Imagine you are walking in total darkness, and suddenly see something that makes your heart drop straight into your throat. Oh man, the worst feeling, right? Because just ahead of you, sitting right there on the path, is a coiled snake. Instant panic. I mean, your pupils dilate, your breathing spikes out of nowhere. Exactly. Your muscles lock up completely. You get this massive surge of adrenaline. It is pure, unadulterated biological terror. And the thing is, the physical reaction at that moment is entirely real. I mean, your endocrine system has no idea whether it's perception or reality. It just knows it must prepare your body for a literal life-or-death struggle.

Exactly. So you’re just frozen there, sweating, your heart pounding out of your chest. But then the wind blows and the clouds part, even if just for a second. A beam of moonli ...