Why Fire Continues to Mesmerize Us
May 13, 20212 min readWalden Backyards
An Old Relationship with Fire
Just from the way our brains are wired, people tend to gravitate towards things that make them happy. After thousands of years of human beings associating fire with not only being warm, but being fed, a change began to happen in the brain, which has been passed down through the generations.
People are the only creatures on Earth that cook their food. In fact, cooking our food is one of the best ways that people can get the maximum nutritional value out of foods. Our primate cousins spend most of the day chewing their food in order to break down vegetables, fruits, leaves, and even meat. But when you cook your food, a dramatic change happens.
- Fire generates heat and infrared radiation, which breaks down fibrous material
- Cooking converts sugars in food, making it easier to digest and better tasting!
- With meats roasted on an open fire, the fats are broken down, adding flavor to the meat,
- The body responds to all of these by saying "this tastes great!"
Fire provides comfort, warmth, and protection
Fire was also instrumental in bringing people together for warmth, as well as protection from predatory animals that fear fire. Today, we are a lot less concerned with where our next meal will come from, and sitting around the fire pit in the backyard sipping your favorite Cab-Sav is a long jump away from hunting and cooking mastodons in the frozen tundra.
Fire is a magical experience
Fire rekindles something in our minds, even in our blood, that our minds consider fascinating. Beautiful to observe. An ever-changing light show that is familiar but never the same every time you see it. A dancing spirit of fire and smoldering coals, reducing the mightiest of trees to ash at our whim.
When we make fire, it's like we have magic at our command. The basic elements of the universe are dancing and crackling and singing for our amusement. It tingles all of the same pleasure sensors we experience when we feel safe and warm and fed.
Contact us to see how you can make your own memories of fire today!
