How do you physically feel on a rollercoaster?

The seat pushes on your back, the muscles in your back push on some of your organs and those organs push on other organs. That's why you feel the ride with your entire body. Everything inside is being pushed around. Normally, all the parts of your body are pushing on each other because of the constant force of gravity.



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In a coaster that has seats facing backward, the rear car offers the best of both worlds -- you get a great view and the most intense ride.

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Perhaps the draw of roller coasters is the enjoyment of the visceral sensation of fear itself, much like watching a horror movie. Physical signs of fear such as a pounding heart, faster breathing and an energy boost caused by the release of glucose are known collectively as the “fight or flight response”.

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The excitement of roller coasters can get a person's heart pounding. A person's body releases neurochemicals like dopamine and adrenaline, and the experience can be thrilling and delightful. Studies have found such excitement can also lead to heart palpitations and arrhythmias.

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The same can be said for this phenomenon on roller coasters. “You feel very light at the top of loops, but heavier than usual at the bottom” (Boston University).

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Tip 1) Go with family or friends, as they will comfort you and make you feel less scared. Tip 2) Sit in the front, so you can see what's coming. Sitting in the middle is fine too, so you feel protection on both sides. Tip 3) Go on less scary rides first, and work your way up to the more intense ones.

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Traditionally, the coaster cars are pulled up the first hill by a chain; as the cars climb, they gain potential energy. At the top of the hill, the cars have a great deal of gravitational potential energy, equal to the cars' weight multiplied by the height of the hill.

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Endorphin is a strong chemical, specifically released to make you feel relaxed and confident. Obviously this explains the natural high you may get from riding a coaster.

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This high g-force can push heads down and have blood rush from your brain down to your feet, which in turn lowers the oxygen level in your brain, which may lead to grey outs, loss of peripheral vision (known as tunnel vision), or temporary blindness.

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Go on coasters that have curving first drops then work your way up to rides with drops straight off the lift, then launch coasters, etc. Roller coasters with big drops that curve on the way down don't have the same pit in your stomach feeling as plunging straight down does. Haven fun!

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Taking a ride on a roller coaster could reduce your levels of anxiety and increase your feelings of happiness and self-confidence, according to Dr. David Lewis following his study at Thorpe Park in England.

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There's a saying in the world of engineering: “If it doesn't shake it's going to break.” Roller coaster structures are designed to sway a couple of inches as the train goes racing by, especially in tight corners and high g-force locations.

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According to clinical psychologist Judy Kurianski, high tempo rides expose us to “good fear.” Our brains perceive the drops and heart-stopping twists to be “safe” and “predictable,” so riding these thrill rides becomes therapeutic, especially as we scream out our anxieties.

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Fear of roller coasters, also known as veloxrotaphobia, is the extreme fear of roller coasters. It can also be informally referred to as coasterphobia. Such a fear is thought to originate from one or more of three factors: childhood trauma, fear of heights, and parental fears that “rub off” on their children.

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