5 ms·

Motion sickness is body's way to protect itself against eating hallucinogens by mistake. Large mismatch between what your inner ear is feeling about your motion

by tintor 5y ago

Motion sickness is body's way to protect itself against eating hallucinogens by mistake. Large mismatch between what your inner ear is feeling about your motion, and what your eyes perceive as your motion, imply possible hallucinogens, so your body is trying to make you throw them up. Humans haven't evolved riding in vehicles. Interior of car is not moving much relative to you, but your inner ear feels movement.

dylan604 5y ago
This seems very odd as by the time you start feeling the effects of an hallucinogen, your body has already absorbed them past the point of expelling them being effective.
- bee_rider 5y ago
  Is that always the case? I suspect the hallucinogens that people have selected to intentionally trip on are a bit unusual (intentional dose sizes, presumably they are selected to get the person tripping in some particular timeframe, right? I'm obviously showing some ignorance on this topic).
  - ncmncm 5y ago
    This would have evolved in our rodent ancestors. They would have nibbled a bit of anything they came across that seemed like it might possibly be food. Oddly, I gather rats cannot barf, which is why coumarin works as rat killer.
    - nkurz 5y ago
      > Oddly, I gather rats cannot barf, which is why coumarin works as rat killer. I think your recollection is off by a little. Coumarin is an anticoagulant and damages rats' livers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin You might be thinking of corn gluten meal, which kills rats by preventing them from absorbing water? It's sold as RatX: https://www.ecoclearproducts.com/pages/ratx-faqs https://www.ecoclearproducts.com/pages/ratx-faqs
- xenadu02 5y ago
  Apparently dosing was enough of a difference at some point that this mechanism evolved (assuming the stated reason is accurate). Perhaps our distant ancestors also tended to eat a small bite first, then proceed with other foods, before consuming the remainder? For that matter the drug wouldn't be absorbed all at once. If it is toxic better to eject whatever hasn't been digested than continue absorbing it. There's a bonus psychological side-effect: vomiting is not pleasant and the individual (if they survive) will be more likely to remember what they ate and how sick it made them to avoid it in the future.
  - autoexec 5y ago
    > There's a bonus psychological side-effect: vomiting is not pleasant I never want to do it, but it nearly always makes me feel much better. You can even get a sort of sense of calm or euphoria from vomiting. I can't say that it's pleasant, but if it were less gross and smelly it wouldn't be so bad... although the muscle contractions would still be hell on my under-trained abs.
    - xen0 5y ago
      I believe that's just endorphins. I'm familiar with the sensation; it's enough to make you feel better, possibly even sober (if it was a drinking related episode), but the effect is unfortunately very temporary.
pugworthy 5y ago
You've defined it via the general mismatch in a good way. Sea sickness is your eyes saying, "I'm not moving", but your inner ear saying, "Oh yes we are". VR sickness is your eyes saying, "We are moving" and your inner ear saying, "No we're not"
- skykooler 5y ago
  I wonder whether having something to blow air on you in particular directions as you move in VR might help with that, then?
  - nvahalik 5y ago
    That would be really, really nifty.
  - magicalhippo 5y ago
    That shouldn't be too hard to try out. A few fans controlled by the motion in the game. Sounds worth a shot.
alar44 5y ago
This is one evolutionary explanation, but hasn't been proven, and is not widely accepted. I don't buy it, as by the time you're feeling effects from ingesting something, you're already 45 minutes to an hour in. Additionally, our taste buds and nose do a great job of warning us about things we shouldn't be eating.

by tintor 5y ago

dylan604 5y ago

This seems very odd as by the time you start feeling the effects of an hallucinogen, your body has already absorbed them past the point of expelling them being effective.

bee_rider 5y ago
Is that always the case? I suspect the hallucinogens that people have selected to intentionally trip on are a bit unusual (intentional dose sizes, presumably they are selected to get the person tripping in some particular timeframe, right? I'm obviously showing some ignorance on this topic).
- ncmncm 5y ago
  This would have evolved in our rodent ancestors. They would have nibbled a bit of anything they came across that seemed like it might possibly be food. Oddly, I gather rats cannot barf, which is why coumarin works as rat killer.
  - nkurz 5y ago
    > Oddly, I gather rats cannot barf, which is why coumarin works as rat killer. I think your recollection is off by a little. Coumarin is an anticoagulant and damages rats' livers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coumarin You might be thinking of corn gluten meal, which kills rats by preventing them from absorbing water? It's sold as RatX: https://www.ecoclearproducts.com/pages/ratx-faqs https://www.ecoclearproducts.com/pages/ratx-faqs
xenadu02 5y ago
Apparently dosing was enough of a difference at some point that this mechanism evolved (assuming the stated reason is accurate). Perhaps our distant ancestors also tended to eat a small bite first, then proceed with other foods, before consuming the remainder? For that matter the drug wouldn't be absorbed all at once. If it is toxic better to eject whatever hasn't been digested than continue absorbing it. There's a bonus psychological side-effect: vomiting is not pleasant and the individual (if they survive) will be more likely to remember what they ate and how sick it made them to avoid it in the future.
- autoexec 5y ago
  > There's a bonus psychological side-effect: vomiting is not pleasant I never want to do it, but it nearly always makes me feel much better. You can even get a sort of sense of calm or euphoria from vomiting. I can't say that it's pleasant, but if it were less gross and smelly it wouldn't be so bad... although the muscle contractions would still be hell on my under-trained abs.
  - xen0 5y ago
    I believe that's just endorphins. I'm familiar with the sensation; it's enough to make you feel better, possibly even sober (if it was a drinking related episode), but the effect is unfortunately very temporary.

pugworthy 5y ago

You've defined it via the general mismatch in a good way. Sea sickness is your eyes saying, "I'm not moving", but your inner ear saying, "Oh yes we are". VR sickness is your eyes saying, "We are moving" and your inner ear saying, "No we're not"

skykooler 5y ago
I wonder whether having something to blow air on you in particular directions as you move in VR might help with that, then?
- nvahalik 5y ago
  That would be really, really nifty.
- magicalhippo 5y ago
  That shouldn't be too hard to try out. A few fans controlled by the motion in the game. Sounds worth a shot.

alar44 5y ago

This is one evolutionary explanation, but hasn't been proven, and is not widely accepted. I don't buy it, as by the time you're feeling effects from ingesting something, you're already 45 minutes to an hour in. Additionally, our taste buds and nose do a great job of warning us about things we shouldn't be eating.