dump. |
| so used to it that it did not scare him anymore". This is | | | | That adrenal dump is unfamiliar to most and it freezes |
| true, but these words simplify and truncate a lot of | | | | up most. It makes them hesitate or flail ineffectually, but |
| processes here. And I would say almost to the point | | | | it is the great survival edge of the adrenaline |
| of obscuring those processes. | | | | conditioned. |
| Remember, that Mike's knees shaking and his leg | | | | We have this biochemical response within us to help |
| moving like a 'sewing machine needle' were autonomic | | | | keep us alive. But socialization has estranged many of |
| responses to his body perceiving the deadly danger. | | | | us from these very powerful survival instincts and so |
| Hence, this occurred before his "self aware" mind | | | | instead of assisting us in our survival they can become |
| experiencing 'feelings' of fear. The physiological | | | | our single greatest problem. |
| autonomic, spastic, non self-awre motor response | | | | |