  We study switching current statistics in different moderately damped
Josephson junctions: a paradoxical collapse of the thermal activation with
increasing temperature is reported and explained by interplay of two
conflicting consequences of thermal fluctuations, which can both assist in
premature escape and help in retrapping back into the stationary state. We
analyze the influence of dissipation on the thermal escape by tuning the
damping parameter with a gate voltage, magnetic field, temperature and an
in-situ capacitor.
