I can't overstate how much of a big deal this was for me: thank you so much to everyone who made it happen. (And there's quite a long FAQ in the description which should answer a lot of the obvious questions here!)
Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist.
I love how aggressively british he becomes when he's scared and angry, like he completely 180s from a very calm documentarian to full force "CAHM ON INGERLAND"
The two seconds of film where Tom goes from unbridled fear, to realizing that he has the power to overcome that fear, is probably the best and most powerful I've ever seen of him. Huge respect brother, so amazing to watch.
thats one way to look at it enouther was at that moment his body began hosing his brain with so much dopamine and adrenaline that he couldn't do anything other than scream like a excited 2 year old and smile
Before I watched this one, I watched the episode where he's on the top of the wind turbine, and takes the emergency exit down. I got vertigo just watching. I'd been a roller coaster enthusiast for years
I know plenty of people the same, me included, I rode motorbikes I have done caving, abseiled off a bridge and many other things like this but like many other adrenaline junkies it is the lack of control part of the rollercoaster which is the scariest part. Most high octane things have a cut-off point that you can stop whether that is turning around in caving, pulling the parachute, or locking off the rope on an abseil. Rollercoasters lack this once that belt is down there is no stop, no backing down and I think like Tom it limits a lot of people from doing this, This video has motivated me to get out their and try it again just to show I can.
@@bexxy629 I think "pulling the parachute" is of upmost importance, especially if you want a slower float down. Whether you choose to employ the technique or not, determines the outcome at the bottom - either way, once you have jumped, there's no control over the direction you're going to go in. So when you say "there is no stop, no backing down", I would argue that a parachute jump in motion is no different than a rollercoaster ride once it has left the starting point😂
Dude literally stood on the side of an old railway with a sure dead drop like nothing but is afraid of a little roller-coaster, honestly I'm quite surprised by both how strong Tom's phobia is and the massive ball it took for him to face it. Nothing but respect from me.
@@bexxy629 the lack of control ius definetly a scary one, i hate rollercoasters and thought it was afraid of heights since my stomach goes upside down when i see anyone jumping of anything higher than a few meters, even in games and now i fly an fpv drone (standing) where i can dive straight to the floor and not even flinch :P its weird sometimes
That's the irrational part of phobias. It's not logical or it wouldn't be a phobia ;o) You're in more danger driving to a theme park than you are on a rollercoaster when you get there.
The literaly transition from fear to fun that you had on the last two coasters literally gave me an emotional reaction. Not only did you concur your fear, you realized that it was something you enjoyed all along.
As someone who has a panic disorder, “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that because I was just too scared” hits hard. Learning to trust outside of your fear, leaning into a bit of faith that is “this will be okay” is incredibly emotional, and even more so when you conquer it. I hope you find pride in your bravery, and more importantly, happiness.
I agree! because i had a big fear of roller coasters and the other day i went to a theme park with my school but i faced my fears and i went on the pepsi max big one (biggest one in the park) at Blackpool pleasure beach and that was fine for me!
Absolutely this. My fear isn’t coasters but I empathise with the panic and sick feeling. To broadcast that to the world is also courageous. Helpful too.
Coming back to this video after seeing Tom's announcement he's taking an extended break from making RUclips videos, and I have to admit that this isn't just one of my favorite Tom Scott videos, but one of my favorite videos on the entire platform. He's so open and honest about his fear of roller coasters, but still trudges on, giving us a play-by-play of each moment as he experiences them. The transition from his guttural yelling at 10:32 to his ecstatic laughter at 10:54 feels so cathartic. I'm definitely going to miss his regular uploads, but I'm glad he's created so much content for us to enjoy for years to come.
@@prdoylethat’s how it usually ends 😂 as a coaster enthusiast who has absolutely no anxiety about roller coasters, one of my favorite parts of riding is watching people go through the process of realizing that everything’s fine, then letting go and just having fun.
That last quote “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that just because I was too scared” really hit me. It applies to everything, for him it’s rollercoasters but it can be anything for anyone and that’s something I can deeply relate to. Didn’t think this would get me emotional. You’re incredible!
I always wonder, if I go back to eating meat (vegetarian, non preaching) if I'll regret all the times I was in good restaurants and good BBQs and didn't try the meat.
For me it's two things. One js jumping from a long height into water. The other is needles. I know needles are required for blood testing, giving medicine, donating blood, etc and I've done it so many times but that is not really cool I guess.
But there’s a bright side. If you’ve done these things since you were a kid, you can still have a lot of fun doing them but you become a little numb to it. Tom has saved that major excitement now, excitement you can get as an adult but is much fewer and far between of an experience. Now he has another activity he can truly enjoy like a kid as an adult and that’s kind of something special. He didn’t waste past experience opportunities, he just gained new, more intense ones now.
It’s funny how phobias work. You can fly wing suits, ride in fighter jets, scale cliffs, wing-walk, even pass out in NASA’s gravity laboratory and have a blast. But roller coasters make you tense up, want to flee. Roller coasters aren’t more frightening than some of the things Tom has done, but everyone just has specific combinations of stimuli they’re extremely vulnerable to. Congrats, Tom! It takes a lot of bravery to do this, and even more bravery to do this in front of an audience.
Some of the difference between those experiences is the direction of social pressure. For experimental equipment, everyone in the room will magnify any safety concern, and directly ask you questions about whether the current conditions are safe to proceed. In this case, while there are safety procedures in place, the default assumption is that the ride is normal. It's safe until proven otherwise.
Not to mention, many of these other places and activities try to minimize the feeling of being unsafe, while rollercoasters often are designed with specific elements and theming to evoke the idea that they are imposing and scary, like just being a BIG NOISY METAL CONTRAPTION, the feeling of being almost out of control, etc etc.
Dude I'm more about that walking the steel cables of suspension bridges - it's absurd to be that there could be anyone fearful of essentially a drunk train ride after that. Now, flying coasters are a whole different story, riding belly down suspended only by an over-the-shoulder restraint with no hand-holds nor backup safety belt is fking terrifying and no amount of coaster experience will make me want to do it a second time.
Weird how that works. I've never liked rollercoasters, but id be perfectly fine flying down an open road at 150mph in a car or skydiving from hundreds of feet up in the air. I think it might have something to do with how restrictive coasters are. There are equivalent experiences that give you the same feeling, but you have more control over them. In a car, you can choose how fast you are going and when you want to stop, but a rollercoaster locks you into a pre-set experience that never changes. I think I dont like my fun being so restricted, and there being no possibility of bailing out mid-ride (even though I wouldnt use it, the option is nice to have)
For me, my fear of roller coasters stems from the fact that I got no control of it. You're strapped in and you can't get out, in case it becomes too nerve wracking. In the stunt plane, I would assume the pilots would stop their stunt-flying once Tom says he's at his limit and it would become a regular flight.
Actually you can control it to some extent. You can get your lap bar be around an inch off your lap so that you can get more airtime, or you can raise/lower your hands for lateral G's and twisting motions to feel more/less intense. Most coaster enthusiasts try to not get stapled on rides (intentionally leaving the lap bar around one centimeter off their lap, still in a way it's safe; so that they can have a more intense ride experience). Another thing to add is, you can estimate how fast the ride is going to run relative to itself based on the temperature (hotter the weather is, faster the ride is) and how filled the train is (heavier the train is, faster the pacing and more intense the ride will be). Trim brakes being on and off can also be considered but you have to ride once and feel it in order to decide whether they are on or off.
i don't know why, but on big drops it physically hurts my stomach. i'm not scared of them, just scared of the pain that i'll go through on those drops.
The change on 10:53 from Encouraging "I CAN DO THIS" to reassuring to empowerment "I CAN DO THIS" is a sublime human emotion artwork. (Thank you for this, Tom)
It takes courage to face your fears but even more to post yourself experiencing those fears for the world to see. On a different note, it's still always strange when I hear the Stokie accent in a video!
The slow shift from laughter induced by fear to laughter induced by adrenaline to laughter induced by joy is a beautiful thing. Well done, Tom. Now go ride some more coasters!
Definitely felt the "laughter induced by fear" before with rides before. Although, I'll never even touch a rollercoaster in my life. Never ever. And bungee jumping? I'd probably die even if I see someone else doing it in real life.
As someone with a lot of anxious tendencies, watching Tom preparing for the second coaster was very hard due to the sheer amount of empathy I was feeling. Watching him get over it on the ride and start laughing was an amazing moment, honestly inspiring. A real emotional rollercoaster.
Same for me. That point where he got over it was so wonderful, even though my own anxiety was still flaring just watching it. Being very empathetic and anxious is an annoying mix sometimes.
"Are you ready?" "No, but I never will be" is such a big reminder to just get on the coaster and not let the fear overtake you. "I've wasted so many opportunities not going on these cause I was too scared" also hit me cause I'm deathly afraid of roller coasters, but I also want to go on them. Watching someone with the exact same fear as me overcome it is so motivating in any situation.
I’m not gonna tell you what I’m afraid of, but I can say from experience that the fear does not stop or lessen you only learn to tolerate it. Damn that sounded edgy. My point is, when/if you “conquer” your fear you will find out that things that scared you to a smaller degree will seem less scary. The phobia will become the only thing that you fear. Everything else will seem fine. Facing your phobia again and again will become your only source of adrenaline. It’s hard to explain. You must find out yourself. Good luck.
I experienced the exact same thing of a fear of rollercoasters just dissapearing after 1 ride. I 100% reccomend just getting on any ride you find scary (upside down ones rly work), you will never be scared again
The good thing about a rollercoaster is that you have to do one thing: sit in it and be strapped in. It's the initial fear and doubt that gets you. Don't think. Sit. You'll go through the ride and come out the other side stronger.
