Fainting for Bigfoot

[Q-C]

"Fainting from fear is not uncommon, perhaps as the brain switches off rather than countenance further terror."

Lazarus, R. and Lazarus, B. (1994), Passion and Reason, Oxford University Press, New York

Why do few if any report fainting after seeing a giant biped (or maybe other scary cryptids)? This is one out-of-the-ordinary experience. It is not one anyone would be prepared for or even expect.

I would think this might be more common.

It wouldn't even take fear to cause fainting. Just the shock of seeing a cryptid or giant could do it, i would think.

Any of you familiar with reports where the eye-witness fainted? Or went into shock?

I've read through literally hundreds of reports and I can't recall one.

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Timothy]

Maybe if it jumped out and was about to eat you...

Just seeing bigfoot would not cause many people to faint. Just a relatively natural big creature type thing. That's like saying people should faint when they see large bears or big carnivores.

I see where you're coming from, but a sighting would not cause many people to faint unless it were extremely close and life-threatening or similar.

(Also it's probably rare because no one has seen bigfoot)

[keninsc]

Fainting usually requires some sort of massive shock to the entire brain. I can tell you that in my tours in Nam, I never saw anyone faint and take my word for it, if they'd been inclined to faint a couple situations would have gotten them there. I have seen guys shut down emotionally after a fire fight, not pass out but they were struggling to deal with what they just experienced and for a bit they weren't any good. It's often called the thousand yard stare and it's real. I know for sure and I don't mind saying, after this fire fight I'd lost control of my bowels and bladder, didn't realize it at the time of course but had to got down to the river to clean up.......before too many guys saw me. It's a guy thing, ok?

Having never seen a Bigfoot I can't compare the two, the experiences might well be completely different. Of course, at my age I might well have a heart attack rather than just faint if I were scared too badly. However, I think fainting is more a Victorian reaction thing. If you think about it, fainting only serves to incapacitate you and leave you at the mercy of whatever it is that scared the crap out of you......every pun intended. Of course, the crap might make the Critter leave you alone or serve as an aphrodisiac. If it does happen to me I can only hope Bigfoot isn't gay. I might awake to pig squeals and banjo playing.

[Q-C]

Fainting serves to restore blood loss to the brain due to any number of causes.

But yeah, it seems not only rare but nonexistent. I still find the lack of shock or fainting a bit unusual. I would think out of thousands of reports if some were convinced of what they saw fainting/shock would occur with some.

I'm familiar with the thousand-yard-stare, keninsc. I've had it happen to me as a truck went off the road and rolled three times in the front yard I was standing in.

I was no life-saving good to the guy in the truck. But luckily there were several others who came to help. But alas, he was drunk as a skunk and flopped around like a rag doll and walked away relatively uninjured.

I've never hear of anyone "freezing up" with a sighting either.

Imo, I find the lack of immediate psychological effect (?), possibly suspicious.

All I've ever heard is that some "won't go in the woods (or sighting area) anymore"

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Q-C]

(Also it's probably rare because no one has seen bigfoot)

B-I-N-G-O!

or they weren't as convinced of what they saw as they claim

[pumpkinheadOO]

In the Movie/Documentary "The Legend Of Boggy Creek" One of the witnesses had reportedly fainted from terror after seeing "The Fouke Monster" out the window she was closing at the time. Not saying I believe this film as fact, just that there was supposedly a case of this reported.

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

The first time I had a bear walk at me, I didn't faint.

I also didn't faint a few weeks ago when a pack of very hungry coyotes chased me up the street.

People don't faint at the sight of dangerous or large animals. That is not a natural response. Animals who faint or freeze up in the presence of animals which want to kill them quickly become extinct (see those flightless parrots in New Zealand.)

[freetoroam]

I would imagine many have fainted being in the big foot costume after a few hours, it can get mighty hot in those things.

