Yeah, I’ve had something similar happen as well. I don’t think I became particularly talented or more coordinated or anything, but got tunnel vision and red haze, and I wasn’t exactly my lovable self for some period of time*. No pain, no fear, nothing but an overwhelming desire to… well, to destroy the SOB. I’m sure I paid for it the next day, but at the time I didn’t feel a thing.
I doubt anything but insane fury related activities could be accomplished in my case, although bump sounds as if s/he had a bit more control.
Not something to be proud of in this day and age, and I don’t know that pure undiluted rage overcoming terror is the same as berserker, but I sure think it’s possible that berserkers were real. I can kind of remember what it felt like, and can theoretically believe that it’s reproducable in extreme circumstances.
Did the berserkers ever flip out when their side was winning? Or was it a last-ditch response? In Erik the Viking… you know, there are too many Monty Python cast members in that show for me to reference it, I’m afraid.
- Back in the mid-80’s, I 17 or 18 and was getting the crap beat out of me, then everything went red, and then I wasn’t getting the crap beat out of me and my buddy was holding my arms.
Only included this lest someone think I have anger issues or am abusive or something. Pretty sure I’d self destruct if I tried to fight anyone for any reason now.