#52 - Get High
No this is not a blog about the benefits of recreational drugs….it’s about actually getting high in the sky and the associated adrenaline rush. Following on from my last blog about my bucket list, last Saturday I did a 160FT bungee jump. On paper (and in fact for the minute or so after I jumped) this doesn’t immediately seem that would tick the well-being box. BUT, au contraire, it’s all about finding ways to release feel-good chemicals.
One thing I have observed about myself that I love engaging in dangerous activities:
Skydiving from 13,000FT (strapped to a Red Devil)
Paragliding over the Alps
Bungee jumping (I thought it would be terrifying and it was…but now I want to do another one)
(Come to think of it, I wonder if I have a thing about being strapped to a stranger but that’s a whole other blog….). I also love the highest, fastest and scariest roller coasters and am always looking for new ways to get a thrill. The longer the disclaimer, the more it seems to appeal to me.
Adrenaline rush
So what is it about being scared that is so enticing? Here is the science part - it’s the adrenaline rush - adrenaline is a hormone that is released in response to an exciting, dangerous or threatening situation and causes your heart to beat faster and more blood to flow to your brain. The rush starts in the amygdala, neurons at the base of the brain to assess the unknown. In a thrill-seeking situation posing a risk, a combination of dopamine, adrenaline and endorphins are released - our pleasure chemicals. The rational reason for this is to make us react quickly when we are in danger. For our ancestors an example would be running away from a predatory animal, in modern times it could mean jumping out of the way of a car. But some of us go out of our way and even PAY good money to be terrified.
Thrill-seeking is apparently unique to humans (although can we be 100% sure what animals do when David Attenborough isn’t looking?) There are lots of theories about why some people love danger and others don’t . It could be genetic or the make-up of our brain such as variations in dopamine receptors. Personally, I like the activities like these because they make me feel so alive - that for a fleeting moment I am doing something a little bit crazy.
