Month: February 2016

Feeling Alive through Adrenaline

Guest

adrenaline life forceThe psychology of a thrill seeker is baffling to most. What could possibly motivate a person to deliberately put themselves into a risky situation? This quality in a person is at the opposite end of the spectrum from where most people exist. The average person is looking to keep themselves as safe as possible and avoid risky activities. Though it is difficult to empathize with a thrill seeker, understanding the basics of how their brains work will make you understand their plight a little bit better.

One thing that has been observed repeatedly in thrill seekers, by psychologists and casual observers, is that they have brains that do not want to turn off. They are compulsive thinkers and they have a very hard time stepping out of that role in order to have meditative moments. The trouble is, people need to shut off the activity of their brains sometimes in order to stay level and healthy. For thrill seekers, this is more difficult than it is for most. However, all thrill seekers report that when they are engaging in their thrill seeking, they are living completely in the moment instead of thinking and overthinking. When people discover that thrill seeking can do this for them, they are often sold on it for life.

Thrill seekers do extreme things because it allows them a freedom that they otherwise have a hard time coming by. The adrenaline rush of doing something incredible that involves risk opens doors for them that tend to stay closed in their lives. This does not necessarily mean that they should engage in risk seeking constantly. It can still become an unhealthy addiction. But for the joy it brings them, thrill seekers should have the freedom to pursue activities that make them feel the most alive. Thrill seeking is a chance for them to turn their calculating brains off, feel a rush of pleasure and experience the feeling of pure escape.

Flirting with Danger

Guest

thrill seekingIt is very hard for the average person to understand why someone would be a thrill seeker. Most of us spend our lives thinking about safety and how to acquire more of it. Thrill seekers literally have an opposite brain type of the average person. They spend their lives seeking out activities that put them at risk. This may seem counterproductive to a person’s well being, but the opposite is true for this brain type. In order for thrill seekers to be happy, they need to pursue activities that meet the following criteria.

  • Extreme. In order for an activity to be adrenaline inducing and exciting to a thrill seeker, it needs to be extreme. Thrill seekers are not fond of tame activities that people can do with a safety net in place. For them, excitement comes from doing the most extreme version of any activity instead of going halfway. For example, if they get a thrill from heights, they will probably want to sky dive out of an airplane rather than simply ride a roller coaster.
  • No guarantee of personal safety. While other people work hard to protect their safety, thrill seekers are often looking to get rid of it. For them, safety is a buzz kill. Their thrill seeking is an art form to them, and safety kills their inspiration. The level of focus required in the face of danger and the way that the activity totally consumes thrill seekers is a major part of their attraction to it. They would consider the experience impure and half executed if it came with a safety net.
  • Abnormal. Another attraction to thrill seeking is that its something that other people do not tend to do. Thrill seekers want to see the world from a different perspective and they are drawn to the roads that are less traveled. If there is a safe hiking path available, they want to take the riskier one. If there are rapids to raft, they want to try the rougher ones.