Life is a Carnival

Fiesta encourages enterprise; the kind that is associated with the feeling of euphoria. In has come the season for special events such as beauty pageants, the presence of bargains shops with commodities with higher prices than usual, and of course, the carnivals. It seems to be one of the secular highlights of a fiesta, especially since it presents itself as a wholesome venue for time-out for families and friends, especially among adolescents and young adults. Now, what I don’t get is what need rides satisfy in human beings. Definitely it does not serve as nourishment, nor is it therapeutic. It doesn’t serve as shelter from danger. On the contrary, have not there been cases of accidents on rides? I do understand the gratification that a viewer gets from watching a film or a concert; and that does not bear similarity with the pleasure that is observably derived in being tossed and twirled around in a coach, sometimes with the additional effects of splashes of water, scary characters and sudden twists and turns. But riders seem to be definitely delighted after a raucous ride. Furthermore, there seems to be a system of hierarchy among the rides. The carousel seems to be reserved for younger children since it just goes around in a slow pace. The bump cars seem to be higher a few notches, but reigning at the top is the roller coaster or any of its variants. It appears then, that aside from the supposed amusement, the rides are a show of strength against velocity (or whatever you may call it).

“Perhaps the draw of roller coasters is the enjoyment of the visceral sensation of fear itself, much like watching a horror movie. Physical signs of fear such as a pounding heart, faster breathing and an energy boost caused by the release of glucose are known collectively as the “fight or flight response”. We know that a roller coaster ride is likely to trigger this response thanks to researchers who measured the heart rates of riders on the double-corkscrew Coca Cola Roller in 1980s Glasgow. Heart beats per minute more than doubled from an average 70 beforehand to 153 shortly after the ride had begun.” (theconversation.com› the-psychology-of-roller-coasters-) Another possible reason for its appeal is the freedom to act wildly. Riders seem to look forward to and derived fun from being scared and screaming. Riding roller coasters is about the need that some people have to seek thrills and take risks. “Roller coasters are a way of breaking out of the humdrum and expectations of everyday life. You can let it all go and scream and shout or do whatever you want.” (https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org)

It seems that it is embedded in human nature to employ expenses or apply resources to enjoy the visceral sensation of fear itself and the freedom to act wildly. Along the line of the sensation of fear is predation (the action of attacking or plundering)which in the context among humans would be bullying, harassment, abuse, theft and corruption. Another visceral sensation is addiction which comes in the form of substance abuse ranging from alcoholism to illicit drugs. (https://www.frontiersin.org, https://www.andrew.cmu.edu) Other forms of “wild” or uninhibited behavior come across as disruption, aggression or violence. Feasibly, towards one end of the curve, of the spectrum, other people would have more propensity to seek the satisfaction of the need of the visceral sensation of fear, of socially improper behavior. Maybe the satisfaction of the need of this visceral sensations is the reason that prompt some to persist in disruption. Maybe this is the reason that convicts persist in impropriety, aggression, corruption that they may have even awakened their ward’s primordial ambiences that they have all joined together in an ecosystem of exploitation; or has the system for decades been already instituted in insubordination that new inmates only degrade its status. Perhaps it is this visceral sensations that lead men to partake into a throng of obvious physical pain and discomfort and possible contusions, all in the name of religion. Perhaps we annually witness an outgrowth, a physical manifestation, a satisfaction of the need and freedom to act wildly, carried out in the context of faith. Perhaps it is these same visceral sensations that drive upperclassmen to inflict pain on plebeians to supposedly prepare their resolve as cadets, so that they would not break when faced with the enemies. It is, perchance this need to act wildly that drives academics to initiate neophytes through gauntlets for some honorable cause in the name of brotherhood. And since these are visceral sensations rooted into the central nervous system, they would persist, despite the gravity of the consequence.

“Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.” Isaiah 43:1