After reading heat and cold, I started thinking about people who participate in the polar bear plunge. Everyone feels temperatures differently, some people get cold easily and others are always hot- heat and cold are definitely subjective experiences. This is shown in the polar bear plunge, where participants enter a cold body of water in the middle of the winter as they raise money for charity. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but it’s scary because you don’t know how your body is going to react. Some people do this every year and stay healthy, and there are even tips online for helping your body react after the plunge. However, many people suffer from hypothermia after the polar bear plunge, it sends their bodies into shock and some can’t even swim to safety because of this shock. This is an extreme example, but it’s crazy how differently everyone reacts to the shock of the cold water; and the reading made me realize how, even on a smaller level, heat and cold really are subjective experiences.
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I actually did the polar bear plunge a year or two ago for the first time…it will also be the last time lol. To say the least, it was freezing. Although my body didn’t go into shock and I was able to go in and out of the water successfully, it was extremely painful. Prior to the actual plunge, it was raining and very windy which just contributed to the cold atmosphere and made it worse. Before and after entering the water, I remember the bottom of my feet feeling like pins and needles and it hurt just to support the weight of my body. When I was in the water, I vividly remember not being able to breathe after I fully emerged myself, and for a split second I was nervous that I wouldn’t make it back. Although I hated every minute of it, I am happy that I had the experience. It highlights how powerful the element of coldness really is. HOWEVER I WILL NOT DO IT AGAIN.
That’s so cool!! It really sounds painful and so scary which is why I haven’t really made an effort to do it yet, but it sounds like an amazing experience so I hope I get to do it one day!
You should definitely do it one day, it’s a unique experience!