It's late at night and you're feeling sleepy.
As you tuck into bed, you start getting drowsy and slip off into a deep slumber- but suddenly
instead of a pleasant dream you find yourself in a dark, steamy boiler room... and standing
in front of you is a familiar figure with a black fedora and bladed glove.
Do you stand a chance against him?
That’s what we’ll find out, in this episode of The Infographics Show- You vs Freddy Krueger-
Could You Defeat Him?
Freddy Krueger was a normal family man with a loving family; though under this secret
facade, he was a depraved serial killer who stalked the children of his former classmates,
all of whom had taunted and ridiculed him throughout school, making his life hell.
Torturing and killing the children, he spread their remains throughout town and became known
as the Springwood Slasher.
Eventually he was caught by the police, though a faulty arrest warrant saw him released on
a technicality.
The town took justice into their own hands and burned Freddy alive in his boiler room,
though as he succumbed to the flames, he was approached by three Dream Demons who offered
him the power to stalk and kill through dreams.
Accepting, Freddy became a Dream Demon himself, empowered by fear and gaining power by absorbing
the souls of his victims.
So, say you find yourself face to face in the middle of a nightmare with the fabled
Dream Demon Freddy Krueger- how could you defeat him?
The first strategy will be to remain awake as long as possible, as Freddy is powerless
in the real world and can only strike at you from within your own dreams.
One good way to stop yourself from falling asleep is the use of amphetamines such as
aderral or speed.
As a stimulant, amphetamines speed up messages traveling between the brain and body, and
taken in large doses have the side effect of making it very difficult to go to sleep
while retaining a decent amount of energy.
If illegal drugs aren't your thing, you can try legal drugs such as Modafinil, or perhaps
just take your chances popping caffeine tablets.
However, too much caffeine in your system can lead to irregular heartbeat and seizures,
and staying awake for too long can lead to serious mental disorders such as paranoia,
depression, hallucinations, and even psychosis.
So you're staying awake via a steady stream of caffeine pills or a few hits of amphetamines
every few hours- what now?
Well your first tactic could be to try to find Freddy's remains and have them blessed
by a priest.
As Freddy still has the soul of a man, he is technically being possessed by the Dream
Demons, and as such vulnerable to a Rite of Exorcism.
It's not as easy as just sprinkling some holy water on a bunch of burnt bones though- due
to a rise in the demand for exorcisms in recent years, the Vatican recently held a week long
conference to address the rising tide of exorcisms and discuss concerns over the uneven skills
of the Vatican's current exorcists.
The church warns that would-be exorcists should apprentice under an experienced exorcist,
and the risks of conducting an exorcism while unprepared can be dire.
Perhaps though you can use the threat of exorcism to lure Freddy into the real world.
As a Dream Demon, Freddy has no more power in the real world than you do, and luring
him into reality- or forcing him into it- will completely take away his powers.
However, be warned- he may not have supernatural powers anymore, but he is still armed with
a very dangerous glove full of razor sharp knives.
You can try and take Freddy out one-on-one with some karate skills, but we recommend
instead something far simpler: a Smith & Wesson Model 629.
Armed with a .44 Magnum round, the 629 is a highly portable and extremely powerful sidearm
carried by many American hunters for self-defense against bears in the wild.
Capable of creating an exit wound several inches wide, simply follow the old shooter's
adage: two in the chest and one in the head, and Freddy will be no more.
But suppose you accidentally fell asleep and Freddy lured you into one of his signature
nightmares- what then?
The best, and simplest defense against Freddy is actually quite simple: don't be afraid
of him.
As a Dream Demon, Freddy is unable to harm his victims without first cultivating an aura
of fear.
Freddy accomplishes this by haunting his subjects for weeks, gradually building a sense of dread
within them that empowers him.
Once the fear has grown strong enough, it's a simple matter for Freddy to kill his victim.
So your best defense is to simply not be afraid of him.
The best way to overcome your fear is 6 tricks used by military veterans around the world:
6.
Prepare and Practice- by mentally preparing yourself for your confrontation with Freddy
you can diminish the fear once it actually goes down.
Per US Navy SEAL Platoon Commander James Waters, Navy SEALs spend 75% of their time training
for a deployment, and 25% of their time on the actual deployment.
Once in the midst of a confrontation you've been preparing for, you'll naturally slip
into a state of preparedness, greatly reducing fear.
5.
Laugh- A Stanford University study revealed that people who were trained to make jokes
in response to disturbing images dealt with them in a much better way than those who didn't.
Laughing can also release feel-good chemicals such as endorphin in the brain, furthering
lightening your mood and decreasing the fear.
Maybe try picturing Freddy naked.... or on second thought, maybe not.
4.
Breathing- Fear manifests itself physically with a racing heart and pouring sweat.
You can fight these physical manifestation by lapsing into a pattern of very deep breaths.
Inhale for four seconds and exhale for four seconds, calming your nervous system and putting
you back in control.
3.
Voice in your head – We've all experienced the nagging voice of doubt deep in our brains
during stressful times.
In moments of fear, that voice can become amplified and completely override your own
thinking.
Tell it to shut up.
Mentally shout over these thoughts like many soldiers, who shout words like “faster”
to themselves in order to shift their focus from the fear.
2.
Worst Case Scenario- Much like the first tip to prepare and practice, imagining the worst
case scenario that can happen can mentally prepare you for the emotions that you're bound
to experience, lessening the intensity once they actually manifest.
So picture Freddy ripping your guts out, imagine what it would feel like to have those six-inch
long blades of his in your soft flesh- and then when the time comes to actually confront
him you'll find that the fear you're facing is kind of familiar, and easier to overcome.
1.
Push your comfort zone- Fear typically comes from experiencing the unknown or dangerous.
A simple way to defeat fear then is to constantly push your boundaries and expose yourself to
unknown and dangerous circumstances.
Just like exposure therapy can combat phobias, exposing yourself to more and more scary things
can actually lessen the effect that fear- from any source- can have on you.
So you're not afraid of Freddy anymore- perfect.
Now you're in control of the dream, and Freddy can be your plaything.
While dispatching him in the Dream World isn't a guarantee that he'll stay gone, if Freddy
can't make you afraid anymore odds are he's not going to be coming back anytime soon.
Although we still recommend the Smith and Wesson.
So, how would you defeat Freddy?
Have any tips on overcoming fear?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Also, be sure to check out our other video You vs 100 People - Could You Defeat Them.
Thanks for watching, and as always, don’t forget to like, share and subscribe.
See you next time!