My phobia's specifically about rollercoasters: the clack-clack of the lift hill, the lack of control, and especially that stomach-drop feeling you get when you crest a hill too fast in a car. No emergency stop button, no pilot, no brake, no way out other than to push through it: that absolutely terrified me. If you've been on 'Pirates of the Caribbean' at Disney World? Even that tiny drop bothered me, I got that awful stomach-drop, tense-tingling, panic feeling going over it. (Some lucky folks won't know what I mean here, because they don't get that stomach-drop feeling. If that's you, I'm envious.)
Over years of making videos, I've been lucky enough to film things that chipped away at what I thought I knew. I did a loop in a glider: I felt the stomach-drop, but not strongly. I got to fly in zero gravity: no stomach-drop, no panic. And I thought, that's odd. Then I got to do high-g, and inversions, and aerobatics. No stomach-drop. Turns out stomach-drop isn't some built-in freefall reaction. It's just fear. You can turn it off: if you're not afraid, then stomach-drop, the thing I hate... it just doesn't happen.
With that knowledge, what was left behind was the core: the phobia of rollercoasters that I've had since I was a kid. Rollercoasters looked really fun. I just needed to not be afraid.
To be clear: I'm not acting (I can't act), I'm not playing it up for the camera. If the phobia or my reactions seem overblown to you, then I want you to imagine whatever it is that you're scared of, whatever it is that you would never ever want to meet, whatever the basic, animal part of your brain screams about. Spiders, clowns, deep water, whatever it is that sets all your nerves on edge. I want you to imagine that in just a few minutes, you'll be meeting that. This was a big deal for me.
9 Comments
BSRDon't worry Tom. That bird you heard isn't real. Birds Aren't Real, Tom.
A realization that the thing he feared the most, brought him a joy that he might not have ever known but now knows he is braver than he knew.
Maybe I SHOULD go over Niagara Falls in a barrel! That should cure my fear of going to jail and being someone's bitch.
lucky760What's the TLDR? Did he conquer his fear?
surfingytgood for him! i used to fear rollercoasters then somone told me "youre not going to die so just have a good time."
simple statement but it made the difference. knowing that death isnt gonna happen i now go on the craziest rollercoasters i can find and try to ride as many as i can. the scarier the better!
newtboyThey told me the same thing in the 70’s so I gritted my teeth and rode the Texas Cyclone in Astroworld, a huge wood roller coaster, and the very next day someone died falling off the same coaster.
Soon after they replaced the automotive seat belts with a lap bar.
good for him! i used to fear rollercoasters then somone told me "youre not going to die so just have a good time."
simple statement but it made the difference. knowing that death isnt gonna happen i now go on the craziest rollercoasters i can find and try to ride as many as i can. the scarier the better!
surfingytyeah people still occasionally die on them even nowadays. According to the googles its about 4/year. So you can still confidently ride knowing you're (very very very...) unlikely to die.
They told me the same thing in the 70’s so I gritted my teeth and rode the Texas Cyclone in Astroworld, a huge wood roller coaster, and the very next day someone died falling off the same coaster.
Soon after they replaced the automotive seat belts with a lap bar.
newtboyI could…if the closest one wasn’t over 300 miles away!
I admit I was scared to ride the Cyclone, the fastest wooden roller coaster at the time, but in my defense I was 7.
yeah people still occasionally die on them even nowadays. According to the googles its about 4/year. So you can still confidently ride knowing you're (very very very...) unlikely to die.
eoesays...The funny thing is that, assuming he drove to the park, that was far more dangerous than the rollercoaster.
If you're not afraid of driving in a car, you shouldn't be afraid of rollercoasters or planes.
But, at the same time, I know the important word is irrational fear. So, it is what it is.
spawnflaggerAnd probably 3 out of 4 of those was the rider doing something stupid (EIA), where they would still be alive if they weren't effing around and finding out.
According to the googles its about 4/year. So you can still confidently ride knowing you're (very very very...) unlikely to die.
moonsammyVery much so! It's worth watching, he's generally been a very authentic presenter, and he really doesn't shy away from being exposed here. Plus the footage of him on the 2nd and 3rd coasters is awesome - on each ride he goes through a major transformation in mood and it's really fun to watch.
What's the TLDR? Did he conquer his fear?
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