11 ms·

How flying messes with the mind

109 points by el_duderino 9y ago

mads 9y ago
"Airplane noise and the taste of umami": https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/2044-7248-3-2 https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/2...
ewzimm 9y ago
More precisely: Oxygen deprivation, low air pressure, and low humidity can alter your mood.
- njarboe 9y ago
  Growing up in the high dessert and now living in a more humid, sea level location, I find these conditions do alter my mood - for the better.
- munificent 9y ago
  Those are all true, but I think we will eventually discover that the psychological impact of flights is also real. Being packed in very close proximity to a large number of strangers and having limited mobility and autonomy for hours on end is a really unusual environment to put a hairless primate in, regardless of how well-trained it is. I'm mild-mannered, low key, and non-claustrophobic and even I get stir crazy being cooped up in a plane after a while.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
strictnein 9y ago
The biggest mind bleep for me is falling asleep while taxiing and waking up while landing.
- arethuza 9y ago
  Having caught a lot of flights at about 6am I always regarded being able to sleep through entire flights as a useful life skill ;-)
- magic_beans 9y ago
  I WISH I could do this. You have a rare gift.
  - dalbasal 9y ago
    The trick is believing. Expect to fall asleep as soon as you are on the plane, eat before boarding and avoid coffee. I could never do it until I could. Now I start yawning at the gate.
    - curun1r 9y ago
      > The trick is believing. For those that lack belief, Valium or Xanax should do the trick too. I don't fly international often enough to worry about getting hooked, so 2 pills (one to sleep on the plane and one to force myself to sleep at the right time once I reach my destination) have always made jet lag a easy for me.
      - dalbasal 9y ago
        You Americans are such extremists :). Straight to the hard stuff. Valerian root works pretty well (especially with a small nip) and there are some other lighter options like melatonin. Also sugar pills :) Doctors here don't give you Xanax unless you're having panic attacks.
- jpm_sd 9y ago
  I think you misspelled "best possible outcome"
- the_cat_kittles 9y ago
  i have a special talent for falling asleep while taxiing, and waking up for takeoff.
quuquuquu 9y ago
I despise flying with a passion. I am usually pretty level headed in life, but between the TSA, sardine seating, and assured death if something goes wrong, it is hard to be comfortable. Passing out before take off and waking up after landing would be a DREAM for me! I usually am forced to take 3 benadryl and hope for the best. There's a reason I haven't flown since 2012 :) EDIT: Benadryl = diphenhydramine, which is cheap, non-prescription, and usually acts within 25 minutes. Enough of it can put you out even after you just napped. "You are less likely to be in an accident in a plane than in a car". The above is a true statistic, but more nuance is required. Firstly, the most dangerous situation is driving on a two lane, no barrier highway. This results in head on collisions, which often results in death. If you can avoid that situaion, you are already doing better than most. Additionally, you can control the type of vehicle you are in. A Miata is a deadly vehicle. A large modern SUV is safer. Lastly, when something goes wrong on a plane, it goes /really wrong/. Hijacked = dead. Pilot error = dead. Fire = dead. I don't to be killed or burned or maimed in a plane crash. I don't care if that means I have to drive a large, safe vehicle or avoid traveling in certain situations. It is an idiosyncratic bias of mine, but it is an unnecessary game of russian roulette that has low, but uncontrolable risk. Opting out is the safest choice I can make, per my estimation. Lastly, humans have a low chance of dying in a warzone. But Syrians have a higher chance. Avoid being in a war zone. Statistics are your friend, averages are not.
- sanswork 9y ago
  If it helps 96% of people involved in airplane accidents actually survive.
  - vog 9y ago
    Also, travelling by plane is safer than by train and especially safer than by car. Really, as a rational person, you should be scared by the road more than by any other type of transportation. It's just that all those deaths are scattered across the time axis, while for planes and trains, more deaths happen at once, which is "better" for media coverage.
    - 9y ago
Boothroid 9y ago
I flew twice weekly for 18 months and used to feel dreadful the day after flying.
TACIXAT 9y ago
>There are some studies, however, that show even relatively mild levels of hypoxia (deficiency in oxygen) can alter our ability to think clearly. I do CO2 and O2 training tables for training longer breath holds. [1] I sometimes do these while playing Overwatch. I have noticed that I play like an absolute idiot while I am on a breath hold. I just end up making really tiny mistakes that I wouldn't normally, or running into situations that I shouldn't have. 1. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gix.apneatrainer&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gix.apneatrain...
- curun1r 9y ago
