Resources > Devotions Hear the Tiger Roar Posted by Rev. Jeff Dixon, Senior Equipping Minister, Covenant Community Church on Nov 9, 2003, 07:30

A devotion that is a part of the KNOW FEAR collection of resources from CCC

One of the most majestic of all creatures is the tiger.

For many years these big beautiful creatures have puzzled researchers. It seems that when tigers hunt they have a remarkable capacity for causing their prey to paralyze with fear, a capacity greater than any of the other big cats. As the tiger charges toward its hapless prey it lets out a spine-chilling roar. Now you’d think this would be enough to cause the prey to turn and run for its life, but instead it often freezes and soon becomes tiger food.

At the turn of this century (end of the year 2000) scientists at the Fauna Communication Research Institute in North Carolina discovered why you’re likely to freeze on the spot rather than run when the tiger charges.

When the tiger roars it lets out sound waves that are audible – the ones that sound terrifying – and its also lets out sound at a frequency so low you can’t hear it, but you can feel it. And so, as the tiger emerges from the undergrowth the flashing of its colors, the sound of its roar and the impact of the unheard but felt sound waves combine to provide an all out assault on your senses.

The effect is that you are momentarily paralyzed, so even though there may be time to avoid the tiger, you are tricked into standing still long enough for the tiger to leap on you.

Now I have no idea whether they are right or wrong…it is their research and I have no intention of testing it. However it fits into some of the things we have been thinking about in our Know Fear series.

Our fears often operate in the same way. They paralyze us into inactivity, even when the real threat is not immediately upon us. Part of overcoming the challenges before us is to recognize the ability for our fear of what might happen to stop us from dealing well with the challenge.

Remember that….and Know Fear…….