@@alannahfavero511 That's what I did recently - went to Alton Towers terrified, and STARTED with the Smiler I told myself to just sit down and brace myself, did exactly that, and had a whale of a time If the queue wasn't so long I would have gone on again and again and again!
From someone who has conquered their fear of rollercoasters I was cheering you on every time you sat in the seat. It’s only been a year and I’ve been on Velocicoaster at Universal Studios. I’m proud of you!
Going from "I hate it" & "I can't do it", to in tears stating "I love rollercoasters" and "I want to do it again" warms my heart. You did it! I'm so happy and proud of you. Fears are truly monsters that hold us back and keeps us from realizing how much we miss in life. 💖💕
Seeing the realization hit Tom, him just suddenly having that revelation of, “I can do this,” was incredible. You can see the exact moment the psychological block caused by his phobia yielded to the reality of the situation. Obviously, he’s gonna have more work to do, but that big breakthrough just rocketed him down the path he wanted to be on and further towards his goal of mitigating or eliminating the fear. A lot of people will never experience what that’s like, and certainly not on this scale/severity, so seeing it here has the potential to be so powerful as a tool of empathy and understanding.
Apparently now he has a season pass and is riding every ride at six flags, to the point where he has opinions on the quality of each ride. Watch the SafteyThird podcast with Tom Scott
Yes - I got to that moment of realisation and unexpectedly, immediately started fully crying. It’s huge to get to see somebody be so suddenly freed, even partially.
I'm a roller coaster controls programmer, and I can tell you the safety and redundancy that goes into these rides are top tier. Glad to see you ended up enjoying them as much as you did. Cool video
This is genuinely one of the best videos I've seen on RUclips. It takes a lot of courage not just to tackle a major phobia but to be okay with sharing that with the world and being vulnerable--The way you're just so genuine in all your videos is something I think we should all aspire to. It's just really heartwarming to watch. Tom Scott gives me faith in humanity
Right?! My eyes got wet watching him go from just trying to stay calm and letting out vocal stress to screaming and laughing as most people do on a roller coaster.
It's not at all a stupid thing to cry about! No matter how small it may feel in retrospect, overcoming ANY fear is a huge undertaking, and watching it happen for you in real time made me get emotional, too. Super happy for you Tom!
4:33 That crow added incredible atmosphere qualities to the shot, and Tom telling it that it can shut up made me LAUGH SO HARD! For an instant I thought the crow could have even been edited in for atmosphere, but I was quickly, hilariously corrected.
10:50 : I can do this (said to motivate oneself to persevere in the face of fear) 10:55 : I _can_ do this (said in realization, that he truly can do it) His tone change as he repeats, "i can do this" is genuinely heart warming. You can see, hear, and feel the literal exact moment Tom realizes he's stronger than his phobia.
I don't know if it's official Alton Towers policy, but the operators of the runaway mine train always say 'choo choo' before sending off the ride. They seem to compete to say it in the most patronising way to get a laugh from the punters 😆
I remember a little while ago there was a different operator (changed from now) and he said the 'choo choo' so well and was a great part of the ride. Sadly he seems to be gone now.
21:08 "Stupid thing to cry about" I'm crying right now. I told myself that if you could do this, maybe I can get over my own fear of rollercoasters. I dunno if I'll ever get to go to a theme park again, but... If I do, I'll try. Because of you.
the thing about fear of rollercoasters is it is completely irrational once you get on the biggest baddest thing and enjoy it every rollercoaster becomes a joy to ride
@@Camperlife111 For my son, would you reccomend Nemesis to an 11 year old who doesn't like that stomach feeling during the drop. He's fine with the overhead restraints but never done one, he's not sure about the inversions though, if their rough/feel bad.
It's fascinating how different movie "fear" and actual primal fear are, and how unpleasant it is to see. And then the adrenalin giggles set in and it's heart-warming.
@@billy00001 God, it really was, wasn't it? When the video began it activated the primal-maternal part of my brain that went, "Oh no I love him, I want to hug him, poor baby boy," which I was aware is incredibly patronizing but it's what the beginning of the video evoked from me, but then the genuine terror and shouting began and I just fell silent and felt so uncomfortable. But it was all worth it when his joy came out!
This was almost surreal to watch, watching Tom on the rides realising that he's actually enjoying himself is basically the exact same experience I had about 2 years ago, and it is a memory that will stick with me forever. This whole video basically perfectly mirrored my own experience with rollercoasters, from what Tom said at the start right through to being on all the rides
Same here! 3 years ago I had not been on a single roller coaster in 27 years. And now I've been on almost 100, including 3/4 gigacoasters in the US and Kingda Ka. I even planned a 2-week roadtrip around them last year. I went from terrified to annoyed at myself for not starting sooner and missing out on all the rides I missed as a kid that no longer exist.
The opposite of my roller coaster experience. I went on some about 8 years ago and came to the conclusion that I just don't like it. I don't like the lack of control, I don't like falling, I don't like my safety being in the hands of people who don't care about my safety.
i teared up because i know exactly how he feels and i have yet to overcome it. this gives me hope honestly. i don’t know why they scare me so much. i’ve had a panic attack once from a medium to small drop once and it was so painful to go through, it felt like i couldn’t do anything and my body was beyond overwhelmed. i want to get over it so bad. i really do.
Tom piloting an aircraft without the use of is eyes: "Wow this is a lot of fun. So if I had kept going like that we would have crashed huh? Interesting" Tom on a children's ride: "Okay I can control the panic if I just breathe through it. Okay, okay, just breathe" That's so awesome. Phobias are nuts, facing them is an incredible feat
as a ride operator, seeing people conquer their fears and take on these big scary machines is why i enjoy this job SO MUCH. literally had the biggest smile on my face at the end of the video - if you ever get the chance, come over across the pond and come out to cedar point, weve got some of the biggest and best roller coasters in the world!! we'd love to have you 😁😁😁❤️
Dude, Cedar Point is the real thing! I did a nerdy research project on roller coasters in middle school, then got to actually visit the park in Ohio (I’m from way out in Idaho) ten years later! It blew my mind! But Tom… there might be a few steps in between now and Cedar Point :). Maybe don’t be in too much of a rush!
Watching the transition from fear to enjoyment took me back to my time at a Florida theme park, where on an unexpectedly slow day, I ran into a kid from the UK who had not gone on any of the coasters. So I convinced him to take a ride on one of the attractions that everyone skips because it's perceived as one of the scariest until you do it. I loved watching it ten years ago, and it's still great to watch today. This just became one of my top five favorite videos on RUclips.
The moment he goes from nervous laughter to maniacal cackling is the moment of epiphany. A rare moment of pure joy is more rarely captured on camera like this. It's a good thing to see. Welcome to the world of coasters, Tom. Hope you get the chance to try to make up for lost time. 🤘✊👊
I could feel that through the screen, genuinely felt like my heart was expanding as it happened, good on Tom for being brave enough to do this and put it out for everyone to see
Yes as a kid I was in..seventh grade so around 12-13.. in Vienna Prater with school trip. Went on some steel-mini coaster, don't really remember much, but probably that basic layout that you can find everywhere. The only thing I remember was being ashamed to scream so I went with closed mouth and it made me nauseous. Didn't been on coaster since until I was thirty. My friend dragged me to park or offer me to go and I quickly realized that my limits are literary sky high and I was fine with every coaster there. While I've been on many different kinds since, l my most fa orite are inverted or launch coasters
10:46 those 15 seconds are almost magical. You can almost pinpoint the exact second Tom’s brain switched from utter panic into enjoyment, and the pitch in his scream went up an octive
Couldn't of picked a better phrase to describe it! It was horrible to watch someone you "know" (for want of a better term) in that state of panic... To watch him suddenly shift to enjoyment was just fantastic
So many creators on this platform try to optimize their online persona and never show you their real self. Then there's Tom, who shows us its OK to be human. It's not a stupid thing to cry about. everyone who lives has something their afraid of. The relief and joy from conquering your longtime personal struggles is actually a perfectly rational thing to be emotional about. *"I have spent so many years being scared, and I'm not anymore." - Good on ya Tom, we love to watch how far youve come out of your comfort zone. And how much this channel has grown along with you! Cheers!*
The abrupt shift from being terrified to laughing and smiling was absolutely heartwarming. I recently got over my fear of drop towers by forcing myself onto one- looking back, it was such a shame I refused to go on so many drop towers all these years just because of my stubborn fear of drops as a child. I still vividly remember getting off the ride and frantically telling my friend I wanted to go on every drop tower ever whilst smiling like a lunatic. Truly one of the best things I’ve ever overcome. Glad you also got over your fear- you never truly know how much you’ve missed your whole life until you’ve tried it :)
@@4321user-_ to get rid of the fear you need to do the absolute most extreme one possible. otherwise there is always a barrier. i hate droptowers too tho.
Used to hate drop towers myself, but there was one I went on after learning about the lift and brake mechanism being magnetics, meaning it’s (nearly) physically impossible for the ride to fail catastrophically because powering the ride is what allows it to lift, but if the ride is unpowered, the magnets are still there which create the braking force on the way down, meaning you can never have a destructive landing without someone literally tearing the ride apart from the ground level.
We Stan a vulnerable king. Being open about your fears, and showing us the steps to you overcoming them, then watching you have so much fun in being victorious over them is such an amazing thing. I used to love coasters, but a viral illness in my 30s damaged my inner ear and now I get severe nausea if I get dizzy or disoriented. I so very much miss my body allowing me to enjoy certain rides, but I can always live vicariously through RUclips❤
the shift from terrified shouting to laughing and cheering triumphantly was so genuinely uplifting, I couldn't help but laugh sympathetically. this is an incredibly vulnerable video and it must have taken mad guts to post it online.
