The Urge To Jump

2008-01-24 14:05:15

#1

Microwave: _; +515|6657|Loughborough Uni / Leeds, UK

I was speaking to my friend today about experiences of 'the urge' with referance to when you stand at the top of something high (cliff, building) and you suddenly want to jump....

I read somewhere a few months back that it is to do with your brain mistaking the huge fall as an escape route. As it automatically plans ways to get away from any situation you're in.

I sadly couldn't find what I read before after some googling so if anyone could point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated.

- - - - - - - - - -

Another example I had was when I was driving yesterday, along a country lane, and I remember seeing a sign (irrelevent) and just thinking.... if i turned the wheel hard right now, I could kill myself....easily, it was a really strange thought path, that only lasted a few seconds but was pretty scary.

(And similar in a way, to 'the urge').

Anyone else had any similar experiences?

(It's in D&ST _{rightly or wrongly} because I felt the subject matter was serious and not just general crap).

2008-01-24 14:07:16

#2

Trigger_Happy_92: Uses the TV missle too much; +394|6651

ive held knives and thought, i could just stab myself right now.

2008-01-24 14:08:27

#3

Gamematt: Stocking ur medpacks; +135|6664|Groningen, The Netherlands

Trigger_Happy_92 wrote:
ive held knives and thought, i could just stab myself right now.

Yeah I had that one 2

2008-01-24 14:09:05

#4

HurricaИe: Banned; +877|5963|Washington DC

Yeah. Not really suicidal ideation, but rather just... "if I licked the electrified rail of the subway I'd get electrocuted" or "if I drank this anti-freeze I'd be dead."

Not sure why. Like I said it's not a suicidal tendency or thought.

2008-01-24 14:10:11

#5

DanishHonor: Member; +8|6001|Denmark

Gamematt wrote:
Trigger_Happy_92 wrote:
ive held knives and thought, i could just stab myself right now.
Yeah I had that one 2

Yep...

2008-01-24 14:11:20

#6

S.Lythberg: Mastermind; +429|6449|Chicago, IL

well, anytime I see something expensive and unguarded, i always think: I could steal that right now...

2008-01-24 14:11:48

#7

messfeeder: Member; +31|6529|Gotham

ive held knives and thought, i could just stab you right now.

2008-01-24 14:12:08

#8

cowami: OY, BITCHTITS!; +1,106|6291|Noo Yawk, Noo Yawk

I have a good list of those moments.

"If I happen to drop this X-Acto knife, I could slice off my toe."
"If I happen to cross the street now, I could be hit by this bus."
"If I happen to get shoved right now, I could get run over by this 4 train."

And so on, and so forth. Perhaps it's just something in our psychology saying, "Here's what you can do, DON'T DO IT THOUGH."

2008-01-24 14:12:18

#9

S3v3N: lolwut?; +685|6520|Montucky

I've had the same "urge" when driving over a high bridges, especially over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

2008-01-24 14:13:23

#10

Metal-Eater-GR: I can haz titanium paancakez?; +490|6274

Well i sometimes think "What would happen if i did that now?"

2008-01-24 14:15:51

#11

DUnlimited: got any popo lolo intersting?; +1,160|6465|cuntshitlake

If I drank this beer, I'd get wasted and end up somewhere I don't know with some people I don't know.
And I am stupid enough not to fight that urge.

I should be glad I don't get suicidal, it wouldn't probably end up any good.

main battle tank karthus medikopter 117 megamegapowershot gg

2008-01-24 14:16:38

#12

TSI: Cholera in the time of love; +247|5983|Toronto

well, that's very true. I ws shaving w/ a penknife the other day and I thought--if i turned the blade and pressed a tad harder, I'd be dead. And then I laughed.

I like pie.

2008-01-24 14:16:45

#13

adam1503: Member; +85|6390|Manchester, UK

I think its a way of us subconsciously exploring our own mortality: thats not something we come face to face with very often today, so situations where we are confronted by it hold a kind of novelty about them... but its not fear because all the examples above are situations where there is danger present, but its being controlled (standing on the edge and not jumping, imagining crashing the car but not doing so).

2008-01-24 14:18:31

#14

Microwave: _; +515|6657|Loughborough Uni / Leeds, UK

adam1503 wrote:
I think its a way of us subconsciously exploring our own mortality: thats not something we come face to face with very often today, so situations where we are confronted by it hold a kind of novelty about them... but its not fear because all the examples above are situations where there is danger present, but its being controlled (standing on the edge and not jumping, imagining crashing the car but not doing so).