[Q-C]

I'm not saying I would expect many or most to exhibit a traumatic physical response to an encounter. But all we have are reports. Look on a sighting map. There are thousands upon thousands of them from young kids to the elderly. I still think it would be a natural possibility we've heard about.

@NathanDiYorio, Fainting when terrified of being killed? I'm not sure that does not occur.

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

@NathanDiYorio, Fainting when terrified of being killed? I'm not sure that does not occur.

If it does occur, it isn't common. When you faint in life threatening situations, you tend to lose your life and fail to create offspring. So your habit of fainting before the lion pride is weeded out of the bloodline. For the majority.

[Q-C]

repeat post

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[J. K.]

Has anyone actually known of anyone to faint from fright? I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but maybe it's just not common enough to figure into Bigfoot sightings. I would think an adrenalin spike would be a more likely reaction.

[Q-C]

Fear is definitely one possible cause of fainting.

"Emotional factors:Stress or the sight or threat of injury" http://www.emedicine...ng/page2_em.htm

"Fainting from fear is not uncommon, perhaps as the brain switches off rather than countenance further terror."

Lazarus, R. and Lazarus, B. (1994), Passion and Reason, Oxford University Press, New York

"Reflex faints are of several different types, but the best known is the common or vasovagal faint. This is the swoon made famous in movies (often triggered by a painful or emotionally upsetting happenstance)" http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/106/9/1048.full

I am not saying it should always happen, but curious why it basically never happens?

Only one example offered so far from "The Legend of Boggy Creek"

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Guest Nathan DiYorio]

Well, I suppose it could be the type of people who would be trampsing around in woods where potentially large critters who aren't bigfoot could be roaming. You might find those who are more likely to faint under stress would prefer not to be put in situations which could become stressful.

[linttrap]

First, I have to say that I glanced at the title of this thread and my silly brain read it as: Farting for Bigfoot. That gave me a private chuckle which I had to share.

I have known several people who have the Vasovagal Syncope reaction when they are injured/experience sudden pain/see their own blood. I'm not really sure that is an effective survival mechanism either, given that injury suggests threat that is likely to be continuing.

In some cases I suppose it could be a self-protective mechanism to turn off pain, or redirect blood flow and available glucose/energy away from the brain and mobilize other systems to respond to the injury.

I think there is an element of the unexpected or surprising that is part of fainting. Seeing a big hairy thing at the window when you walk close to close the curtains would certainly be a shocking surprise, but then walking up on a huge thing in the woods should also be a shock/surprise.

Still, walking around in the woods you are more likely to be alert to threats, as opposed to being in your own house doing something ordinary and essentially mindless like closing curtains. (Referring to the Boggy Creek incident here) The mindset is different for what would constitute a surprise.

[Q-C]

First, I have to say that I glanced at the title of this thread and my silly brain read it as: Farting for Bigfoot. That gave me a private chuckle which I had to share.

I have known several people who have the Vasovagal Syncope reaction when they are injured/experience sudden pain/see their own blood. I'm not really sure that is an effective survival mechanism either, given that injury suggests threat that is likely to be continuing.

In some cases I suppose it could be a self-protective mechanism to turn off pain, or redirect blood flow and available glucose/energy away from the brain and mobilize other systems to respond to the injury.

I think there is an element of the unexpected or surprising that is part of fainting. Seeing a big hairy thing at the window when you walk close to close the curtains would certainly be a shocking surprise, but then walking up on a huge thing in the woods should also be a shock/surprise.

Still, walking around in the woods you are more likely to be alert to threats, as opposed to being in your own house doing something ordinary and essentially mindless like closing curtains. (Referring to the Boggy Creek incident here) The mindset is different for what would constitute a surprise.

"I think there is an element of the unexpected or surprising that is part of fainting. Seeing a big hairy thing at the window when you walk close to close the curtains would certainly be a shocking surprise, but then walking up on a huge thing in the woods should also be a shock/surprise."

Exactly!

"The mindset is different for what would constitute a surprise."

Many are roadside and window/front porch/driveway, etc sightings. Not just hikers or hunters.

