Head for heights
To have ahead for heightsmeans that one has noacrophobia(irrational fear of heights), and is also not particularly prone tofear of fallingor suffering fromvertigo(the spinning sensation that can be triggered, for example, by looking down from a high place).
A head for heights is frequently cited as a requirement when mountainhikingorclimbingfor a particular route, as well as when paragliding and hang-gliding. It is needed for certain jobs, such as forwind turbinetechnicians,chimney sweeps,roofers,steeplejacksandwindow cleaners. Mohawkironworkers have worked for generations erectingNew York Cityskyscrapers,[1] but the idea that all Mohawk people have an innate skill for doing so is a myth.[2]
Unlike acrophobia, a natural fear of falling is normal. When one finds oneself in anexposedplace at a great height, one normally feels one’s own posture as unstable. A normal fear of falling can generate feelings of anxiety, as well asautonomicsymptoms likeoutbreaks of sweat.In someone with acrophobia, however, the fear of falling arises in situations that would not affect most people, and the fear can be much stronger, out of proportion to the situation.
Causes of fear of falling
[edit]There are logical biological causes offear of falling.Firstly, there is the innate so-called "cliff edge phenomenon", whereby even toddlers, as well as many animals, avoid large drops, even without having previously had a bad experience.[3][4]
Vertigois a separate condition, caused by a destabilization of the posture. When it occurs at height, it is the result of too large a distance from the eyes to the nearest visible solid object and is referred to as "distance vertigo" or "height vertigo". In order to see the object, the head starts to sway imperceptibly, and "location reflex" then causes the body to sway with it. At the same time, the body stabilizes its sense of position using the periphery of theretina,but if the person looks down they lose this stabilizing factor. Thisphysiologicalswaying is normally counteracted by the body'svestibular systemandproprioceptivesense. However, for example, if the person'ssense of balancehas previously been damaged, the risk of falling is increased.
References
[edit]- ^"Booming Out: Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York"(PDF).Smithsonian.Retrieved6 September2015.
- ^"Sky Walking".WNYC.Retrieved6 September2015.
- ^Vertigo: Its Multisensory Syndromesby Thomas Brandt (2003), p. 422. Retrieved 1 Jun 2014.
- ^"Visual Cliff Experiment: OSU Psychology 1100.mp4"– via YouTube.
Literature
[edit]- Martin Roos:Wenn die Höhe zur Hölle wird.In:DAV Panorama1/2008, ISSN 1437-5923
- Pepi Stückl/Georg Sojer:Bergsteigen: Lehrbuch für alle Spielarten des Bergsteigens,Bruckmann, Munich, 1996,ISBN3-7654-2859-0