  Interesting...I've also spent a lot of time training in apnea, but I've never tried to test my cognitive abilities while training. Instead, I try to get to a state of meditative non-thought while training since it seems to improve results. So, I'm curious...do the mistakes start immediately or do they only kick in once you're near the end of your hold? The first 1-2 minutes of a hold are so easy for me that I'd be surprised if there were many negative cognitive effects. Also, I used to get pretty severe effects from altitude whenever I'd go above about 10k elevation. But since I've trained apnea, the headaches, nausea and general crabbiness haven't happened and I've even been able to go for ~5 mi jogs. So I'm curious whether people who've trained in apnea would be somewhat resistant to the effects of flying just because our training has pushed us so far beyond the effects of flying that our bodies are accustomed to it. Of course it's also possible that we'd still be feeling the effects and just have a blind spot to it because we're more used to noticing the end stages of oxygen deprivation.
  - TACIXAT 9y ago
    I'm pretty new to it, so my rounds are only just above 1 minute. I might just not have the CO2 tolerance yet, but I definitely notice some cognitive effects. My blood oxygen saturation during these generally stays above 90%. I'll try pay more attention to when the issues kick in and measure my blood oxygen then. I've read that it's around 50% saturation that you're in danger of passing out, and most oximeters are only accurate to 70%. I've gotten no where close to those numbers though, so it's likely just lack of CO2 tolerance.
davidmurdoch 9y ago
I actually enjoy flying (the being in the air part). I've flown with Southwest 12 times in the past year (all for pleasure, no business or family-related travel) and have had some terrible flights (like 2 hours sitting taxiway with no AC in July in Florida), but I still enjoy the flying part. My flying tips: 1. Travel with someone who also enjoys traveling. 2. Be well rested. 3. Drink tons of water the day/evening before so you are well hydrated. 4. Chapstick and hand lotion. 5. Bring your own entertainment, like downloaded Netflix shows. 6. Bring your own snacks. 7. Research the airports you'll need to navigate ahead of time so you don't stress yourself out. 8. Study the ground features as you take off and land. There are beautiful differences and unexpected sights you'll notice when looking for them, even in your home town. 9. Don't drink the alcohol, even when it's free. Of course, if you are afraid of dying, heights, or falling I doubt any of these tips will help you. My experiences are on short US flights from/to Orlando, so planes are generally filled with cheerful Disney-going people. This study was done by Europeans, presumably accustomed to European flights, whose "economy class" flights are pretty uncomfortable and bleak, at least from my very limited experience flying around Europe.
- kitten_mittens_ 9y ago
  You sound like you’ve never flown Lufthansa (economy). Plane food, I think, is illustrative of how far most airlines in the US have fallen.
  - ghaff 9y ago
    I'm probably unusual but I actually prefer the elimination of a lot of in-flight food service. The food was a bad joke in economy for as long as I remember (which is a long time), it's disruptive if you're trying to sleep or use the aisle, and it stinks up the cabin. Yes, you get over 7 hours or so and it's necessary but, if eating on a flight is important to you, there are lots of options to bring on sandwiches/snacks.
    - Scottopherson 9y ago
      I'm with you. I always book window seats now so I don't get bothered by the person next to me who has to partake in every single item offered by the flight attendants and/or has to get up to go to the bathroom multiple times on a three hour flight. As an added bonus I don't feel pressured by the person next to me to immediately standup when the plane gets to the gate.
Mc_Big_G 9y ago
I just flew on a new Boeing 787 which claimed during the taxiing video to have light and air pressure systems that minimize jet lag. I've never felt better after both 10+ hour flights.
- wenc 9y ago
  This is strictly anecdotal, but I flew a 787 to London (transatlantic) a few days ago, and to be honest I didn't notice any difference (apart from the chemically dimmed windows and the lighting) between it and most of the Airbus planes I've been on. I'd actually venture to say Airbus equipment is a little more comfortable.
catskul2 9y ago
That article was all over the place and is in strong need of an editor.
bob9292929292 9y ago
I've travelled a dozen times for work this year and the best tip I have, although not related to the flight itself, is to wear simple ear plus the entire time in the airport. I hadn't realized just how much all the noise and cross-talk announcements were having an effect but it makes a huge difference.
nunez 9y ago
I fly a lot. I think that the #1 thing that makes people hate flying is being inflexible about time. Transportation in general is complicated and has a lot of moving parts (traffic, weather, accidents, etc.). Expecting transportation to always be on time is a good way to always be frustrated with transportation. So if you book a flight expecting the aircraft to arrive at your destination by a certain time and then have an event planned soon after that, you're going to be VERY upset when you discover that the flight was delayed because of x

