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
> 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!
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