Yeah, I think that's exactly right. I couldn't quite put it into words but I thought it could be something to do with that.

Well said. +1

And yeah, I've had the knife one too.

2008-01-24 14:19:40

#15

..teddy..jimmy: Member; +1,393|6651

Know what you mean actually...freaky.

2008-01-24 14:19:57

#16

messfeeder: Member; +31|6529|Gotham

Sometimes no matter how many times I hit the parachute key in BF2 it does not deploy and I fall to my virtual death. It leaves me wondering every time whether or not my chute will deploy. Does that count?

2008-01-24 14:20:43

#17

KEN-JENNINGS: I am all that is MOD!; +2,973|6634|949

What you are talking about (regarding the "escape route") is a 'fight or flight' reflex that is innate.

"The urge" is simply another question your mind is asking itself - constantly reevaluating and learning from experience and thought.

2008-01-24 14:21:32

#18

Metal-Eater-GR: I can haz titanium paancakez?; +490|6274

messfeeder wrote:
Sometimes no matter how many times I hit the parachute key in BF2 it does not deploy and I fall to my virtual death. It leaves me wondering every time whether or not my chute will deploy. Does that count?

wow you are so funny! +1!

2008-01-24 14:28:59

#19

konfusion: mostly afk; +480|6552|CH/BR - in UK

I've been standing on the platform of a trainstation, getting this urge to throw myself in front of the train - so I quicly stepped back a couple of feet. I got it when I looked onto the streets from the empire state building as well...
It scares me every time: the urge to throw yourself off...

-konfusion

2008-01-24 14:32:04

#20

Pug: UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate; +652|6544|Texas - Bigger than France

well, sounds like someone needs some Ridilin...j/k

BTW I remember something about this from psychology. We your brain no longer holds this urge "in check" and you begin to act out on these impulses (or having these fantasies affect your behavior) - depending on your motivation for doing so you can be categorized:
schnizoid
paranoid
narcisstic
dependent
obsessive/complusive
autistic

It's the same impluse you have when angry/sad/elated...whatever...if you lose your "filter" for those actions then you'll hit/weep/laugh uncontrollably. Same thing happens when there's a brain injury.

Then there's the subconscious part - your dreams are in the mix too.

2008-01-24 14:33:14

#21

naightknifar: Served and Out; +642|6563|Southampton, UK

Yeah, It's pretty strange but cool feeling when you think about jumping in front of a car - just to know what would happen from then on or what people would react like.

You try to not go through with it though.

2008-01-24 14:35:58

#22

Microwave: _; +515|6657|Loughborough Uni / Leeds, UK

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:
What you are talking about (regarding the "escape route") is a 'fight or flight' reflex that is innate.

"The urge" is simply another question your mind is asking itself - constantly reevaluating and learning from experience and thought.

Yeah, that's another aspect of it that you've explained really well. It's strange there's no mention of it even on wiki - on the fight or flight page.

Thanks for all the input guys

2008-01-24 14:36:12

#23

dave_the_rave23: psn - do_one_ya_mug; +41|5981

i have looked at my wife in the morning and thought '' kill me now ''.

2008-01-24 14:36:38

#24

Funky_Finny: Banned; +456|6134|Carnoustie, Scotland

james@alienware wrote:
I was speaking to my friend today about experiences of 'the urge' with referance to when you stand at the top of something high (cliff, building) and you suddenly want to jump....

I read somewhere a few months back that it is to do with your brain mistaking the huge fall as an escape route. As it automatically plans ways to get away from any situation you're in.

I sadly couldn't find what I read before after some googling so if anyone could point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated.

By any chance were you reading MBUK?
I read the same passage.
Btw, not had the urge since I was about maybe 9, sitting 20 feet up infront of a 20 foot deep lake, wanting to dive in, even though I couldn't swim. Never had an urge like it since.

Last edited by Funky_Finny (2008-01-24 14:47:56)

2008-01-24 14:38:07

#25

messfeeder: Member; +31|6529|Gotham

Really? She wasn't that bad when I hit that.

BF2S Forums The Urge To Jump

Trigger_Happy_92 wrote:

Gamematt wrote:

Trigger_Happy_92 wrote:

adam1503 wrote:

messfeeder wrote:

KEN-JENNINGS wrote:

james@alienware wrote:

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