@@Feraloidies it’s kinda part of the job, helping scared kids get over the fear just long enough to take the ride or helping them off if they decide not to go. Adults are easier than that
I had the same exact fear up until a few years ago, same thing with the drops, feeling like you're at your limit, and realizing it's actually fun halfway through the ride. I intensely relived my own experiences in this video for the first time ever, and it took me back to why I got into theme parks in the first place. Thank you for that, amazing video. Now ride some more!
This has to be one of the most inspirational videos I've seen in a while, to face a phobia is incredibly hard, but at the end when he wants to ride every roller coaster inspired me to face anything I'm afraid of, amazing video
The fact is, we have really gotten to see how much of a massive adrenaline junkie Tom Scott is that it would only have made sense for him to love rollercoasters had he not had this phobia, and after he’s overcome that phobia it is totally unsurprising that he in fact does love them, which is what makes this so gratifying to watch
Thanks for making this, Tom. I live with PTSD, and there are so many things that my banged-up brain interprets as mortal threats--ordinary things like the sound of a door slamming or the smell of certain kinds of soap on my skin. I've managed to cross a few of them off the list over the years (I don't hide from fireworks anymore, and when people shout at me I shout back louder), but it's exhausting to look at the list and see how many things are still on it. I don't WANT to be afraid of soap or doors. I don't actually think those things are scary. But there's a terrified animal in the back of my brain that is absolutely convinced that the smell of lemon-scented soap is a sign that the world is ending. Watching you shout through your fear and then laugh at it, seeing you acknowledge it and still overcome it...that helped. Thank you. This can't have been an easy video for you to make, but it might be one of the most important things you've ever done. I hope I get to ride next to you on a coaster in my country someday. Just as soon as I do something about my little problem with crowds...
The fact that you've managed to cross any of those things off of your list means that you are brave. It doesn't take any bravery to do things that don't scare us. It takes no bravery for me to go on a rollercoaster. But Tom was immensely brave in this video. You are too. I wish you luck. For whatever it's worth, a total stranger is cheering you on.
For me I don't hate consistent loud noises but only if you know it's coming but you don't know when it's going to come like a horror movie. Or like balloons that you know it's going to pop sometime but don't know when
Watching Tom go from "oh my god please no I'm terrified of this" to "I love this, why didn't I try sooner, I can't believe I missed out because I was scared" is genuinely one of the most heartwarming things. It was such a pleasure to watch, as always. Keep exploring Tom! I can never wait to see what you get up to next.
I used to be very scared of roller-coasters myself, but I found out a way to enjoy them. In the past, I would hold the bars tightly and would go into "survival" mode, waiting until it's over. It was frightening, my body thought it was a dangerous situation. Instead, I experimented with "letting go" and it does wonders. I've always been like "how the heck are people able to raise their hands on the roller-coasters"? And I forced myself to do that. It really, really helped! Instead of waiting until it's over, I experienced it and I just screamed when my fear entered. Screaming seems to really help to process these emotions and you can go through the whole ride like this, because it's not like a roller-coaster ride is 100% of fear all the time. There are just single points where it gets scary. Try it, guys!
This has to be my favorite Tom Plus video so far. Seeing Tom, a person who is so knowledgeable in all things, including engineering, being scared of something that he logically knows should be safe, be scared of that same thing and then overcoming that fear, inspires me to be more confident about the things I know to be harmless but still terrify me regardless. Thank you Tom, seeing that switch flip was really powerful.
Puts into pictures how wild irrational phobias/fears can be. He's done some objectively terrifying things through all this work, yet this is still frightening. Might have to do some reading on the topic, fascinating.
I wish more people with arachnaphobia and other bug phobias (who dont live in the hellscape of Australia) could do the same. Its legitimately annoying how normalized freaking out at tiny creatures is. Its a sign that our biosphere is dwindling and theres more and more people who literally havent touched grass.
"This is fun! I can do this! I can do this!" Seriously brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for being such a wonderfully vulnerable strong vibrant REAL human being. You're moving mountains, man. For yourself and for all of us. Thank you
I loved seeing that 180° turn in mindset. That’s exactly what happened to me. From shaking in fear in the queue and on the lift hill to joyfully screaming and enjoying the ride. It takes real courage to extend your boundaries like that and to keep telling yourself that you’re going to do it, even though you’re really scared.
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” - Seneca This really illustrates that idea. I absolutely love roller coasters. The more intense, the better. I live very near to Cedar Point in the U.S., so I've enjoyed several world-record-breaking rides. But fear is a weird thing; I can barely make a phone call, due to anxiety over it (I mean, I can force myself to do it when absolutely necessary, but I hate it and the feeling of panic that it induces)
I really appreciate the things tom is doing on this channel, being vulnerable in front of a large audience, admitting to things I'd be embarrassed about like not knowing how to ride a bike and being afraid of rollercoasters. I hardly have the courage to face any of my own similar perceived shortcomings in private, but seeing someone I look up to and respect doing it in front of hundreds of thousands of people gives me hope
Immediate impressions: All the staff seem like EXACTLY the kind of people you want with you when you're doing something you're terrified of. What a nice bunch!
It's odd, isn't it? I am scared of heights. No issues with flying or going up into a tall building. No issues with looking out the window of said tall building or standing by the railing on the balcony. ....But show me GoPro footage of a wing suit flyer or free climber stepping up to a sheer drop, and my stomach immediately drops and I become uncomfortable. Heck, under the right circumstances even a video game sequence can elicit that response.
@@fruitStall Far from every case of being afraid of heights or falling from them counts as acrophobia, because there are plenty of circumstances where the fear is entirely rational.
@@ragnkja Yes fears of heights are very different to eachother - I love rollercoasters and planes and tall buildings and even skydiving but I am absolutely terrified of walking on the tops of hills or anywhere remotely close to a high ledge - I cannot for the life of me bear Go-Ape or the up in the air assault courses
Something I have learned from riding roller coasters and not liking that stomach drop feeling is.. if you screen at the top of your lungs you do not feel it.. but even if you do it’s only for a second.. and it’s over.. this was awesome watching you face your fear! I hope you have been on much more and much bigger rides since this video!
at the end when he said “i wanna do every rollercoaster in this park” it made me cry. he seems so triumphant and it’s such a change from the beginning of the episode. love it tom and congrats
I've had the same experience as him. I used to be terrified of roller coasters. Then one day while at King's Island, I felt an urge to ride one of the coasters. I cannot describe why this urge came over me, it just did. The coaster in question was called the Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster. After I got off that, I decided to ride something bigger, and then something bigger after that. The last roller coaster I rode that day was Vortex. It truly was a transformative experience to just be unshackled from a fear like that.
I truly believe this video can be used in psychology courses. The way you went from being petrified in the face of your fear to instant joy and amazement after facing it was a sight to behold!
As a roller coaster enthusiast, it’s amazing to see someone converted - in real time. The transition from fear to enjoyment was incredible to see. Welcome to the community! We’re happy to have you.
@@nevergreen4219 Yeah my conversion was on HangTime at Knott's. Now I've felt countless moments of backbreaking positive Gs and airtime where I'm out of my seat!
The line of "I'm not going to remain calm" is very powerful. Trying to breathe through a rollercoaster will only get you so far, you've gotta SCREAM!! Well done, Tom!
This video single-handedly helped me get over MY fear! I actually went on the exact same rides in the exact same order as Tom (except Nemesis is now Nemesis Reborn) and I am mostly over my fear now!
The fact that Tom is willing to face his fears and expose his vulnerabilities to understand why they happen just makes me appreciate him even more. What a legend.
The fact that Tom just started screaming "seemingly irrationally" when the rollercoaster started fairly slow really made it kick in for the audience how bad his phobia really was. I have watched this video probably a dozen of times and I still tear up when Tom gets emotional by the end. I'm glad he dared to do this.
@@JUMALATION1 ive watched the whole video multiple times to try and help me with my fear, and you said "the rollercoaster" so how was i supposed to know which one
"Stupid thing to cry about" It's not stupid, to be able to do what you have done after years of fearing it is....is wonderful you get to see what happens behind the scenes, all the safety measures that are taken every day to ensure that the ride is safe, I think your subscribers are extremely proud of you for doing this! Well done Scott
10:52 is the best moment. I've felt that before growing up afraid of rollercoasters. The moment you realize the fear was for naught and a whole new world of fun has just been opened up to you, it's euphoric.
Seeing Tom progress from “I can do this” to “I LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS!!!!” was so wholesome. Probably my top 10 favorite videos of the year! Awesome job, Scott + team!
@@kutsen39 It's like when you have to get bloodwork done. You HATE the needle, but know the blood's gotta be drawn. Sometimes you gotta just not look, and grit your teeth. That's comparable to a lot of people getting on these rides. It might seem like an extreme comparison but phobias are phobias, severity doesn't matter.
Nemesis is not only a fierce coaster but also a coaster phobia cure as well. This is why it's my favourite. I was terrified of rollercoasters until Nemesis cured my phobia
Tell me why people hate the dangle rollercoasters personally they are my favorite and I feel safest in them then box cars bc I always slide and feel like I’m gonna fall out of box cars ❤️❤️❤️
Also the trick with exposure therapy is to start incredibly small, repeat the same exposure until you get ‘bored’ of it, and then move to the next step up. No jumping to the max exposure, just consistency until your body gets used to it. It’s difficult and long, but has proven good results
I sometimes forget my own age but I know for a fact Tom on Nemesis laughs exactly like this one Finnish youtuber laughed in an old Amnesia video while swinging a loaf of bread in front of a window.