109 points by el_duderino 9y ago

mads 9y ago

"Airplane noise and the taste of umami": https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/2044-7248-3-2 https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/2...

ewzimm 9y ago

More precisely: Oxygen deprivation, low air pressure, and low humidity can alter your mood.

njarboe 9y ago
Growing up in the high dessert and now living in a more humid, sea level location, I find these conditions do alter my mood - for the better.
munificent 9y ago
Those are all true, but I think we will eventually discover that the psychological impact of flights is also real. Being packed in very close proximity to a large number of strangers and having limited mobility and autonomy for hours on end is a really unusual environment to put a hairless primate in, regardless of how well-trained it is. I'm mild-mannered, low key, and non-claustrophobic and even I get stir crazy being cooped up in a plane after a while.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

strictnein 9y ago

The biggest mind bleep for me is falling asleep while taxiing and waking up while landing.

arethuza 9y ago
Having caught a lot of flights at about 6am I always regarded being able to sleep through entire flights as a useful life skill ;-)
magic_beans 9y ago
I WISH I could do this. You have a rare gift.
- dalbasal 9y ago
  The trick is believing. Expect to fall asleep as soon as you are on the plane, eat before boarding and avoid coffee. I could never do it until I could. Now I start yawning at the gate.
  - curun1r 9y ago
    > The trick is believing. For those that lack belief, Valium or Xanax should do the trick too. I don't fly international often enough to worry about getting hooked, so 2 pills (one to sleep on the plane and one to force myself to sleep at the right time once I reach my destination) have always made jet lag a easy for me.
    - dalbasal 9y ago
      You Americans are such extremists :). Straight to the hard stuff. Valerian root works pretty well (especially with a small nip) and there are some other lighter options like melatonin. Also sugar pills :) Doctors here don't give you Xanax unless you're having panic attacks.
jpm_sd 9y ago
I think you misspelled "best possible outcome"
the_cat_kittles 9y ago
i have a special talent for falling asleep while taxiing, and waking up for takeoff.

quuquuquu 9y ago

I despise flying with a passion. I am usually pretty level headed in life, but between the TSA, sardine seating, and assured death if something goes wrong, it is hard to be comfortable. Passing out before take off and waking up after landing would be a DREAM for me! I usually am forced to take 3 benadryl and hope for the best. There's a reason I haven't flown since 2012 :) EDIT: Benadryl = diphenhydramine, which is cheap, non-prescription, and usually acts within 25 minutes. Enough of it can put you out even after you just napped. "You are less likely to be in an accident in a plane than in a car". The above is a true statistic, but more nuance is required. Firstly, the most dangerous situation is driving on a two lane, no barrier highway. This results in head on collisions, which often results in death. If you can avoid that situaion, you are already doing better than most. Additionally, you can control the type of vehicle you are in. A Miata is a deadly vehicle. A large modern SUV is safer. Lastly, when something goes wrong on a plane, it goes /really wrong/. Hijacked = dead. Pilot error = dead. Fire = dead. I don't to be killed or burned or maimed in a plane crash. I don't care if that means I have to drive a large, safe vehicle or avoid traveling in certain situations. It is an idiosyncratic bias of mine, but it is an unnecessary game of russian roulette that has low, but uncontrolable risk. Opting out is the safest choice I can make, per my estimation. Lastly, humans have a low chance of dying in a warzone. But Syrians have a higher chance. Avoid being in a war zone. Statistics are your friend, averages are not.

sanswork 9y ago
If it helps 96% of people involved in airplane accidents actually survive.
- vog 9y ago
  Also, travelling by plane is safer than by train and especially safer than by car. Really, as a rational person, you should be scared by the road more than by any other type of transportation. It's just that all those deaths are scattered across the time axis, while for planes and trains, more deaths happen at once, which is "better" for media coverage.
  - 9y ago

Boothroid 9y ago

I flew twice weekly for 18 months and used to feel dreadful the day after flying.

