The concept of “quicksand” is interesting. One can argue that it is a geographical formation and not a concept but I’m talking about the concept.

When I was 7 years old, I heard about this concept in a storybook (I don’t remember the name of the book now). It was explained in geographical terms. I always had some bad dreams about it although it was not to a level of nightmare. Later I came to know that it is more myth about quicksand than facts and most of the facts are distorted. Still the mythical descriptions really intrigued me but dreams stopped and thoughts went to some unconscious plane as I forgot about it. Also when I started distinguishing concepts, facts, and myths, I classified my understanding of quicksand as abstract concept. I never thought what after being trapped in a “quicksand”.
It was long before I thought about this subject and then one fine day I suddenly got interested in this subject again while watching the movie “The Replacements”. The football coach (played by Gene Hackman) asked a bunch of players, “What you fear most?” Among lots of funny answers, the hero (Keanu Reeves) came with the answer, “Quicksand”. Everyone had a bewildered look on the face and one of the fellow players even sarcastically said, “It is a scary m@#$.” The coach interrupted to talk about the concept. I don’t want to say the story of movie but it just all flashed in front of me and I almost screamed, “Here it is.” This is what I thought almost 20 years back. I felt so excited and repeatedly watched that sequence of dialogues. Still I never thought about what after being trapped in “quicksand”.

I am again remembering it. Before I move on to say more let me tell you what I mean by the concept “quicksand”. Those who have watched Keanu explaining it in movie, I’ll repeat it for them but in my own words.
“Quicksand” is a state of mind or a situation, in which more you struggle to come out deeper you get into it. Then you will feel all trapped and suffocated. In the end, your existence is destroyed. A chill runs through your spine thinking of such a trap. It is a painful destruction. You can feel all happening but you cannot do anything. If you do something you get trapped more, feel suffocated more. You suffer the most in such a slow destruction. The most dangerous part is that it looks all the same and beautiful till the time you step into it. You don’t know you are stepping into it and when you realize you are into a quicksand it may be late.

I always think of a situation of quicksand. You failed for a purpose. If the purpose is so strong that it supersedes everything else you are doing in life then it is a situation of quicksand. The more you will think for the reasons or the purpose or the things happened, your judgment will be clouded. You will not be able to think of anything other than failures. You will be depressed; it can be minor or major. This cycle will continue – the more you think, you are more depressed.
So is there any way out of this? I think, “Yes”. It is the individual’s “will-power”. Sometime the “will-power” alone will not be sufficient and you need to go in right direction. In such a trap, the right direction is to think of immediate survival; think of immediate goals, think of the next moment only. No quicksand is limitless and once your survive enough to see the limits, you can start thinking to get out of it.

Nothing left to say except that I am in a quicksand. Now I think what after being trapped in “quicksand”. A good thing for me is that I started thinking to come out as soon I stepped into it. Rather I was aware beforehand I’m going to step into it but could not find a way in time to stop myself. I’m depending on my will-power and method. I believe’ I’ll come out.

So it is not the natural beauty or I should say the strangeness that has attracted me to this subject but the psychological manifestations which make you fear it. I am feeling it.