Kristine Dang #10: Hysterical Strength
When I was in the 5th grade, my teacher told my class a story about how a woman lifted a car to save her son who was trapped underneath. This story fascinated me and made me wonder where and how some humans could achieve such superman-like powers in a life threatening event. After doing some research, I found that in an article from Healthline, this effect is caused by hysterical strength which is released during fight or flight situations or when there is a rush of adrenaline in one’s body. This allows humans to reach their maximum strength which is much greater than the power humans use on a daily basis. This strength is not commonly used at one’s will however, because it requires an immense amount of energy that can not be restored at a normal rate. In addition to this, scientists have not been able to do research on this topic since this effect can not be recreated in a lab without harming the test subject.
It is interesting to know that all humans have a maximum strength that they are capable of but can not reach until they feel the need to. When given this strength, humans have been able to lift extremely heavy objects or run at incredible speeds. Even though scientists are unable to calculate exactly how powerful hysterical strength is, this further shows how complex the human body is and although we feel we are able to control it, in reality we are only able to control certain aspects of it.
Hey Kristine! This is a really interesting phenomenon! It's heartening to see that the concept of achieving our “full potential” applies to us as well, not just superheroes. I know that pain and fatigue stop our bodies from pushing ourselves further, effectively preventing injury. However, in dire situations, our instincts and a rush of adrenaline can cause amazing effects, like lifting a car. While we may not have full control over our bodies, it's nice to see we can break some barriers. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a scientific article I was reading that pertained to, hold your laughter, zombies. I had read that the depiction of zombies with superhuman strength was actually quite possible. “Zombies” are just human beings who are technically half-alive and the half that is missing is their cognition. Without our brains to stop us, we have intense amounts of strength in our bodies, we could bite through our fingers like carrot sticks. This amount of strength is interesting because as you talked about, we only utilize it when we are in an intense state of fight or flight where our cognition loses to our emotions. I would love to learn more about our bodies’ actual abilities because I think there is a lot more science I could use to learn.
ReplyDeleteHey Kristine! I thought the concept you brought up was something that happened only in anime but I guess the more you know. It’s quite sad that I am unable to lift cars but I suppose it's comforting that I really am stronger than I think I am. While I may not have full control over it it also goes to show how the full potential of the human mind and body may not be anywhere near what we really think it is.
ReplyDeleteKristine, this was a very interesting blog post to read. I also have heard this story of a woman lifting a car to save her son. It is crazy what the human body is capable of. Everyday day, not literally, I learn something new about our body or mind and all the things it can accomplish. The power our bodies have truly makes us one of a kind. However, you are right to point out that we cannot always control all aspects of our body, which is why the parts that we can control we should treat them properly, so all the other parts that are not in our control can function properly.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristene, this was very interesting to read about! It's fascinating how our bodies are able to push our limits when we are in dire need of it. I didn't know this was possible, but it is truly an amazing ability that we have. It is unfortunate that we are unable to measure how far our bodies could go, because I think it'd be interesting to see how much of our strength we actually use in our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristine! This phenomenon is really interesting to think about, and I do remember hearing about and reading a few stories similar to this one. It is fascinating to think of how much we are truly capable of and how much we still don't know about ourselves. If we have the potential to use that much strength, we must only use very little of it in our day to day lives. Our bodies likely reserve that power for only when we need it, so this happening of hysterical strength is just one of many examples in which we exercise control over ourselves.
ReplyDeleteHey Kristine, this idea of hysterical strength is really impressive. The idea of supernatural strength that is withheld by a human's brain until they necessarily need it reminds of the belief that humans only use 10% of their brain. This belief, that our brains are actually what holds us back from achieving true potential, had really fascinated the twelve year old me when I found out about it through the movie Lucy. However, unlike this belief, this hysterical strength is actually a factually proven observation, making it even more fascinating. Thank you for sharing this impressive feat of humans.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristine! I agree that the human body is so complex and powerful and we can do more than we think we are capable of at times. I had heard stories from people who have survived a traumatic experience and talked about how they were able to do things that they did not think they were capable of to survive. Hysterical strength is a fascinating power that can only be accessed during times of extreme desperation. I wish more research can be done on this topic to learn more about how hysterical strength comes from. Unfortunately, it would not be ethical to do so as it would harm the test subjects. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Kristine, I never really considered the true potential of human capabilities until you mentioned it and it is so fascinating! It’s crazy how someone was able to go to the extent of lifting an entire car and how there are also other instances where people are performing other monumental feats in the face of life-threatening situations. I wonder how people will start utilizing their strength once scientists find out more about the capabilities of the human body. Thank you for sharing!
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