Why do we as humans love to seek the thrill of adventure? To explore the edge of the unknown.
And interestingly, we never seem to get enough of it. "We" here, specifically means our mind, in its ability to imagine and dream without our active conscious involvement.
I suspect that the real cause of this situation is located somewhere in the distant past of our evolution.
For me, I consider myself an active seeker but what exactly I'm seeking is not always clear to me. Intuitively, it's like knowing something without knowing how or why you know something.
But thanks to the sway of emotions and the hard logic of the rational mind, this inner knowing is always overshadowed by these two opposing forces, hence the lack of clarity.
Arguably, one could say a reason why we love the thrill of adventure (besides the expanded state of conscious experience that it brings) is that it serves as a gateway for clarity.
In my own case, meditation is an example of an expanded state of conscious experience, relatively out of the mind, remotely out of the body. But this in a strict sense may not be called an adventure.
Because an adventure is anything with an unpredictable outcome, and meditation is less of an outcome and more of a state of being.
A Short Escape
Outdoor activities like hiking, mountain climbing, skydiving, or sea sailing are better suited to fit into this category. But the underlying principle is that both bring about an expanded state of conscious experience.
Now, how does clarity come as an effect of that?
Well, it's quite simple. Through the expanded state of consciousness, we lose, even momentarily, the fogginess of life, as in the heaviness caused by being so entrenched in the mundane.
Adventures provide this clarity by offering a detachment from our daily routines, which allows us to see life in a different view, perhaps, seeing the bigger picture with less clutter.
Also, there's an "element of reset" that our mental and emotional state goes through with enhanced cognitive function and a fresh perspective. I think this tangible effect of novelty is a good contributor towards our true aspirations.
Any form of intense physical movement, especially in nature, can mimic the meditative effects of sitting in silence, yet with the added thrill of the unknown.
The point of the matter, adventures can take us out of our comfort zones or mundane everyday existence, and in doing so, they peel away layers of unnecessary complexity, revealing a more straightforward and clearer view of our lives.
This could also be why, after an adventure, we sometimes feel more connected, re-animated and clear about our direction in life. The keyword is clarity.
Thanks for reading! Share your thoughts below on the comments.