Australiaunwrapped.com Plane Freezes Odd Things Happen : - Whenever we hear about a plane crash or an earthquake we tend to think of the survivors as the lucky ones. Sometimes it is a matter of being across the street that is the difference between life and death. We shake our heads and marvel at how fragile life is. The devastating earthquake and tsunami in China, the Cyclone in Burma, and numerous tornadoes and wildfires in the us this year remind us that disaster are part of everyday life. Depending upon where we live we become desensitized to them. Recent devastating wildfires in Southern California have many of us focused on disaster preparedness. But survival is not just a product of luck. We can do far more than we think to improve our odds of preventing and surviving even the most horrendous of catastrophes. In some cases it is only a matter of preparation such as bolting down your water heater before an earthquake. But there is also a mental conditioning. Each of us has what is called a "disaster personality," a state of being that takes over in a crisis. The fact is, we can refine that personality and teach our brains to work more quickly, maybe even more wisely. There is a complete industry that tests people and studies how their bodies and minds operate under extreme pressure. The military, police, and pilots conduct experiments to try to predict who will stand up to pressure or crumble under extraordinary situations. They train their people to anticipate the strange behaviors they will encounter at the worst of times. Regular people can learn from that knowledge, since they may be the first responder.