I’ve struggled with fear of rollercoasters, so similar to this. Even down to the “I cant feel my hands” part. I’m going to an amusement park soon and seeing this guy get through it makes it feel like I can do it too. Kudos for the bravery.
Have fun! Remember, the anticipation is the worst part. But also, do some research on the coasters that are at the park. Learn the manufacturers, and the tendencies they have for their rides. Some manufacturers make incredibly smooth coasters, others are older and a little more rough. Also another tip, when on a more extreme coaster, try to move with the elements of the ride. That way your body can be fluid with the ride and avoid straining your muscles. Have a great trip!
I used to be terrified of roller coasters when I was younger. Had to conquer the fear similarly. That rush of conquering a coaster is absolutely incredible! Loved this video so much
First time I got on a drop tower, I recited the Litany Against Fear (I was just reading Dune at the time): "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
21:04 This is not a stupid thing to cry about, you just did something that most people never even consider. This video makes me wish that RUclips videos could win Emmy's... such a great look into the universal human experience: fear, and the possibility of overcoming it.
That's the body releasing a lot of built up tension. That type of crying feels great I think. I was so happy seeing the transformation from panic to the joy of realising how many cool rides he can try now.
it absolutely depends on the sort of fear. Rollercoasters are I had a similar thing. Wouldn't go on anything more than a log flume for years. Then just pushed myself to go on them and it's easy now. Broader fears are harder to get over and don't go away as easily with exposure. With rollercoasters it's really like a switch flipping in your head.
As a rollercoaster fan with an irrational phobia of chairlifts, I get it. The brain fears what it fears, and sometimes that fear can be EXTREMELY specific. Bravo to you for facing your fear & having a good time.
Oh dude, same. I can do any rollercoaster no problem. but if you can even manage to get me in a chairlift? I'm white knuckled and sweating anxiety the entire time. I won't go near them any more.
me too. im usually nervous about rides but when i ride them i have fun. Cant do the same with chairlifts or gondolas. specially chairlifts that are like SUPER exposed i hate those.
chairlifts are scarier though the death rate is also extremely low, there's a higher chance of getting stuck, less regulation, and you're not as tightly seated
As some one who works as a chair lift operator, I'm simultaneously both impressed at the amount of safety regulation that goes into chair lifts (at least three different brakes, dozens of sensors that are checked daily, anti-collision checks, etc) and in awe of the fact that there aren't more serious injuries/deaths than there are. Also, if you want to really scare yourself, look up "chair lift rollback" on RUclips. Probably one of the most dangerous things that can happen on a chair lift, but thankfully very rare.
It genuinely put a smile on my face seeing the point where sheer terror faded into enjoyment! Coming from a theme park enthusiast it's so good to see someone conquer a their fear of rollercoasters! Shame you can't get back all that time you lost, but better late to the party than to not go at all? :D
As an enthusiast, I do enjoy how even someone who's super factual and looks into the facts of something, can be afraid of one of the most studied amusement rides in existence to the point where its the most statistically safest form of "transportation". Really puts into perspective that even someone who researches a ton about something can still be affected by the human mind.
Well put! We all have our fears and it's great and somewhat inspirational to see someone tackling it head on. Behind the scenes knowledge of how safe the attractions are probably helps too!
I can't overstate how much of a big deal this was for me: thank you so much to everyone who made it happen. (And there's quite a long FAQ in the description which should answer a lot of the obvious questions here!)
Respect man, I hate em
Congratz Tom!
Good job
Can some one count the this is fines please
Well done! Conquering a fear is never easy, and takes tremendous courage.
"That was a problem for future me, and now I am future me, and this sucks."
Sounds like the story of my life.
eggsackly
Right? Future me always hate past me!
I need this on a shirt
yoo same
An exact description of every second day of my life.
Watching Tom go through the 5 stages of grief whilst laughing like a maniac has gotta be one of my highlights of the year
A roller-coaster of emotions, even
Watching him on the nemasis was both hilarious and amazing.
@@wisefries4205 that was a terrible, why did I laugh
Dude was joker laughing lmaooo
It's funny that we tend to feel joy when others feel it, and sorrow with others as well, but typically not anger unless it's someone close to us.
From "this is what I would call my limit" to "I wanna do every rollercoaster in this park" is so heartwarming.
i know right!
New arc acheived: character development arc
i felt that exact thing a couple months ago! best feeling ever, especially if you’re always avoiding em and sitting out of coasters like i used to 😅
Exact same thing happened to me. I forced myself to ride one at universal studios when I was 18 and I’ve never looked back
That's how it starts
Every single time
"Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's being afraid and doing it anyway."
You absolute king.
My whole life im afraid of everything literally but idc and t9r her myself to do it anyway
"Do it scared."
i have long said that bravery without fear is just insanity.
Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future.
It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist.
Bravery quite literally means being fearless. You are talking about courage. You and 1.7k people didn't catch that somehow. Kind of stupid.
I love how aggressively british he becomes when he's scared and angry, like he completely 180s from a very calm documentarian to full force "CAHM ON INGERLAND"
As someone who moved to the states when I was 6 years old (17 years ago), I still become extremely British when I'm excited or angry
It’s actually very turdish !
Bird "caw caw caw"
Tom to bird "you can shut up!"
So true
HAVE ITTTTTTTTT
I love how accurately this shows the change from terrified screaming to maniacal laughter that people haven't been on many roller coasters experience.
Excluding the cave one, I can’t remember the last time I witnessed Tom genuinely scared.
Minicanal
Oh certainly his laugh now echoes in my mind as if it was in a _small tunnel_ 😂😂
@@jstarstudios7110 youtube pedant in action
Minicanal
Being afraid of a roller coaster is actually a really special experience after you've done a ton of them
I know!
Was just thinking this..that feeling of being scared as hell and then conquering an intense coaster is the biggest rush!
its literally impossible for me to be scared of any rollercoasters now that i have already been on so many 😭
@@aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah have you ridden Kingda Ka?
@@lolopigus no i live too far :
So fun to watch you scream to face the fear. That's EXACTLY the way my wife overcame her fear. Now she is braver than me
..
Nice
caralho o max palaro aqui?
i rode a couple rollercoasters to try and get over my fear... it only made it worse lmao
@@jamiegreenberg8476LMAO
I love how you can visually see the moment Tom goes from "this is terrifying" to "wait, this is FUN"
@Reece Wilson This was me too (space mountain) except I was silent and gripped the bars so hard the guy beside me thought I died
I love how he goes from posh to chav... Av it!!
The two seconds of film where Tom goes from unbridled fear, to realizing that he has the power to overcome that fear, is probably the best and most powerful I've ever seen of him. Huge respect brother, so amazing to watch.
thats one way to look at it
enouther was at that moment his body began hosing his brain with so much dopamine and adrenaline that he couldn't do anything other than scream like a excited 2 year old and smile
Before I watched this one, I watched the episode where he's on the top of the wind turbine, and takes the emergency exit down. I got vertigo just watching.
I'd been a roller coaster enthusiast for years
@@Sarge92 But that's kind of awesome, too, isn't it?
That’s what I feel. I’m absolutely petrified then about 1/3 in it’s the best thing I’ve ever done
@@jessfidler2356 Sounds like life when you decide to take a step forward 🕹
After Tom did crazy things like standing on the top of a flying plane, being scared by normal rollercoasters was not on my bingo card.
I know plenty of people the same, me included, I rode motorbikes I have done caving, abseiled off a bridge and many other things like this but like many other adrenaline junkies it is the lack of control part of the rollercoaster which is the scariest part. Most high octane things have a cut-off point that you can stop whether that is turning around in caving, pulling the parachute, or locking off the rope on an abseil. Rollercoasters lack this once that belt is down there is no stop, no backing down and I think like Tom it limits a lot of people from doing this, This video has motivated me to get out their and try it again just to show I can.
@@bexxy629 I think "pulling the parachute" is of upmost importance, especially if you want a slower float down. Whether you choose to employ the technique or not, determines the outcome at the bottom - either way, once you have jumped, there's no control over the direction you're going to go in. So when you say "there is no stop, no backing down", I would argue that a parachute jump in motion is no different than a rollercoaster ride once it has left the starting point😂
Dude literally stood on the side of an old railway with a sure dead drop like nothing but is afraid of a little roller-coaster, honestly I'm quite surprised by both how strong Tom's phobia is and the massive ball it took for him to face it. Nothing but respect from me.
@@bexxy629 the lack of control ius definetly a scary one, i hate rollercoasters and thought it was afraid of heights since my stomach goes upside down when i see anyone jumping of anything higher than a few meters, even in games and now i fly an fpv drone (standing) where i can dive straight to the floor and not even flinch :P its weird sometimes
That's the irrational part of phobias. It's not logical or it wouldn't be a phobia ;o)
You're in more danger driving to a theme park than you are on a rollercoaster when you get there.
The literaly transition from fear to fun that you had on the last two coasters literally gave me an emotional reaction. Not only did you concur your fear, you realized that it was something you enjoyed all along.
The worst part of roller coasters is just waiting in line, your mind can torture you more than the ride.
Exactly
Honestly the only issue I have with theme parks is just the queue times.
The problem with the wait is that it’s so long and all I want to do it ride it bcs it’s so fun
Can confirm.. waiting almost 3h in line for the Vertigo ride in Tivoli in Copenhagen, last 15minutes was agonizing!
