I have no idea how I avoided going straight into the center of that restaurant. You know how you see news stories about people who drive their cars into beauty salons, convenience stores, etc? I missed it by a foot. The cops and i looked at the tire tracks and we couldn't make sense of it. The tire tracks just turned at the last moment. There was nothing there to change my direction...for some reason I just turned at the last moment. I was heading straight for those windows and my car would have been right into the dining room with those people in there....and somehow I veered left and missed it by a foot. I smacked that rock and I had no idea how I got there.
There were so many cars...so many people around....how did i cross over two lanes, miss a telephone pole by inches, heading straight for the dining room of the restaurant and somehow veer left and hit a rock to stop me?
Hey
Derideo_Te are you sure that is blind stupid luck?
Glad to hear that you are OK and that no one was injured. Yes, take the advice of everyone else and give up smoking because next time you might not be so lucky. Have a full work up too and start taking care of your body. You only have this one and if you don't take care of it no one else will.
Per your question above, no, it wasn't "blind stupid luck". Instead that was your body's instinctive reaction to danger. Your conscience brain was still recovering but your reptilian brain (limbic system) was reacting instinctively via reflexes to avoid the peril posed by the oncoming building.
Many decades ago I was out with friends and I was driving. I had turned to ask one of them who was in the back seat a question when my foot reflexively jammed down on the brake pedal instinctively and I avoided hitting a car that had just pulled out into traffic right in front of me.
How did I know that was happening when I was looking the other way? I didn't know but my reptilian brain picked up his eyes widening and my body reacted instinctively by reflexively hitting the brakes as I turned around to see why I needed to stop. Now I never turn my head to look behind me unless I am backing up.
More reading on instincts and reflexes.
Top 10 Human Reflexes and Natural Instincts - Listverse
Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex
Did you ever wonder how humans are able to move their heads from left to right and still focus on visual images? The vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) is a human reflex movement that stabilizes images on the retina. It accomplishes this by producing a rapid eye movement in the direction opposite to the head movement. For example, when the human head moves to the right, the eyes move to the left, and vice versa. The VOR is vital because people are constantly making small head movements. Individuals who have an impaired VOR usually can’t read because small head movements blur the image.
The VOR works in total darkness and when the eyes are closed. The reflex is one of the fastest in the human body. It has been estimated that the eye movements lag the head movements by less than 10 milliseconds. Today, the VOR can be tested by doctors with the caloric reflex test, which involves injecting cold water, warm water, or air into the ear. When you inject water into the ear, the VOR is automatically triggered. A healthy cerebellum is also essential to the VOR in order to ensure accurate eye movements. People who experience brain damage to the cerebellum often have complicated problems with visual comprehension.
Interesting Fact: Did you ever wonder why you shouldn’t drink and drive? Ethanol (alcohol) consumption can disrupt the VOR, greatly reducing your ability to see. The more intoxicated you become the more blurry your vision is.
The Intuitive Compass
