Quicksand Fans

I have long wondered why there is such a deep seated fear of quicksand, even though it has long been proven that quicksand does not pull you under like we have been led to believe. This fear also leads to a fascination with the subject. Which is probably why it comes up in movies and books far more often than in real life So I tried to come up with some ideas.

1.The idea of being sucked in and helplessly sinking probably goes back long ago. The clothes that people wore in the past were not something good to have on if you fell into water, let alone quicksand. Men wore boots, usually, and coats. Women wore dresses that really covered them up. I remember one time when I was a child going into our pool wearing the regular clothes I had on instead of changing into my swimsuit. My sweatshirt was so heavy on me, I was not expecting this. So if someone (cowboy, explorer, soldier, farmer) got into quicksand, that persons natural buoyancy was of no value. They really may have experienced a hopeless sinking and may even have exclaimed that they felt like they were being sucked in.

2.Primal fear. I once read that our ancestor's, the neanderthals, had a much different body make up. They were heavier and had a thicker bone density. They had a very hard time, if not impossible, ability to float. Even getting into water over their head was deadly. So somewhere back in the cortex of our brain we may have this fear of getting in over our head.

3.Parental fears/story's. In order to keep little Johnny from going too far off, parents would warn them of quicksand and that they would not be able to get out of it. This may have worked for a lot of kids but for others it just fed their fascination. When I was young my step- father warned me of playing in the creek that was near to this new development we were moving to. Aside from scaring me it also drew me to it. Many times around the age of 9-11 I would go off to play in the surrounding areas in search of quicksand. Many times I came home with muddy pants even though I had boots on with the pants tucked in. The new home construction areas were great for playing in. The open muddy patches were a big attraction. I loved walking around looking for the best ones and pretend that it was quicksand. I can still remember the pleasure I had of watching my boots slowly sink into the ooze. This gave me a sensation that I did not at the time understand. Which leads to …

4.Sex. We've all seen in these columns a lot of sexual association with quicksand.(I suppose the best person to explain this would be a psychiatrist, so if any members happen to be one, feel free to join in.)
That experience I just gave obviously isn't unique to me. The wet, sloppy, slurpiness and the sucking sensation (whether vaginally or orally) has a lot of association with quicksand. I know I think this and if any female forum members want to weigh in that would be great to hear their point of view.

Like I said, these are just my ideas. It would be great to hear other member's thoughts and ideas.

With respect to number 1 below, the idea that clothing will weigh you down in water is, except for a few items such as armor and some boots, almost entirely false. Most clothing actually floats in water and would certainly do so in mud. The idea is almost certainly based on the observation that the wet clothing DOES weigh one down when an attempt is made to lift a clothing-laden limb above the surface. The idea that the experience of others in the past would somehow be inherited, by some means other than direct communication, is pretty much the completely discredited concept of "race memory."

With respect to number 2 below that is pretty much the "race memory" idea again.

Numbers 3 and 4 have some likely validity, I think.

quickman wrote:I have long wondered why there is such a deep seated fear of quicksand, even though it has long been proven that quicksand does not pull you under like we have been led to believe. This fear also leads to a fascination with the subject. Which is probably why it comes up in movies and books far more often than in real life So I tried to come up with some ideas.

1.The idea of being sucked in and helplessly sinking probably goes back long ago. The clothes that people wore in the past were not something good to have on if you fell into water, let alone quicksand. Men wore boots, usually, and coats. Women wore dresses that really covered them up. I remember one time when I was a child going into our pool wearing the regular clothes I had on instead of changing into my swimsuit. My sweatshirt was so heavy on me, I was not expecting this. So if someone (cowboy, explorer, soldier, farmer) got into quicksand, that persons natural buoyancy was of no value. They really may have experienced a hopeless sinking and may even have exclaimed that they felt like they were being sucked in.

2.Primal fear. I once read that our ancestor's, the neanderthals, had a much different body make up. They were heavier and had a thicker bone density. They had a very hard time, if not impossible, ability to float. Even getting into water over their head was deadly. So somewhere back in the cortex of our brain we may have this fear of getting in over our head.

3.Parental fears/story's. In order to keep little Johnny from going too far off, parents would warn them of quicksand and that they would not be able to get out of it. This may have worked for a lot of kids but for others it just fed their fascination. When I was young my step- father warned me of playing in the creek that was near to this new development we were moving to. Aside from scaring me it also drew me to it. Many times around the age of 9-11 I would go off to play in the surrounding areas in search of quicksand. Many times I came home with muddy pants even though I had boots on with the pants tucked in. The new home construction areas were great for playing in. The open muddy patches were a big attraction. I loved walking around looking for the best ones and pretend that it was quicksand. I can still remember the pleasure I had of watching my boots slowly sink into the ooze. This gave me a sensation that I did not at the time understand. Which leads to …

4.Sex. We've all seen in these columns a lot of sexual association with quicksand.(I suppose the best person to explain this would be a psychiatrist, so if any members happen to be one, feel free to join in.)
That experience I just gave obviously isn't unique to me. The wet, sloppy, slurpiness and the sucking sensation (whether vaginally or orally) has a lot of association with quicksand. I know I think this and if any female forum members want to weigh in that would be great to hear their point of view.

Like I said, these are just my ideas. It would be great to hear other member's thoughts and ideas.

I used to have a sinking spot that was proper quicksand. In some areas of it it could be quite easy to sink with a good struggle but it would then set like concrete making getting out very difficult indeed, so I do largely agree that quicksand won’t necessarily suck you under.

I do have a sinking spot that is actually a mire rather than quicksand and I know very well that in the right areas of that place that it will take me under with much struggling as once I have sunk into the first foot or so the peat is much softer underneath even at waist depth.

As far as clothes go I always sink in jodhpurs, riding boots and a regency tunic shirt and peat will indeed stick to the fabric making escape somewhat harder.