Fear of Roller Coasters

Question:  Some people are afraid of extreme roller coasters. They usually act on this fear and avoid them. Are these people genuinely afraid because they believe the roller coaster is actually dangerous? Or are they “afraid” of the scenes involving roller coaster disasters depicted in horror films, such as Final Destination 3? In addition, many people who have fears of roller coasters describe their fear as being afraid of the roller coaster itself. Although the roller coaster does exist, are they really afraid of the roller coaster, or just the situation they would be in if the architecture failed in some way?

In regards to my first question, I guess I would say that these people are genuinely afraid that the roller coasters are dangerous, although scenes in movies such as Final Destination 3 could very well add to their preexisting fears. I have come to this conclusion because disasters have happened in real life involving roller coasters, therefore these claims that roller coasters are dangerous didn't just come from the movies that depict them. Another thing that makes this fear legitimate is that people who are afraid of riding roller coasters almost always act on this fear by avoiding them.

In regards to my second question, I would say that these people are not afraid of the roller coaster itself. Rather, they are afraid of the situation they would find themselves in if the architecture of the roller coaster failed in some way. The roller coaster only poses a dangerous threat if the architecture fails, therefore these people must be afraid of the situation, rather than the roller coaster itself.

Fictional Reactions?

Question:   In many horror films, someone is sitting or standing at the edge of their bed when something suddenly grabs their ankles and pulls them under the bed. Sometimes when I am sitting at the edge of my bed, with my feet dangling off the side, I think of these scenes. I know perfectly well that there is nothing under my bed. However, I still pull my feet up onto the bed. I am aware that there is no real danger, but I react to the fictional threat anyway. Why do I do this?

After our discussions in class, I have concluded that I must be just playing along with a make-believe game when I react to these fictional threats. As I stated in my question, I know very well that there is no real threat under my bed. I know that if I leave my feet dangling there, nothing bad will happen. However, my reaction to move my feet seems almost automatic, like a reflex. Perhaps this has happened so many times that I just automatically move my feet when the "scary" thought crosses my mind.

I think that although I am aware there is no real threat, I move my feet in order to put the thought out of my mind. Does this mean that I am afraid of the thought of something being under my bed? I am not sure, because I might just be moving my feet to get the thought out of my head, not because I fear it, but because I want to get the annoying thought out of my head and focus on something more important. If I don't move my feet, and keep them dangling, then I might start to think of it as a test to see how long I can leave them without getting "scared". I probably wouldn't be able to think about anything else with that challenge in mind.

Overall, I still do not have a positive answer for why I do this. Maybe I am just afraid of the thought itself. However, I still agree with Walton's theory for the most part. The only thing I can be absolutely sure of is this:  next time I find myself in this situation, I will definitely be thinking about this week's topic, and this blog in particular.