True
As someone who has a panic disorder, “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that because I was just too scared” hits hard. Learning to trust outside of your fear, leaning into a bit of faith that is “this will be okay” is incredibly emotional, and even more so when you conquer it. I hope you find pride in your bravery, and more importantly, happiness.
I really hope so, thank you for this
I wish someone had advice on exposure therapy for apeirophobia; it’s quite niche but so hard to overcome
@@carcistan Go on a space walk.
Time to skydive Tom!
Yes 💯🔥
Congratulations Tom. It's not the fearless that are the most brave, but instead those who fear something and have the courage to face it.
I agree! because i had a big fear of roller coasters and the other day i went to a theme park with my school but i faced my fears and i went on the pepsi max big one (biggest one in the park) at Blackpool pleasure beach and that was fine for me!
This
Absolutely this. My fear isn’t coasters but I empathise with the panic and sick feeling. To broadcast that to the world is also courageous. Helpful too.
@@Pandaado proud of you! keep up that spirit.
If you aren't scared then it's not bravery.
Coming back to this video after seeing Tom's announcement he's taking an extended break from making RUclips videos, and I have to admit that this isn't just one of my favorite Tom Scott videos, but one of my favorite videos on the entire platform.
He's so open and honest about his fear of roller coasters, but still trudges on, giving us a play-by-play of each moment as he experiences them. The transition from his guttural yelling at 10:32 to his ecstatic laughter at 10:54 feels so cathartic. I'm definitely going to miss his regular uploads, but I'm glad he's created so much content for us to enjoy for years to come.
I did the same. The turnabout from total fear to maniacal laughter and asking to ride again on Wickerman is such a wonderfully captured moment.
The moment when you changed from outright screaming to laughing enthusiastically on the second ride was insane
Such a clean and clear transition too. Same with the third one.
Not gonna lie - that's not how I thought that was going to end.
@@prdoylethat’s how it usually ends 😂 as a coaster enthusiast who has absolutely no anxiety about roller coasters, one of my favorite parts of riding is watching people go through the process of realizing that everything’s fine, then letting go and just having fun.
I assume you mean at 10:50 where you hear, "ARRRGH! I CAN DO THIS. I CAN DO THIS. Wait... I *can* do this?"
Seeing tom go from terrified to laughing giddily like a child absolutely made my day
You can tell this was a real emotional rollercoaster for Tom!
Ayyy
JAIL. 💀
Hahahaha No
It was also a real rollercoaster.
Underrated
I relate to this so hard omg
bruh what
daniel thrasher from hoodie guy
Its hoodie guy
just remember
so many rollercoaster riders a year, yet rarely ever any deaths reported
Wow 2 weeks ago.
That last quote “I’ve wasted so many opportunities to do cool stuff like that just because I was too scared” really hit me. It applies to everything, for him it’s rollercoasters but it can be anything for anyone and that’s something I can deeply relate to. Didn’t think this would get me emotional. You’re incredible!
It's a brilliant quote to be honest and you're right, you could apply that to anything in life
I always wonder, if I go back to eating meat (vegetarian, non preaching) if I'll regret all the times I was in good restaurants and good BBQs and didn't try the meat.
For me it's two things. One js jumping from a long height into water. The other is needles. I know needles are required for blood testing, giving medicine, donating blood, etc and I've done it so many times but that is not really cool I guess.
But there’s a bright side. If you’ve done these things since you were a kid, you can still have a lot of fun doing them but you become a little numb to it. Tom has saved that major excitement now, excitement you can get as an adult but is much fewer and far between of an experience. Now he has another activity he can truly enjoy like a kid as an adult and that’s kind of something special. He didn’t waste past experience opportunities, he just gained new, more intense ones now.
Social interactions for me :c
It’s funny how phobias work. You can fly wing suits, ride in fighter jets, scale cliffs, wing-walk, even pass out in NASA’s gravity laboratory and have a blast. But roller coasters make you tense up, want to flee. Roller coasters aren’t more frightening than some of the things Tom has done, but everyone just has specific combinations of stimuli they’re extremely vulnerable to. Congrats, Tom! It takes a lot of bravery to do this, and even more bravery to do this in front of an audience.
Some of the difference between those experiences is the direction of social pressure. For experimental equipment, everyone in the room will magnify any safety concern, and directly ask you questions about whether the current conditions are safe to proceed.
In this case, while there are safety procedures in place, the default assumption is that the ride is normal. It's safe until proven otherwise.
Not to mention, many of these other places and activities try to minimize the feeling of being unsafe, while rollercoasters often are designed with specific elements and theming to evoke the idea that they are imposing and scary, like just being a BIG NOISY METAL CONTRAPTION, the feeling of being almost out of control, etc etc.
Dude I'm more about that walking the steel cables of suspension bridges - it's absurd to be that there could be anyone fearful of essentially a drunk train ride after that. Now, flying coasters are a whole different story, riding belly down suspended only by an over-the-shoulder restraint with no hand-holds nor backup safety belt is fking terrifying and no amount of coaster experience will make me want to do it a second time.
Heck, I was way more nervous watching his rope walking video!
Weird how that works. I've never liked rollercoasters, but id be perfectly fine flying down an open road at 150mph in a car or skydiving from hundreds of feet up in the air. I think it might have something to do with how restrictive coasters are. There are equivalent experiences that give you the same feeling, but you have more control over them. In a car, you can choose how fast you are going and when you want to stop, but a rollercoaster locks you into a pre-set experience that never changes. I think I dont like my fun being so restricted, and there being no possibility of bailing out mid-ride (even though I wouldnt use it, the option is nice to have)
Tom is the perfect example of a phobia being irrational. This guy flew in a stunt fighter plane, but is scared of fairly minor coasters.
For me, my fear of roller coasters stems from the fact that I got no control of it.
You're strapped in and you can't get out, in case it becomes too nerve wracking.
In the stunt plane, I would assume the pilots would stop their stunt-flying once Tom says he's at his limit and it would become a regular flight.
@@aikumaDK The solution to control the fear of rollercoasters is to *pretend* that you are in control of the movements of the rollercoaster.
Actually you can control it to some extent. You can get your lap bar be around an inch off your lap so that you can get more airtime, or you can raise/lower your hands for lateral G's and twisting motions to feel more/less intense. Most coaster enthusiasts try to not get stapled on rides (intentionally leaving the lap bar around one centimeter off their lap, still in a way it's safe; so that they can have a more intense ride experience).
Another thing to add is, you can estimate how fast the ride is going to run relative to itself based on the temperature (hotter the weather is, faster the ride is) and how filled the train is (heavier the train is, faster the pacing and more intense the ride will be). Trim brakes being on and off can also be considered but you have to ride once and feel it in order to decide whether they are on or off.
i don't know why, but on big drops it physically hurts my stomach. i'm not scared of them, just scared of the pain that i'll go through on those drops.
@@adakalyoncu1913you sound like you have no life ahaha
The change on 10:53 from Encouraging "I CAN DO THIS" to reassuring to empowerment "I CAN DO THIS" is a sublime human emotion artwork. (Thank you for this, Tom)
It takes courage to face your fears but even more to post yourself experiencing those fears for the world to see.
On a different note, it's still always strange when I hear the Stokie accent in a video!
Love you pete
Do a kitbash of Tom on a coaster in 40k, the crossover we need.
It's nice
Till a big Foodtuber learns how to make Staffordshire Oatcakes, I reckon Tom Scott at Alton Towers is as big as we're getting
@@ArrogantDan you've just reminded me, it's been far too long since I had cheesy oatcake!
The slow shift from laughter induced by fear to laughter induced by adrenaline to laughter induced by joy is a beautiful thing.
Well done, Tom. Now go ride some more coasters!
It's not totally unlike the moment in the "learning to ride a bike" video, how you can almost see the brain rewiring itself in real time.
Definitely felt the "laughter induced by fear" before with rides before.
Although, I'll never even touch a rollercoaster in my life. Never ever.
And bungee jumping? I'd probably die even if I see someone else doing it in real life.
I was amazed by the range of laughing. By the end it was just pure dopamine.
Imagine the laughter after The Smiler 😂
@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 why are you everywhere?
As someone with a lot of anxious tendencies, watching Tom preparing for the second coaster was very hard due to the sheer amount of empathy I was feeling. Watching him get over it on the ride and start laughing was an amazing moment, honestly inspiring. A real emotional rollercoaster.
Was that 'pun intended'.
Same for me. That point where he got over it was so wonderful, even though my own anxiety was still flaring just watching it.
Being very empathetic and anxious is an annoying mix sometimes.
Don’t worry guys he’s an empath
I was feeling the same thing.
“What happens if I try and panic” is the most rational and irrational response to fear I’ve ever seen😂 glad you made it through!
There is never, ever, EVER "a stupid thing to cry about". Congratulations on completing this.
Crying that you can't get anything you eany
It's grieving in a way; grieving the loss of once in a lifetime experiences he may have missed. Not stupid at all
Actually, the fact that a poodle cannot fly is a stupid thing to cry about
@@MaydupNemunless we take that to mean your pet poodle is not allowed on a plane and you cant take it with you when you mive
"Are you ready?"
"No, but I never will be" is such a big reminder to just get on the coaster and not let the fear overtake you.
"I've wasted so many opportunities not going on these cause I was too scared" also hit me cause I'm deathly afraid of roller coasters, but I also want to go on them. Watching someone with the exact same fear as me overcome it is so motivating in any situation.
same!! i really want to go on roller coasters but i get so scared and decide not to, i think im going to stop doing that now.
