Are You a Daredevil?

Do you yearn for the thrill of danger or are you reduced to a shivering wreck by the mere thought of it?

People who engage in dangerous sports or who regularly walk the knife edge between life and death report a kind of heightened consciousness. They enjoy the intense concentration on the practical handling that the situation demands, whilst at the same time sensing a sharp appreciation for the splendor of being alive in the proximity of death.

For others of us, the mere thought of climbing a rock face, leaping from a plane or flying a microlight is just too terrifying to contemplate.

Underlying the psychological experiences is biology. In the presence of danger, the hormone noradrenaline streams from the adrenal glands through the body. It diverts blood flow to the muscles and increases heart and breathing rates.

In the brain, noradrenaline acts as a neurotransmitter prioritising attention to incoming information from the senses. It seems that some of us react with a feeling of elation, an adrenaline high, whilst others just want to crumple and die.

How do you react to the adrenaline surge? Do you like your risks manageable or extreme? Do you act impulsively just for the thrill of the unexpected? Or is your idea of danger changing your brand of washing powder?

Take our quiz to find out >>