This is coolbert: Interesting program last night on "Scientific America - Frontiers". Hosted and narrated by Alan Alda, who sometimes plays the role of guinea pig for strange experiments. This episode was about the effects of extreme stress upon animals who are exposed to danger and have the "flight or fight" response. The response that allows for a great, almost super-power reaction to danger. Allowing the animal to either flee or fight for it's survival. In situations of mortal danger, a chemical flow [adrenaline, endorphines, etc.], involuntary, occurs that allows for extreme physical exertion. This can be both good in the short term, but bad in the long term.

Interesting observations have been made over a period of thirty years on how this hormonal flow varies between what are called the lower forms of life and the higher forms.

A lower form of life, a mostly non-thinking and non-cognitive animal such as an antelope, exhibits the rush of hormonal response to danger for only about a thirty [30] second period. If say a tiger rushes at the antelope, the antelope will respond with the flight or fight response for only a short period and then go back to grazing as if nothing had happened. The animal is not stressed by this chemical flow and goes back to business as usual.

In a higher form of life [more thinking and cognitive species], such as among the primates [man included], the hormonal flow to the flight or fight impulse is much more prolonged and acute and has very bad long term consequences. Blood samples from baboons show that the flight or fight hormonal chemical levels are constantly at high levels and do not seem to subside as they do in say the antelope. This observation is most pronounced in the alpha male of a troop of primates [the "boss" ape]. The dominant male that rules the troop. This ape always has very elevated levels of flight or fight hormones. From the constant squabbling, fighting, alertness, patrolling, etc., that the alpha male must engage in to maintain the alpha status. As was mentioned ina previous post, elevated levels of these same hormones was found in the extracted teeth of GI's in Korea who were front line combat troops. Constant exposure to fear and danger had caused a constant flow of flight or fight hormones in their bodies. [This should be expected from that most thinking, aware, and congnitive of animals. We humans know when we are in danger and what can happen to us. We are aware of what is happening and our brain sends to the body the necessary signals].

[In the animal kingdom, the most extreme example of how stress can debilitate the body is found among the fur seals. Each breeding season, the alpha male seal [called the "beachmaster"], establishes a stretch of beach as his own. His harem of breeding females occupy this stretch of beach. During the breeding season, the beachmaster so assiduously patrols his stretch of beach that he does not eat once during the many months of the breeding season. During this period of patrolling, the beachmaster's duties involve endless patrolling, fighting with young aggressive males, and breeding with his harem of females. This aggressive and stressful behavior has a grave impact upon the beachmaster [literally so]. Not eating once during the entire season and having all these hormone releases in the body weakens the beachmaster to the point that when the breeding season is over, when the seals return to the ocean to feed, the beachmaster is unable to swim fast enough to catch fish to feed, starves, and dies. All in one breeding season!!]

Here is a very interesting observation that demonstrates how stress can effect the nervous system of persons. In the thirty days following the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the persons in NYC having defibbrilators had a two and one half [2 1/2] fold increase in the number of times the defibbrilators had to fire and stimulate their damaged hearts. These defibbrilators can be interrogated remotely and the evidence that the persons of NYC for a month after the 9/11 attacks were under severe stress that had profound physiological impact is most clear.

Excessive and long term flow of flight or fight hormones can have very damaging consequences for the human body. Among soldiers, this hormonal flow is constant and pronounced, involuntary, and has a marked impact, all without most persons even realizing it. The nervous and immune systems are very badly effected, leaving the human open to physical weakness, disease, illness, and lack of healing for the body when injured. Obvious physical signs would be the "knocky" knees, shaking hands, teeth chattering, and perhaps bodily convulsions. The movie image of the "Sarge" yelling at the private, "snap out of it Murphy, pull yourself together", and then slapping Murphy, is not the way to handle this distress either.

Is there a way that humans can control this hormonal flow at times of extreme stress. Yes! And this control does have a relation to war and war fighting. It is YOGA! Yoga as practiced by the adepts. Perhaps used by the ancestors of the kshatriya warrior of India. Yoga is used by martial artists [warriors] for toning, stretching, and strengthening the body. And also for controlling the involuntary systems of the human body. Blood pressure, heart beat, respiration, etc. This is obviously something they would not teach you at basic training. A non-drug way of dealing with the flight or fight response and it's impact on the human body does exist!

coolbert.