As I learned to fight back, I gradually learned that rage pushes out fear. Now, rage is not the most efficient use of adrenaline (I believe that something I call the thrill of battle may be the most efficient kind of adrenaline rush), but when you're under attack, lashing out in rage is better than freezing with fear.
After facing a number of threats, I also learned that I could delay the adrenaline dump. In the face of imminent danger, I have, at times (not 100%), found a deep calm come over me. I was also alert and focused, knowing that at the right moment, I could "throw the chemical switch" that would throw me into rampaging warrior mode.
That kind of adrenaline stress control is the result of real-life experience. It can also come as the result of simulated experiences. That is the objective of Peyton Quinn's RMCAT training camp.
Quinn leads training sessions in which participants are exposed to trainers who simulate street assaults. The emphasis is on realism and realistic responses. The goal is for trainees to learn what an adrenaline dump feels like, and then to manage it so it works for them rather than against them. He describes the process in his book, Real Fighting: Adrenaline Stress Conditioning Through Scenario Based Training.
The point is that experience CAN teach you to control your adrenaline. I want to apply that to mental imaging in "Controlling Adrenaline Stress: Mental Imaging, 4".
1 comment:
Post a Comment