I’m not gonna tell you what I’m afraid of, but I can say from experience that the fear does not stop or lessen you only learn to tolerate it. Damn that sounded edgy. My point is, when/if you “conquer” your fear you will find out that things that scared you to a smaller degree will seem less scary. The phobia will become the only thing that you fear. Everything else will seem fine. Facing your phobia again and again will become your only source of adrenaline. It’s hard to explain. You must find out yourself. Good luck.
I experienced the exact same thing of a fear of rollercoasters just dissapearing after 1 ride. I 100% reccomend just getting on any ride you find scary (upside down ones rly work), you will never be scared again
The good thing about a rollercoaster is that you have to do one thing: sit in it and be strapped in. It's the initial fear and doubt that gets you. Don't think. Sit. You'll go through the ride and come out the other side stronger.
@@alannahfavero511 That's what I did recently - went to Alton Towers terrified, and STARTED with the Smiler
I told myself to just sit down and brace myself, did exactly that, and had a whale of a time
If the queue wasn't so long I would have gone on again and again and again!
Tom being sat on fire: “this is gonna be so cool”
Tom being on a roller coaster: “ahhhhhhhhh, this is fine, ahhhhh”
You sir are just awesome.
HAVE IT!
Him on the kiddy (not a) coaster was the best 😂😂 The overall outcome was good though :p
I fear no aerobatics or centrifuges, but this theme park it scares me
From someone who has conquered their fear of rollercoasters I was cheering you on every time you sat in the seat. It’s only been a year and I’ve been on Velocicoaster at Universal Studios. I’m proud of you!
The velocicoaster rocks! On our once in a lifetime type family trip to Orlando and it's parks the velocicoaster was the best of the rides!
Going from "I hate it" & "I can't do it", to in tears stating "I love rollercoasters" and "I want to do it again" warms my heart. You did it! I'm so happy and proud of you. Fears are truly monsters that hold us back and keeps us from realizing how much we miss in life. 💖💕
Seeing the realization hit Tom, him just suddenly having that revelation of, “I can do this,” was incredible. You can see the exact moment the psychological block caused by his phobia yielded to the reality of the situation. Obviously, he’s gonna have more work to do, but that big breakthrough just rocketed him down the path he wanted to be on and further towards his goal of mitigating or eliminating the fear. A lot of people will never experience what that’s like, and certainly not on this scale/severity, so seeing it here has the potential to be so powerful as a tool of empathy and understanding.
Apparently now he has a season pass and is riding every ride at six flags, to the point where he has opinions on the quality of each ride. Watch the SafteyThird podcast with Tom Scott
Yes - I got to that moment of realisation and unexpectedly, immediately started fully crying. It’s huge to get to see somebody be so suddenly freed, even partially.
Fear is an illusion. You can see straight through it once you have an experience like this
18:45 you can see it happen
I got over my fear of coasters by ridding a 300ft coaster right off the bat :)
Going from being terrified to "Can we do that again?" was both really wholesome, and super funny.
Glad you managed to face your phobia!
I'm a roller coaster controls programmer, and I can tell you the safety and redundancy that goes into these rides are top tier.
Glad to see you ended up enjoying them as much as you did. Cool video
That's a super cool job
This is genuinely one of the best videos I've seen on RUclips. It takes a lot of courage not just to tackle a major phobia but to be okay with sharing that with the world and being vulnerable--The way you're just so genuine in all your videos is something I think we should all aspire to. It's just really heartwarming to watch. Tom Scott gives me faith in humanity
Hello fellow Lemon
Tom scott is literally my most favourite person and i started binging his videos only this morning 😭
i see that pfp of yours. I know what you are
Right?! My eyes got wet watching him go from just trying to stay calm and letting out vocal stress to screaming and laughing as most people do on a roller coaster.
same
It's not at all a stupid thing to cry about! No matter how small it may feel in retrospect, overcoming ANY fear is a huge undertaking, and watching it happen for you in real time made me get emotional, too. Super happy for you Tom!
Thirded!
Not just overcoming, but realizing you actually enjoy what you feared for so long. Not surprising to feel emotional at all!
4:33 That crow added incredible atmosphere qualities to the shot, and Tom telling it that it can shut up made me LAUGH SO HARD! For an instant I thought the crow could have even been edited in for atmosphere, but I was quickly, hilariously corrected.
The crow made it the most British video
If that crow was real and not just part of the park, that was perfect
@@calvinm5937 what do you mean „part of the park”? You think they employ crows there? Lolz
@@Wingtrois speakers
the crow was a paid actor
10:50 : I can do this (said to motivate oneself to persevere in the face of fear)
10:55 : I _can_ do this (said in realization, that he truly can do it)
His tone change as he repeats, "i can do this" is genuinely heart warming. You can see, hear, and feel the literal exact moment Tom realizes he's stronger than his phobia.
I don't know if it's official Alton Towers policy, but the operators of the runaway mine train always say 'choo choo' before sending off the ride. They seem to compete to say it in the most patronising way to get a laugh from the punters 😆
I remember a little while ago there was a different operator (changed from now) and he said the 'choo choo' so well and was a great part of the ride. Sadly he seems to be gone now.
It’s been ages since I’ve been but don’t you also normally go round twice?
I think you mean “ChOoOoOo ChOoOoOo”
@@eyeballpaul1792 think they can vary how many times it goes round (I'm sure there is a limit though), I've been round three times before.
@@timdavies90 yes it depends on time of day and how busy it is. Most times I’ve been round is about six.
"It's a problem for future me, and now I am future me."
I feel this 😂
I FEEL THIS TOO BRO
And 10:45 “This is fine, AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”
@@bjoe385 Best part when the realization hits that rollercoasters are actually really awesome lmao
Me when my exam
The title of my biography
The fact that he puts himself through this in front of 100 of thousands of people gets all my respect. I totally understand his feelings
You realize he wouldn’t ever do this unless he had an audience right?
I think the audience is what drives him.
21:08 "Stupid thing to cry about"
I'm crying right now. I told myself that if you could do this, maybe I can get over my own fear of rollercoasters. I dunno if I'll ever get to go to a theme park again, but... If I do, I'll try. Because of you.
Maybe I should go to Liseberg, have two beers, and then try out a few rides this summer.
the thing about fear of rollercoasters is it is completely irrational
once you get on the biggest baddest thing and enjoy it every rollercoaster becomes a joy to ride
Just do it. I went on Smiler and Nemesis reborn at Alton towers the other day, don’t let it hold you back.
@@Camperlife111 For my son, would you reccomend Nemesis to an 11 year old who doesn't like that stomach feeling during the drop. He's fine with the overhead restraints but never done one, he's not sure about the inversions though, if their rough/feel bad.
I'm jealous of how good Tom is at being openly vulnerable. What a legend
It's fascinating how different movie "fear" and actual primal fear are, and how unpleasant it is to see. And then the adrenalin giggles set in and it's heart-warming.
@@billy00001 God, it really was, wasn't it? When the video began it activated the primal-maternal part of my brain that went, "Oh no I love him, I want to hug him, poor baby boy," which I was aware is incredibly patronizing but it's what the beginning of the video evoked from me, but then the genuine terror and shouting began and I just fell silent and felt so uncomfortable. But it was all worth it when his joy came out!
This was almost surreal to watch, watching Tom on the rides realising that he's actually enjoying himself is basically the exact same experience I had about 2 years ago, and it is a memory that will stick with me forever. This whole video basically perfectly mirrored my own experience with rollercoasters, from what Tom said at the start right through to being on all the rides
Exactly my thoughts as well! There's nothing like turning fear into joy, it's a very memorable experience.
Also describes my rollercoaster journey. I was scared, yet determined to extend my boundaries and ride something bigger and badder each time.
The laughter at 10:58 was the sudden overcoming of the phobia, and the enjoyment kicking in
Same here! 3 years ago I had not been on a single roller coaster in 27 years. And now I've been on almost 100, including 3/4 gigacoasters in the US and Kingda Ka. I even planned a 2-week roadtrip around them last year. I went from terrified to annoyed at myself for not starting sooner and missing out on all the rides I missed as a kid that no longer exist.
The opposite of my roller coaster experience. I went on some about 8 years ago and came to the conclusion that I just don't like it. I don't like the lack of control, I don't like falling, I don't like my safety being in the hands of people who don't care about my safety.
i teared up because i know exactly how he feels and i have yet to overcome it. this gives me hope honestly. i don’t know why they scare me so much. i’ve had a panic attack once from a medium to small drop once and it was so painful to go through, it felt like i couldn’t do anything and my body was beyond overwhelmed. i want to get over it so bad. i really do.
Tom piloting an aircraft without the use of is eyes: "Wow this is a lot of fun. So if I had kept going like that we would have crashed huh? Interesting"
Tom on a children's ride: "Okay I can control the panic if I just breathe through it. Okay, okay, just breathe"
That's so awesome. Phobias are nuts, facing them is an incredible feat
as a ride operator, seeing people conquer their fears and take on these big scary machines is why i enjoy this job SO MUCH. literally had the biggest smile on my face at the end of the video - if you ever get the chance, come over across the pond and come out to cedar point, weve got some of the biggest and best roller coasters in the world!! we'd love to have you 😁😁😁❤️
dude i go to that park so much its so fun
I’m also a Cedar Point ride op! If Tom ever came to my ride I’d probably freak out!
I used to be a Cedar Point ride op!
Dude, Cedar Point is the real thing! I did a nerdy research project on roller coasters in middle school, then got to actually visit the park in Ohio (I’m from way out in Idaho) ten years later! It blew my mind!
