At this point, her friend on the ground did something unexpected: She asked the woman where her camera was. This question distracted the frozen woman from the situation. Her friend said she had to get a picture to show the participant’s family. “Your husband and kids will never believe it if I don’t get a picture of you,” she called up. This statement triggered appreciation for the participant’s family. Long story short, after a few more questions about the whereabouts of the camera and a few more remarks about how proud her family would be, the previously frozen woman stood erect, smiled for a picture, and lowered off the log without a second thought.
ing her to regain access to the portions of her brain the amygdala was clouding.
If you facilitate on a challenge course, lead wilderness expeditions, or simply live life, you are faced with fears. Un- derstanding what is happening, even on a surface level, has helped me under- stand so much about my own reactions to situations. With great knowledge comes great responsibility. When we take people out onto our challenge course we have a tremendous responsibility, not only for their physical safety but their emotional safety as well. So, facilitate with com- passion, facilitate trust, and facilitate adventure. Chris Ortiz is an associate director and program director at the Penn State Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center as well as an in- structor for the Penn State Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management department.
We had a great discussion about this af- ter the woman was back on the ground. It is important to take time to process these emotional memories that are indelibly burned into the circuits of our brain, hopefully making the information more readily available in similar future situations.
SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
I have just begun to scratch the surface here of the research being conducted regarding fear and emotion. The steps I have outlined are not the secret code for releasing the grip of the amygdala on the body. They are merely a few tips that may work if you find yourself or one of your participants being hijacked.
It was remarkable. Her friend diverted the brain’s activity away from fear, allow-
Illustration by Rob Donnelly
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator