ABSTRACT
Fear is a fundamental emotion in the human experience, driving many of the decisions made in life and business. The basic human response to fear is a unique combination of the physiological and the psychological. Many environmental conditions can cause fear, including overstimulation, cognitive incongruity, and response unavailability. More than any natural danger, fear represents the first treacherous threat to navigating The Wild. While Joe Kane's expedition dealt with enormous rapids, food rationing, and interpersonal conflict, oppressive fear was the expedition's most insidious companion, creating internal factions that nearly led the expedition to self-destruction. Joe Kane tried to distract himself by journaling but found the fear of the river creeping through his mind. What Kane was developing was a memory trigger based on an unconscious association between the river and his ongoing fear of losing control. Once a memory trigger is formed, it takes incredible willpower to overcome.