But Tom… there might be a few steps in between now and Cedar Point :). Maybe don’t be in too much of a rush!
Bro cedar point is my home park! I was there yesterday!! What ride do you operate?
Watching the transition from fear to enjoyment took me back to my time at a Florida theme park, where on an unexpectedly slow day, I ran into a kid from the UK who had not gone on any of the coasters. So I convinced him to take a ride on one of the attractions that everyone skips because it's perceived as one of the scariest until you do it. I loved watching it ten years ago, and it's still great to watch today. This just became one of my top five favorite videos on RUclips.
The moment he goes from nervous laughter to maniacal cackling is the moment of epiphany. A rare moment of pure joy is more rarely captured on camera like this. It's a good thing to see. Welcome to the world of coasters, Tom. Hope you get the chance to try to make up for lost time. 🤘✊👊
I could feel that through the screen, genuinely felt like my heart was expanding as it happened, good on Tom for being brave enough to do this and put it out for everyone to see
Yes as a kid I was in..seventh grade so around 12-13.. in Vienna Prater with school trip. Went on some steel-mini coaster, don't really remember much, but probably that basic layout that you can find everywhere.
The only thing I remember was being ashamed to scream so I went with closed mouth and it made me nauseous.
Didn't been on coaster since until I was thirty. My friend dragged me to park or offer me to go and I quickly realized that my limits are literary sky high and I was fine with every coaster there.
While I've been on many different kinds since, l my most fa orite are inverted or launch coasters
10:46 those 15 seconds are almost magical. You can almost pinpoint the exact second Tom’s brain switched from utter panic into enjoyment, and the pitch in his scream went up an octive
Literally took him a second to realise it had switched
I was scrolling down to see if anyone else had commented this!
Couldn't of picked a better phrase to describe it! It was horrible to watch someone you "know" (for want of a better term) in that state of panic... To watch him suddenly shift to enjoyment was just fantastic
So many creators on this platform try to optimize their online persona and never show you their real self. Then there's Tom, who shows us its OK to be human. It's not a stupid thing to cry about. everyone who lives has something their afraid of. The relief and joy from conquering your longtime personal struggles is actually a perfectly rational thing to be emotional about.
*"I have spent so many years being scared, and I'm not anymore." - Good on ya Tom, we love to watch how far youve come out of your comfort zone. And how much this channel has grown along with you! Cheers!*
*insert inspirational quote here*
"tom conqured his fears , he showed no tears" - Sun Tzu The Art Of War
4:30 that crow was so perfectly timed like a horror movie
10:14 moments like this would have been even better if the park was open as usual. Imagine sitting next to that bloke from RUclips and this happening…
10:50 would have been even more amazing. I mean that was an amazing moment even on camera.
the moment he goes from sheer panic to complete excitement and confusion as he laughs wondering why he isnt hating it
"I can do this!" Reminded me of "this is Unix."🤣
@@iamcurious9541 "This is fine. I can do this. I can do this! ... I can do this? ... *maniacal laughter*"
I have nothing of use to add, but i just came here to say….
Omg david! I didn’t think id find you here!
I think this video additionally proves Tom’s commitment against swearing. I would’ve made sailors blush if I were in the same situation.
didn't even think about that, the fear could not overcome Tom's self-discipline of not swearing
I was really anticipating some heavy bleeping.
Though him telling the bird to "shut up now" made me laugh for like 5 minutes
@@tomrogue13 Highlight of the video for me.
I'd create some interesting new cursewords
The abrupt shift from being terrified to laughing and smiling was absolutely heartwarming.
I recently got over my fear of drop towers by forcing myself onto one- looking back, it was such a shame I refused to go on so many drop towers all these years just because of my stubborn fear of drops as a child. I still vividly remember getting off the ride and frantically telling my friend I wanted to go on every drop tower ever whilst smiling like a lunatic. Truly one of the best things I’ve ever overcome.
Glad you also got over your fear- you never truly know how much you’ve missed your whole life until you’ve tried it :)
I refuse to go on drop towers because the drop of roller coasters is my least favorite part. I dont think theres anything that can convince me
@@f1nn15 do what they did they probably had the same mentality
@@4321user-_ to get rid of the fear you need to do the absolute most extreme one possible.
otherwise there is always a barrier. i hate droptowers too tho.
Used to hate drop towers myself, but there was one I went on after learning about the lift and brake mechanism being magnetics, meaning it’s (nearly) physically impossible for the ride to fail catastrophically because powering the ride is what allows it to lift, but if the ride is unpowered, the magnets are still there which create the braking force on the way down, meaning you can never have a destructive landing without someone literally tearing the ride apart from the ground level.
We Stan a vulnerable king. Being open about your fears, and showing us the steps to you overcoming them, then watching you have so much fun in being victorious over them is such an amazing thing. I used to love coasters, but a viral illness in my 30s damaged my inner ear and now I get severe nausea if I get dizzy or disoriented. I so very much miss my body allowing me to enjoy certain rides, but I can always live vicariously through RUclips❤
your a fucker!
@@alfie05100 what???
the shift from terrified shouting to laughing and cheering triumphantly was so genuinely uplifting, I couldn't help but laugh sympathetically. this is an incredibly vulnerable video and it must have taken mad guts to post it online.
I like how calm and collected every coaster operators are.
Theyre like chillest dudes
Plus they seemed entirely non-judgemental about phobias.
@@Feraloidies it’s kinda part of the job, helping scared kids get over the fear just long enough to take the ride or helping them off if they decide not to go. Adults are easier than that
@@Bisonrulz16 now I know why the ride operator lied to me about this roller coaster being slow, but it was like 100 drops per second (not really.)
The ones in the video weren't the usual operators they were engineers
I had the same exact fear up until a few years ago, same thing with the drops, feeling like you're at your limit, and realizing it's actually fun halfway through the ride. I intensely relived my own experiences in this video for the first time ever, and it took me back to why I got into theme parks in the first place. Thank you for that, amazing video. Now ride some more!
Oh hey silv
yooo silvie
says the person who makes rollercoasters
Now I'm obsessed. Love rollercoasters now
Couldnt agree more Silv.
This has to be one of the most inspirational videos I've seen in a while, to face a phobia is incredibly hard, but at the end when he wants to ride every roller coaster inspired me to face anything I'm afraid of, amazing video
The fact is, we have really gotten to see how much of a massive adrenaline junkie Tom Scott is that it would only have made sense for him to love rollercoasters had he not had this phobia, and after he’s overcome that phobia it is totally unsurprising that he in fact does love them, which is what makes this so gratifying to watch
Thanks for making this, Tom. I live with PTSD, and there are so many things that my banged-up brain interprets as mortal threats--ordinary things like the sound of a door slamming or the smell of certain kinds of soap on my skin. I've managed to cross a few of them off the list over the years (I don't hide from fireworks anymore, and when people shout at me I shout back louder), but it's exhausting to look at the list and see how many things are still on it. I don't WANT to be afraid of soap or doors. I don't actually think those things are scary. But there's a terrified animal in the back of my brain that is absolutely convinced that the smell of lemon-scented soap is a sign that the world is ending.
Watching you shout through your fear and then laugh at it, seeing you acknowledge it and still overcome it...that helped. Thank you. This can't have been an easy video for you to make, but it might be one of the most important things you've ever done.
I hope I get to ride next to you on a coaster in my country someday. Just as soon as I do something about my little problem with crowds...
The fact that you've managed to cross any of those things off of your list means that you are brave. It doesn't take any bravery to do things that don't scare us. It takes no bravery for me to go on a rollercoaster. But Tom was immensely brave in this video. You are too. I wish you luck. For whatever it's worth, a total stranger is cheering you on.
For me I don't hate consistent loud noises but only if you know it's coming but you don't know when it's going to come like a horror movie. Or like balloons that you know it's going to pop sometime but don't know when
Your post resonated. I get it. Abundant love and good vibes ❤
You're doing great keep at it
How's it now after a month? I doubt anything has changed.
Watching Tom go from "oh my god please no I'm terrified of this" to "I love this, why didn't I try sooner, I can't believe I missed out because I was scared" is genuinely one of the most heartwarming things. It was such a pleasure to watch, as always. Keep exploring Tom! I can never wait to see what you get up to next.
Watching the fear become joy was absolutely delightful.
I used to be very scared of roller-coasters myself, but I found out a way to enjoy them. In the past, I would hold the bars tightly and would go into "survival" mode, waiting until it's over. It was frightening, my body thought it was a dangerous situation. Instead, I experimented with "letting go" and it does wonders. I've always been like "how the heck are people able to raise their hands on the roller-coasters"? And I forced myself to do that. It really, really helped! Instead of waiting until it's over, I experienced it and I just screamed when my fear entered. Screaming seems to really help to process these emotions and you can go through the whole ride like this, because it's not like a roller-coaster ride is 100% of fear all the time. There are just single points where it gets scary. Try it, guys!
This has to be my favorite Tom Plus video so far. Seeing Tom, a person who is so knowledgeable in all things, including engineering, being scared of something that he logically knows should be safe, be scared of that same thing and then overcoming that fear, inspires me to be more confident about the things I know to be harmless but still terrify me regardless. Thank you Tom, seeing that switch flip was really powerful.
He literally controlled a plane blindfolded
Puts into pictures how wild irrational phobias/fears can be. He's done some objectively terrifying things through all this work, yet this is still frightening. Might have to do some reading on the topic, fascinating.
And that's why i love this channel so much
I wish more people with arachnaphobia and other bug phobias (who dont live in the hellscape of Australia) could do the same.
Its legitimately annoying how normalized freaking out at tiny creatures is.
