We recently watched an episode of the Tv show Unexplained Mysteries.IT showed three expriences of ppl who survived challanges when they shouldn't have been able to.
One experience was that of two Eskimo friends.We tunned at this point,so we must give a disclaimer as to names and exact places.One man had fallen through the ice with his sled and his friend was able to escape but unable to get him out.
Now this was obivously freezing cold water,and after trying for some time to pull him out,his friend had to leave him there floating and hanging onto his sled,while the friend walked seven miles back to their village to get help.The friend walking was wet and nearly succumbed to hypothermia before he made it to the village after four hours en route.
Amazingly,when the villagers raced to where the victim had been left,he was still alive and later recovered completely.One Trick he used which he had learned from an elder in his village was to tell himself that the water wasn't really cold.He consciously used his mind to change his perception of the temperature.He was also determined that he would not die and would see his family again.It was an incredible act of will.Another intresting point mentioned was that he was not afraid.He had lived in this environment all his life and in this emergency,identified himself as a bear going into hibernation.