TACIXAT 9y ago

>There are some studies, however, that show even relatively mild levels of hypoxia (deficiency in oxygen) can alter our ability to think clearly. I do CO2 and O2 training tables for training longer breath holds. [1] I sometimes do these while playing Overwatch. I have noticed that I play like an absolute idiot while I am on a breath hold. I just end up making really tiny mistakes that I wouldn't normally, or running into situations that I shouldn't have. 1. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gix.apneatrainer&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gix.apneatrain...

curun1r 9y ago
Interesting...I've also spent a lot of time training in apnea, but I've never tried to test my cognitive abilities while training. Instead, I try to get to a state of meditative non-thought while training since it seems to improve results. So, I'm curious...do the mistakes start immediately or do they only kick in once you're near the end of your hold? The first 1-2 minutes of a hold are so easy for me that I'd be surprised if there were many negative cognitive effects. Also, I used to get pretty severe effects from altitude whenever I'd go above about 10k elevation. But since I've trained apnea, the headaches, nausea and general crabbiness haven't happened and I've even been able to go for ~5 mi jogs. So I'm curious whether people who've trained in apnea would be somewhat resistant to the effects of flying just because our training has pushed us so far beyond the effects of flying that our bodies are accustomed to it. Of course it's also possible that we'd still be feeling the effects and just have a blind spot to it because we're more used to noticing the end stages of oxygen deprivation.
- TACIXAT 9y ago
  I'm pretty new to it, so my rounds are only just above 1 minute. I might just not have the CO2 tolerance yet, but I definitely notice some cognitive effects. My blood oxygen saturation during these generally stays above 90%. I'll try pay more attention to when the issues kick in and measure my blood oxygen then. I've read that it's around 50% saturation that you're in danger of passing out, and most oximeters are only accurate to 70%. I've gotten no where close to those numbers though, so it's likely just lack of CO2 tolerance.

davidmurdoch 9y ago

I actually enjoy flying (the being in the air part). I've flown with Southwest 12 times in the past year (all for pleasure, no business or family-related travel) and have had some terrible flights (like 2 hours sitting taxiway with no AC in July in Florida), but I still enjoy the flying part. My flying tips: 1. Travel with someone who also enjoys traveling. 2. Be well rested. 3. Drink tons of water the day/evening before so you are well hydrated. 4. Chapstick and hand lotion. 5. Bring your own entertainment, like downloaded Netflix shows. 6. Bring your own snacks. 7. Research the airports you'll need to navigate ahead of time so you don't stress yourself out. 8. Study the ground features as you take off and land. There are beautiful differences and unexpected sights you'll notice when looking for them, even in your home town. 9. Don't drink the alcohol, even when it's free. Of course, if you are afraid of dying, heights, or falling I doubt any of these tips will help you. My experiences are on short US flights from/to Orlando, so planes are generally filled with cheerful Disney-going people. This study was done by Europeans, presumably accustomed to European flights, whose "economy class" flights are pretty uncomfortable and bleak, at least from my very limited experience flying around Europe.

kitten_mittens_ 9y ago
You sound like you’ve never flown Lufthansa (economy). Plane food, I think, is illustrative of how far most airlines in the US have fallen.
- ghaff 9y ago
  I'm probably unusual but I actually prefer the elimination of a lot of in-flight food service. The food was a bad joke in economy for as long as I remember (which is a long time), it's disruptive if you're trying to sleep or use the aisle, and it stinks up the cabin. Yes, you get over 7 hours or so and it's necessary but, if eating on a flight is important to you, there are lots of options to bring on sandwiches/snacks.
  - Scottopherson 9y ago
    I'm with you. I always book window seats now so I don't get bothered by the person next to me who has to partake in every single item offered by the flight attendants and/or has to get up to go to the bathroom multiple times on a three hour flight. As an added bonus I don't feel pressured by the person next to me to immediately standup when the plane gets to the gate.

Mc_Big_G 9y ago

I just flew on a new Boeing 787 which claimed during the taxiing video to have light and air pressure systems that minimize jet lag. I've never felt better after both 10+ hour flights.

wenc 9y ago
This is strictly anecdotal, but I flew a 787 to London (transatlantic) a few days ago, and to be honest I didn't notice any difference (apart from the chemically dimmed windows and the lighting) between it and most of the Airbus planes I've been on. I'd actually venture to say Airbus equipment is a little more comfortable.

catskul2 9y ago

That article was all over the place and is in strong need of an editor.

bob9292929292 9y ago

I've travelled a dozen times for work this year and the best tip I have, although not related to the flight itself, is to wear simple ear plus the entire time in the airport. I hadn't realized just how much all the noise and cross-talk announcements were having an effect but it makes a huge difference.

nunez 9y ago

I fly a lot. I think that the #1 thing that makes people hate flying is being inflexible about time. Transportation in general is complicated and has a lot of moving parts (traffic, weather, accidents, etc.). Expecting transportation to always be on time is a good way to always be frustrated with transportation. So if you book a flight expecting the aircraft to arrive at your destination by a certain time and then have an event planned soon after that, you're going to be VERY upset when you discover that the flight was delayed because of x