What Being Tased Feels Like
One of the most daunting non-lethal tools that an operative may encounter is the Taser. While these devices are intended to incapacitate temporarily, the sensations they induce are anything but temporary in memory.
Here, I recount my first-hand experience with a Taser during training, shedding light on the physical sensations during the event and the mental aftermath. It’s the 5 worst seconds of my life, and that’s not counting the after affects. -Excerpt
The Bolt from the Blue
Imagine standing in a room with a sense of foreboding, knowing that in a matter of moments, you will experience an indescribable shock. This is the calm before the storm. When the Taser’s prongs make contact with your body, the first sensation is a sharp, piercing pain, akin to a bee sting, as they penetrate your clothing and skin.
Almost instantaneously, this pain is overtaken by a force that can only be described as a thunderbolt seizing your body. Your muscles contract involuntarily, and it feels like every fiber is being torn apart. You lose control over your movements, and your body stiffens or jerks wildly. Time seems to stretch, and even a five-second exposure feels like an eternity.
The Mind After
When the current stops, you might find yourself on the ground, gasping for air. Your muscles ache as though you’ve run a marathon without any training. The mental experience, however, is what lingers. There is a sense of vulnerability and disorientation; for those few seconds, you were not in control. This can lead to anxiety or even a temporary sense of helplessness.
Additionally, the adrenaline rush may leave you jittery and hyper-aware of your surroundings. Some operatives, myself included, experience a renewed focus and resolve, with a newfound respect for the power of non-lethal tools.
What Happens to the Body?
A Taser works by delivering a high-voltage, low-amperage electrical charge through the body. This charge interferes with the communication between the brain and the muscles, leading to involuntary contractions and incapacitation. The electrical impulses cause the muscles to work extremely hard in a very short amount of time, leading to the fatigue and soreness experienced afterward.
When the prongs of a Taser make contact with the skin, they deliver an electrical current that travels through the body via the neuromuscular system. This current is high enough to cause involuntary muscle contractions but low enough not to cause any serious or permanent injury. The rapid contractions of the muscles are what causes the intense pain and the temporary loss of control over one’s body movements.
Being tased is a profoundly shocking experience in both the physical and psychological sense. It serves as a potent reminder of the sheer power that can be wielded through modern technology, and the vulnerability of the human body. For operatives, it also serves as an education in the significance and responsibility that comes with carrying non-lethal tools.