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Q-C]

Well, I suppose it could be the type of people who would be trampsing around in woods where potentially large critters who aren't bigfoot could be roaming. You might find those who are more likely to faint under stress would prefer not to be put in situations which could become stressful.

There are all kinds of sightings, not just remote/backwoods. In fact, the most are roadside, I believe.

You can go into shock or freeze up while driving if scared spitless. It's happened to me.

And some outdoors people do get the crap scared out of them for years following an encounter in the woods.

Edited February 27, 2013 by QuiteContrary

[Wyverna]

Hm, I actually don't know. I'd probably scream and do all sorts of idiotic stuff.

Maybe it depends on the person. A person with less experience in the wilderness who is scared easily might faint. Or maybe it's because you're body tells you to run or fight instead of fainting.

Just throwing out guesses.

[*Frank*]

I'd say we don't hear stories of people fainting when they see Bigfoot because... well, they fainted... so they don't know what happened after that. It's not much of a story to tell.

"So there I was in the woods, practising my out of focus shaky camera shots when suddenly something came charging out of the bushes at me!"

"Wow! What was it?"

"I don't know, I fainted."

"Was it big, small, hairy?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think it was Bigfoot?"

"I was unconscious and I pooed myself."

"Oh..."

"...yeah."

[scowl]

A better question is why don't people take a picture of it?

I have an answer. My girlfriend and I saw a bear behind us on our trail last summer. Instead of grabbing my camera with the 200mm lens and taking an awesome picture, we both tore open our backpacks to find our bear spray. After we found it at the bottom (where else would it be), we then quickly read the directions so we wouldn't end up spraying it in each other's faces. We both felt like the opposite of fainting.

After the bear wandered off the trail and back into the tree line, I then remembered my expensive camera. I can see this happening to other people who have unexpected experiences.

[Q-C]

A better question is why don't people take a picture of it?

I have an answer. My girlfriend and I saw a bear behind us on our trail last summer. Instead of grabbing my camera with the 200mm lens and taking an awesome picture, we both tore open our backpacks to find our bear spray. After we found it at the bottom (where else would it be), we then quickly read the directions so we wouldn't end up spraying it in each other's faces. We both felt like the opposite of fainting.

After the bear wandered off the trail and back into the tree line, I then remembered my expensive camera. I can see this happening to other people who have unexpected experiences.

Sure, I don't doubt that happens at all.

But I know what a bear is, not a giant beasty. And I couldn't count on bigfoot spray on my belt. Though I'd use bear spray if necessary.

Not everyone responds the same to the same situations.

So where are those who've fainted, froze, gone into shock, and suffered heart attacks after going eye-to-eye with a bigfoot?

Some of the people bears and other wildlife do kill (and consume), maybe fainted, went into shock, had a heart attack, etc.

[keninsc]

My dear lady? Do you not know that the BFRO has determined that Bigfoots in all their variants, are immune to pepper spray, mace and other such things.

Two demerits for not keeping up with the breaking news....when they break it on the show.

Now, on a more serious note, you mentioned be frozen with fear, on the first page. I have seen this happen to new guys in Nam, hell it happened to me. Suddenly, you come under enemy fire for the first time and it's not a drill and you simply freeze for a moment. One of the old salts knocked me down......and.....uhm.......gave me highly personalized counseling. A few months later it was me doing the knocking down and counselling.

Marines love to counsel their brethren.

Edited February 28, 2013 by keninsc

[Q-C]

You're right. When it comes to bigfoot, nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop it. Apparently.

[keninsc]

You're right. When it comes to bigfoot, nothing, and I mean nothing, can stop it. Apparently.

Gives me a couple of Marines and we'll stop him.

[Tia]

The most common psychological response to a major incident is not to faint but rather to go into the flight or fight state.

Maybe after encounters some people do go into a bit of a 'shocked' or nervous/ jittery state but survival is a humans primary concern, just look at scowl's post about the bear and the spray rather than the camera.