I’m planning on skydiving next week and I’m real excited, and got even more excited when I read that skydiving doesn’t trigger that unpleasant “stomach drop” sensation because the plane is moving close to the same speed as the speed you fall as you approach terminal velocity. I like riding roller coasters but the stomach drop is always the worst part of it for me. Strangely enough I was just playing through Sekiro and was dismayed to experience the stomach dropping effect as I had to leap from a huge cliff into the abyss in a sequence in the game. I guess I’m confused. Obviously I wasn’t really falling, so it was purely psychological in nature. Will I feel the stomach drop after all as I plummet to Earth when I jump out of the plane?
So Is the stomach drop sensation subjective and actually has nothing to do with the physics of actually falling? I’m still going to do the dive! Feel the fear and do it anyways!
In: Physics
Not a doctor or scientist, but it probably varies from person to person. Personally, I get positional vertigo, and I don’t play Fortnite, but I’ve watched somebody else play and the part where the players are dropped down to the map made my vertigo act up (just one example). If you have any kind of VR device, maybe you could try a VR skydiving thing to see if it gives you any problems before you go?
You don’t get the stomach drop jumping out of a plane because you’re not falling straight down. The plane is flying slow and level , your acceleration is gradual for about 15 seconds
I’m scared of heights but skydiving didn’t really bother me in that way because it was SO high.
I’ve done over a hundred jumps and never got rid of the butterflies when getting out the plane (or letting go ….. depending on the type of plane)
It’s nothing like video games , it’s way more real.
> I read that skydiving doesn’t trigger that unpleasant “stomach drop” sensation because the plane is moving close to the same speed as the speed you fall as you approach terminal velocity.
Unfortunately you are woefully mistaken. Not only is that not how the plane will be moving, it is also not the reason why the “stomach drop” sensation occurs. That is instead due to adrenaline and cortisol triggering the restriction of blood from the stomach and digestive organs so that it can be used in areas of the body more useful for immediate survival.
This means that it is anxiety which is triggering the sensation, not the movement. A video game in which you are immersed can trigger the anxiety without physical stimulation, and you can expect to feel it cranked to 11 during your skydiving trip. Have fun!
I get the uncomfortable stomach drop feeling on rollercoasters and get easily nauseous even when watching some video games but skydiving was totally comfortable and fun! No gross stomach drop feelings at all. Once you commit, just go for it, don’t second guess it at all, and you will be fine
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