I Am Not a Soldier, but I Have Been Trained to Kill

The authors conclusion honestly makes me feel sad for her and misses the point entirely. I personally think she did a bold thing and tried something that obviously was out of her comfort zone (and should be commended), but the takeaway was wrong.

The takeaway as written: "That by rehearsing for a situation, we were, in a small way, calling it into being". I cannot disagree with this more strongly.

Practice means you don't panic & freeze when the real thing happens, rehearsing anything is to make you proficient, develop muscle memory and to so your brain doesn't freeze (fight or flight is better then freeze). Dr's and paramedics do simulated training (rehearsals) all the time for the same reason, does that mean they are calling peoples worst day into being? No of course not. Martial artists train constantly using different scenarios (and weapons) and how to respond, are they wishing those situations into being? No of course not, in all these cases they are simply preparing themselves to have as calm a mind as possible when it does occur because they have the skills and their brain has already seen that or similar scenarios.

As alien and disturbing as it feels as a European, I guess that if you must have a gun you better learn how to use it properly. In a gun camp though?

I have met somehow similar people organizing "prepared / survivalist camps" kind of stuff, but they were more political than practical.