Kevin Phong

UWRT 1103
Prof. Thomas
12 April, 2016
Our Mind and Body: An Extraordinary Masterpiece
Writing this thesis paper was actually not too bad of an experience for me as the topic covers
something that I have always been interested in since I was a kid. What makes a human being
tick? In terms of life or death situations that is. My research on this topic has led to some
interesting discoveries that had defeated my previous misconceptions about the hormones
adrenaline and epinephrine. Although this is a topic that I am quite interested in, more than once
I found myself stuck in a position in which I could not transition between different points as they
had little to no relevance to one another. In the end, I believe that this thesis paper is adequate
as compared to the incredulous topic itself.
Nature has always found that evolution and adapting to an environment is the best course
of action in terms of survival. No different than any other animal, the human body has been hardwired to already respond properly to whatever is stressing it. I have always been fascinated with
this unbelievable work of art that nature has provided us as the effects seem to be almost that of a
superhuman. In the face of adversity, many people have had experiences in which they were put
into a life-or-death situation whether it be from hiking accidents or even encounters with
homicidal killers, the same questions arise from me: How is this possible? What was your
thought process throughout this experiences? What made you perform certain actions?
Coined by American psychologist, Walter Bradford Cannon, the term fight or flight is
used to describe the bodys reaction. This is made possible through the release of hormones

(mainly adrenaline and epinephrine) causing blood vessels to dilate, which in turn allows for
more oxygen and nutrients to be easily and readily transported to prioritized muscle groups as
well as the brain. Consequently, the brain is able to become both more alert to the surrounding
environment and more proficient in decision making. It is also a common misconception that
adrenaline has the ability to mask pain from the sense of pain. This is untrue as the hormone
diverts the individuals concentration from pain elsewhere, therefore giving off the feeling that
the pain no longer exists. Many war veterans have claimed to have witness soldiers completely
unaware that they have been shot or even to the point where missing limbs go utterly unnoticed.
Apart from feeling ghost limbs, there have also been cases in which individuals seemed to
have possess superhuman strength. This was presented by a Georgia native mother being able to
lift a 3,340 - 3,895 pound 1964 Chevy Impala for what she claimed to be an entire five minutes.
Her son had gotten pinned underneath the car in an accident right outside of the house. Informing
the authorities of the situation, the mother rushed to her sons aid by incredulously lifting the
behemoth of an automobile with its all-steel frame.
The physical and mental thrill of being in situations such as this have led to the spawn of
numerous television shows such as Survivorman, Man vs. Wild, I Shouldnt Be Alive, etc., in
order to best depict what it is like to be in these types of scenarios. I Shouldnt Be Alive is a series
in which numerous survival experiences are retold through a series of interviews and dramatized
reenactments. On the other hand, Survivorman and Man vs. Wild hosted by Les Stroud and Bear
Grylls respectively, are the reality counterparts as the shows hosts are dropped off in remote
locations to show their survival prowess as well informing the viewers of proper techniques that
can be used to stave off the threats of the wilderness. Apart from the physical approach to
ensuring survival, there is also a mental factor that comes into play. Large periods of solitude can

lead to cases of mental disorders which consists of insanity as well as split-mind personalities.
This can cripple survival rates as castaways and hitchhikers would be not only fighting the
elements of nature, but with themselves as these disorders hinder proper mental function. Les
Stroud, as well as many other survival experts, plead that remaining calm within these situations
is a crucial skill deemed necessary to make decisions and perform actions that, when in a
panicked state, would almost certainly lead to death. This leads to the conclusion that although
the human body has an autonomous system, the mindset of the individual is the one of most
value.

Works Cited
Tourtellotte, Bob. "Living in the Wild Takes Toll on TV's Survivorman." Reuters.
Thomson Reuters, 06 Nov. 2008. Web. 24 Mar. 2016.
Goldstein, David. "Homeostasis and the Fight-or-Flight Response." BrainImmune:
Trends in Neuroendocrine Immunology. N.p., 15 May 2009. Web. 01 Apr. 2016.
James, Jarrod. "Animal Instincts of the Human Body: A Psychological and Skeletal
Muscular Analysis of Adrenaline on the Human Body." Animal Instincts of the Human
Body: A Psychological and Skeletal Muscular Analysis of Adrenaline on the Human
Body. PIT Journal, 2012. Web. 02 Apr. 2016.
Cerratani, Anthony. "Bear Attack: Q&A with Bear Grylls - Backpacker." Backpacker.
Cruz Bay Publishing Inc., 26 Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.
Cara, Ed. "Adrenaline Won't Turn You Into The Hulk, But It's Still Pretty Cool." Medical
Daily. Vitality, 15 Jan. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.
Borenstein, Jefferey. "CIMIT: Brian Hoffman, MD." CIMIT: Brian Hoffman, MD.
CIMIT, n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2016.