No matter how scary a big roller coaster may seem, resist the temptation to close your eyes. Your peepers tell your body what's coming next and allow you to adjust accordingly.

Closing your eyes on a roller coaster is a common instinctual reaction to fear, but it can actually make the experience much more physically uncomfortable. Motion sickness often occurs when there is a sensory mismatch between what your inner ear feels (movement) and what your eyes see (stillness). By closing your eyes, you remove the visual confirmation of the turns, drops, and inversions, which can lead to intense dizziness or nausea as your brain struggles to process the rapid changes in equilibrium. Furthermore, keeping your eyes open allows you to anticipate the upcoming movements of the ride; if you can see a sharp left turn coming, your body can naturally brace and lean into it, preventing your head from being whipped against the plastic restraints. While it might feel safer to "hide" from the heights, many riders find that focusing on a fixed point on the track or the horizon actually reduces anxiety and provides a much smoother, more exhilarating ride experience without the lingering after-effects of vertigo.