Serpents: What drives the fear and awe..

[MissAvic]

Some people are scared out of their minds when it comes to these scaly critters. Others embrace them with open arms. What is it that so vividly upsets/excites the inner being?

Abrahmic literature teaches of the evil of serpentines, with their split tongues and damned souls, who coaxes Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Punished by God they get banned from Eden.

Buddhism literature tells the tale of how a serpent endured the elements to protect Buddha whilst meditating, hence glory and respect was brought to the snake.

A Cambodian myth explains the emergence of the Khmer people. A serpent princess was sent to destroy the Indian invaders, she was defeated and then presented the opportunity to wed the Indian, she did so and together they ruled the land.

Greek literature has numerous stories on serpents; some of the best know stories are that of Thyphon and Python. Typhon was a serpent with hundreds of heads, Zeus banished him to a volcanic prison, and still today he is the cause of volcanic eruptions.
Python on the other hand was a dragon; she was portrayed as a serpent and was slain by Apollo who envied her.
All these different cultures have different views on snakes.

Personally my culture/religion (being an Afrikaans Christen) had no influence on my opinion about snakes/reptiles. I LOVE THEM.

So including Freud theories, what could be the possible underlying causes of the intense love/fear people have for serpents?

[MacAdder]

Those that have a phobia experience this due to previous bad programming allowing the imagination to do the rest. Accurate education and conditioning can over-ride a basic fear phobia but if the mind is closed forget it.

[Mongoose]

Mac Adder - I agree with most of what you saying, but I get the feeling that "instinct" too plays a roll.

I have a cousin who is 2 years old. I convinced him to stroke a frog the other day, and eventually he did it, but he then immediately pulled his hand back and was grossed out. I was quite surprised at his actions - where did he "learn" it from..

[gaboon69]

The awe? What excites the inner being? Raw nature. Nature is a mysterious random, mind blowing and unforgiving lady. In most ways snakes reflect exactly that. The elements in our civilized lives are so controlled. I often think that that monotonicity is what dehumanizes us most.

[MacAdder]

When I do demos or training I find the kids less prejudice than there parents as I believe that most kids have not been indoctrinated as yet. The general kid can see what you are doing with an open minded were as those who have been pre-programmed are a little more of a challenge but winnable.

The fear of the unknown is just that were a phobia is something experienced or tort with the help of a stretched imagination.

[LeglessDragon]

I think the imagination plays an important role in both awe and fear. The mind is a lot quicker than what it takes us to think. Explination: Before you have touched a snake the mind has gone through the process and decided on an outcome already. Children have not yet developed, fully, this reasoning process. It begins to form at age 1 and is developed over time due to experiances and beliefs (what we are taught to believe).

Between the ages of 1 to 7 years they learn an associated response. The 2yr old that Mongoose mentioned could have associated the feeling of bad tasting porridge with the feeling of the frog (for example).

From the ages 5 and up we learn belief and experiance responses. We hear from others and beleive plus the stories we are told about when we were 2yrs old and encountered a scary snake we believe as truth.

Think of the above, then think of camping at a young age and being told becareful of snakes "snakes bad". Also what beliefs (religion, values, enviroment) we are brought up in. Add to this all the "interesting" stories of monster snakes racing towards you with fangs barred - like the story in the times or sun the other day. The imagination forms a picture/image that plays in your head along with the associated responses and the belief and experiance responses before you have even picked up your hand to touch a snake!

The mind is an amazing place. It is also our decider on all our responses.

[TonyK]

I have often had kids at my place show no fear of snakes .They run up and touch the snakes all smiles.Then the mother will shout or scream and act all stupid and before you know it the kid is crying and suddenly have a fear of snakes.

[LeglessDragon]

I have/had a phobia for thunder. The sound terrified me into a frenzy. Until I had kids. I learnt that if I show fear then they WILL be scared.

We went camping with a group. My son was 2yrs old. There were two other 2yr olds aswell there. The first night there was a major thunder storm. The other mothers held onto their kids and cuddled them and jumped themselves with every strike. I kept myself calm cleaned the caravan. At every strike my son would look at me. I would just shrug my shoulders and continue to do what I was doing (even though it felt like I was being killed!). The other kids were screaming and eventually were bundled in the car and taken home. My son fell asleep. In the middle of the worst thunder storm recorded for that area in history. He slept.

It is part of the associated response. What mom associates fear with the child will also associate fear with. Even with no understanding why.

[warbot]

I love thunder!
I have a few recording of them! Awesome

[froot]

@ Leglessdragon. Good posts, I agree 100%.

[rolandslf]

I agree 100% with LD. A case in point is my 20 month old grandson, this booitjie is absolutely snake crazy, whenever I clean the cages he is there and has to touch each of my snakes or else he will sulk. He also has to kiss each snake, a practice I do not advocate. My 7 year old grandaughter is exactly the same.
Both of these live on the property with us.
My 2 year old grandson however, does not live with us and has very little interest in the snakes and will almost shy away from them.

It has a lot to do with how we are brought up and what we are taught from small.

[MissAvic]

Nice examples leglessdragon. I've seen kids get super hyper over snakes, but mommy/daddy wasn't so thrilled,so i dont always think it's the influence.
Were just like the animals we keep (some try not to accept this) we still have a survival instinct, just like snakey there in his tank. Nature is awesome, and maybe that plays a bigger role in us than we are willing to accept.

[LeglessDragon]

I love child phsycology. Unfortunitly no matter how much you try and stay ahead a child will still surprise you lol!