ELi5: Why when standing on something very high I feel like I am getting pulled in? Ex an edge of a building or a cliff.

647 views

Not sure if it’s just me but every time I go hiking or when we travel to the top of structures when I look over the edge it feels like I am getting pulled in or over the edge.

In: Other

3 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Vertigo. Most people naturally have a reaction of lightheadedness to large, sheer drops. We have this reaction because it’s unpleasant and makes us instinctually pull back from the edge. Our ancestors who didn’t have a strong reaction to the potential of lethal falls would die by falling more often than the ones who did, and so we are the ancestors of people who were afraid of cliff faces.

You are viewing 1 out of 3 answers, click here to view all answers.