Arachnophobia (fear itself).

[Fred Leggett]

I think there's an adrenaline branch that has a root limb. For example, riding a rollercoaster versus walking down a dark alley. The adrenal glands are pumping like mad, but for different reasons and results. it also heavily depends on your personality type. Men tend to be risk attracted while women are generally risk averse. That said, it's a little surprising that there are seemingly just as many female T enthusiasts as males (if YouTube is anything to go by).

 

[Garth Vader]

I think there's an adrenaline branch that has a root limb. For example, riding a rollercoaster versus walking down a dark alley. The adrenal glands are pumping like mad, but for different reasons and results. it also heavily depends on your personality type. Men tend to be risk attracted while women are generally risk averse. That said, it's a little surprising that there are seemingly just as many female T enthusiasts as males (if YouTube is anything to go by).

Yeah, in my experience it is all about what is more reinforcing to someone's particular brain and makes them more likely to seek out an experience like that again. Some might find that a rush of adrenaline and endorphins to be very reinforcing and will seek it out more and more. Where others might be more reinforced by a lack of problems or issues, and prefer the calmness. Hormonally, women tend to experience more oxytocin than men, which is the "nurturing" hormone, so that might be why there can be more risk aversion (although exceptions abound, of course) and more emphasis on caregiving and relationships (again, exceptions abound). I will say that I personally think the neurotransmitter of oxytocin is pretty awesome stuff, and I'd prefer that to an adrenaline rush any day (which feels more exhausting and depleting to me).

 

[FrDoc]

I was thinking about this when there was a thread comparing keeping Ts to riding motorcycles. It does seem like it can be an adrenaline/ risk taking kind of hobby for some, which would be really rooted in fear. I have found it interesting that my Ts made me pretty nervous at first and I'm pretty comfortable (always cautious) around them. I tend to be pretty risk averse though and you're a lot more likely to find me reading a book with a blanket than doing anything extreme, but well, I keep NW Ts.



It is REALLY exciting to unpack Ts though. It's like Christmas but more exciting.

Ha! I appreciate your comparison with the hobby and motorcycles. My only means of transportation is a Honda Valkyrie.

 

[Fred Leggett]

Ah, oxytocin. If only I could collect it...harvest it...siphon it...bottle it. Dubai would tremble.

Another skeevy film I just remembered was "Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo", also released in 1977 (coincidence? Suuuurreeee.), starring Claude Akins and Pat Hingle. Also had Howard Hesseman of WKRP fame. The one sheet is very intense and delightfully seventies-ish:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076798/mediaviewer/rm2428625920

(That woman needs a barrel of Xanax.)

Holy balls! I just ran across an IMDB entry for yet-to-be-released "Kingdom of the Spiders II"! In 3-D!! Assuming they're using real spiders, can you imagine that projected in 70mm? Every psychiatrist on the planet would be booked solid for months.

 

[darkness975]

TreeHugger, I really can't see myself obtaining a T. Not due to fear, but rather because I likely couldn't help myself and would futz around with it. And then I'd get tagged. And then I'd discover I was allergic. And then I wouldn't have an Epi-pen nearby. And then I'd have to be medically transported. And then I'd have to be hospitalized. And then I'd be bankrupt due to lack of insurance. And then I'd have to liquidate my assets just to survive. And then I'd be living underneath a bridge somewhere looking like fried Nick Nolte.
America is great.

@Fred Leggett Never say never. Sadly I share your assessment of the American health care system, but if you obtain a New World species that is more sedentary and train yourself to treat it like a fish and not to "futz around with it" it would be beneficial for both yourself and the Spider.



Many here were Arachnophobic and acquiring a Tarantula helped to counter that.


Side note, if you add an @ symbol in front of the person's username, it will tag them like this @Fred Leggett