Extreme

Extreme by Emma Barrett and Paul Martin “examines extraordinary human endeavour and the psychological qualities that underpin it.”

The authors are interested in assessing the psychological benefits and damage brought on by encounters with extreme environments – mountains, the deep ocean – and extreme activities like cave diving. They want to “understand what happens, both mentally and physically, to people at the limits of human experience,” and how their extreme encounters plays out in their un-extreme lives and relationships.

Stress is a central theme. Extreme environments induce stress, but the individual’s experience of stress depends on a variety of factors: “Much depends on the person’s assessment of their situation and of what they might do about it. This assessment process, which is known as cognitive appraisal, is crucial to how individuals deal with stressful situations.” People cope with stress through social contact, and by observing and imitating others who respond to stress well. Calm under stress is, it seems, infectious.

Most of those who put themselves into extreme settings don’t want to cope. They want to thrive, and “a growing body of evidence shows that many people who spend time in extreme environments find it a positive experience that enhances their well-being.” Small doses of stress are good for the soul: “Coping with moderate stressors can have a psychological toughening effect, making individuals better able to cope with stressful situations in the future. . . . Exposure to mild, acute stressors can be stimulating and enjoyable,” lending a “sense of mastery and achievement that comes from coping with extreme challenges can bring lasting satisfaction and happiness.”