Hacker News Reader

> I wonder how climbers overcome this?

(Personal experience, and I'm shit, so pinch of salt.)

The difference with what you describe is that you have a time pressure - you're being passively carried into the state where you're afraid and reactions etc come in real time.

Specifically when doing free solo stuff - I have time to "override" my responses if that makes sense? It takes conscious effort but I am moving at my own pace, I can rest, take a deep breath, etc.

Repetition and training, along with conscious intentional recognition and resistance to the automatic response, I imagine. That's how practically any degree of emotional control is always developed.

I'm not generally afraid of snakes, but while hiking at dusk one time I jumped in the air, and THEN realized there was a snake in the path.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_detection_theory