Its a sign that our biosphere is dwindling and theres more and more people who literally havent touched grass.
@@ordinarytree4678 how is "touching grass" related to arachnophobia?!
"This is fun! I can do this! I can do this!"
Seriously brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for being such a wonderfully vulnerable strong vibrant REAL human being. You're moving mountains, man. For yourself and for all of us. Thank you
I loved seeing that 180° turn in mindset. That’s exactly what happened to me. From shaking in fear in the queue and on the lift hill to joyfully screaming and enjoying the ride. It takes real courage to extend your boundaries like that and to keep telling yourself that you’re going to do it, even though you’re really scared.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions.
“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” - Seneca
This really illustrates that idea.
I absolutely love roller coasters. The more intense, the better. I live very near to Cedar Point in the U.S., so I've enjoyed several world-record-breaking rides. But fear is a weird thing; I can barely make a phone call, due to anxiety over it (I mean, I can force myself to do it when absolutely necessary, but I hate it and the feeling of panic that it induces)
That's a really good quote and so true!!
Seneca? The studying tool?
I love Cedar Point!!!
@@no1fanofthepals Seneca was named after a scientist or mathematician idk
@@Jxys13r Seneca was named after a Roman stoic philosopher and statesman.
I cried with you. I love rollercoasters, but I have plenty of phobias and lack your courage to push through them. Massive respect for this.
I really appreciate the things tom is doing on this channel, being vulnerable in front of a large audience, admitting to things I'd be embarrassed about like not knowing how to ride a bike and being afraid of rollercoasters. I hardly have the courage to face any of my own similar perceived shortcomings in private, but seeing someone I look up to and respect doing it in front of hundreds of thousands of people gives me hope
SILENCE WANNABE CHECKMARK
You bots are the worst.
Immediate impressions: All the staff seem like EXACTLY the kind of people you want with you when you're doing something you're terrified of. What a nice bunch!
Good trip sitters
They're definitely the right people for the job.
Tom Scott knows how to do research and that includes people introducing him to new stuff to make sure they are professionals or experts.
The human brain at its finest. You can do stunts in a fighter jet without being bothered, but the second you step on a roller coaster you just panic.
It's odd, isn't it?
I am scared of heights.
No issues with flying or going up into a tall building. No issues with looking out the window of said tall building or standing by the railing on the balcony.
....But show me GoPro footage of a wing suit flyer or free climber stepping up to a sheer drop, and my stomach immediately drops and I become uncomfortable.
Heck, under the right circumstances even a video game sequence can elicit that response.
@@Steelmage99
So you’re not scared of heights, exactly, but of falling from them.
@@ragnkja That really just does seem like a reasonable fear.
@@fruitStall
Far from every case of being afraid of heights or falling from them counts as acrophobia, because there are plenty of circumstances where the fear is entirely rational.
@@ragnkja Yes fears of heights are very different to eachother - I love rollercoasters and planes and tall buildings and even skydiving but I am absolutely terrified of walking on the tops of hills or anywhere remotely close to a high ledge - I cannot for the life of me bear Go-Ape or the up in the air assault courses
Something I have learned from riding roller coasters and not liking that stomach drop feeling is.. if you screen at the top of your lungs you do not feel it.. but even if you do it’s only for a second.. and it’s over.. this was awesome watching you face your fear! I hope you have been on much more and much bigger rides since this video!
"THIS IS FINE! I CAN DO THIS!!"
I get this level of euphoria when I make it through a bus journey.
Phobias are a strange beast.
Well done mate.
at the end when he said “i wanna do every rollercoaster in this park” it made me cry. he seems so triumphant and it’s such a change from the beginning of the episode. love it tom and congrats
I cried too 🥲
Wish we could have seen him on The Smiler
I've had the same experience as him. I used to be terrified of roller coasters. Then one day while at King's Island, I felt an urge to ride one of the coasters. I cannot describe why this urge came over me, it just did. The coaster in question was called the Scooby-Doo Ghoster Coaster. After I got off that, I decided to ride something bigger, and then something bigger after that. The last roller coaster I rode that day was Vortex. It truly was a transformative experience to just be unshackled from a fear like that.
too emotional
I truly believe this video can be used in psychology courses. The way you went from being petrified in the face of your fear to instant joy and amazement after facing it was a sight to behold!
As a roller coaster enthusiast, it’s amazing to see someone converted - in real time. The transition from fear to enjoyment was incredible to see. Welcome to the community! We’re happy to have you.
Same here, his ride on wickerman reminded me of my transition on new Texas giant. Like almost the exact same lmao
@@nevergreen4219 Yeah my conversion was on HangTime at Knott's. Now I've felt countless moments of backbreaking positive Gs and airtime where I'm out of my seat!
I love that, on both Wicker Man and Nemesis, you can see the moment when his fear breaks.
It’s like the adrenaline didnt even give him a choice
I second this!! Welcome to the big wide community 😊 Congratulations 👏
The line of "I'm not going to remain calm" is very powerful. Trying to breathe through a rollercoaster will only get you so far, you've gotta SCREAM!! Well done, Tom!
Everyone has their own fears. This wasn't about rollercoasters, this was about facing your fear and I'm so proud of you.
This video single-handedly helped me get over MY fear! I actually went on the exact same rides in the exact same order as Tom (except Nemesis is now Nemesis Reborn) and I am mostly over my fear now!
The fact that Tom is willing to face his fears and expose his vulnerabilities to understand why they happen just makes me appreciate him even more. What a legend.
The fact that Tom just started screaming "seemingly irrationally" when the rollercoaster started fairly slow really made it kick in for the audience how bad his phobia really was. I have watched this video probably a dozen of times and I still tear up when Tom gets emotional by the end. I'm glad he dared to do this.
what, he was talking about how the ride operator said choo choo ironically, it wasnt him bieng scared
@@minecraftminecraft9872 That part is not what I meant. Did you even watch the whole video? Tom rides three different rollercoasters
@@JUMALATION1 ive watched the whole video multiple times to try and help me with my fear, and you said "the rollercoaster" so how was i supposed to know which one
@@minecraftminecraft9872 well the one where he screams "seemingly irrational" would be a good hint.
"Stupid thing to cry about" It's not stupid, to be able to do what you have done after years of fearing it is....is wonderful you get to see what happens behind the scenes, all the safety measures that are taken every day to ensure that the ride is safe, I think your subscribers are extremely proud of you for doing this!
Well done Scott
Indeed
10:52 is the best moment. I've felt that before growing up afraid of rollercoasters. The moment you realize the fear was for naught and a whole new world of fun has just been opened up to you, it's euphoric.
Seeing Tom progress from “I can do this” to “I LOVE ROLLERCOASTERS!!!!” was so wholesome. Probably my top 10 favorite videos of the year!
Awesome job, Scott + team!
Especially thank you to Kirsten for making sure he was okay! I really appreciate that, and hope they all understood he wasn't upset, just afraid.
Very Tom Scott
Definitely been there too
Exact thing happened to me in half a second on the way down oblivion
@@kutsen39 It's like when you have to get bloodwork done. You HATE the needle, but know the blood's gotta be drawn. Sometimes you gotta just not look, and grit your teeth.
That's comparable to a lot of people getting on these rides. It might seem like an extreme comparison but phobias are phobias, severity doesn't matter.
Nemesis is not only a fierce coaster but also a coaster phobia cure as well. This is why it's my favourite. I was terrified of rollercoasters until Nemesis cured my phobia
I was going to say the same.
Tell me why people hate the dangle rollercoasters personally they are my favorite and I feel safest in them then box cars bc I always slide and feel like I’m gonna fall out of box cars ❤️❤️❤️
Same! I was terrified of going on them and then when I went on Nemesis I absolutely loved it. Ended up going on it about four more times after that.
dude I feel the same with the Vampire at la Ronde that , would you look a that , is the same coaster as the Nemesis ( different layout tho )
Also the trick with exposure therapy is to start incredibly small, repeat the same exposure until you get ‘bored’ of it, and then move to the next step up. No jumping to the max exposure, just consistency until your body gets used to it. It’s difficult and long, but has proven good results
Indeed, like shooting yourself with small caliber bullets and then moving onto higher caliber bullets
I think that's kind of the appeal of the rollercoaster.
I was genuinely scared the entire time. My palms got so sweaty. I was smiling when tom laughed and enjoyed the ride. Thank you Tom!
I always love how Tom screams like a wizard completing a particularly difficult spell while riding Nemesis
I sometimes forget my own age but I know for a fact Tom on Nemesis laughs exactly like this one Finnish youtuber laughed in an old Amnesia video while swinging a loaf of bread in front of a window.
@@dapperwolf465 Obviously
omg I can't unsee that now lmaooo
And that, friends, is what we call a "Rollercoaster of emotion"
PS You rock Tom, we love you
Absolutely missed opportunity for a video title.
ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
Get Thy Coat and Get Thee Gone!!!
Do you hear that? I think two drums and a cymbal just fell off a cliff.
I’ve struggled with fear of rollercoasters, so similar to this. Even down to the “I cant feel my hands” part. I’m going to an amusement park soon and seeing this guy get through it makes it feel like I can do it too. Kudos for the bravery.
Hope you manage to defeat your fear and have lots of fun!!
You can do it!!
Have wonderful, safe fun ☺️
Have fun! Remember, the anticipation is the worst part. But also, do some research on the coasters that are at the park. Learn the manufacturers, and the tendencies they have for their rides. Some manufacturers make incredibly smooth coasters, others are older and a little more rough.
Also another tip, when on a more extreme coaster, try to move with the elements of the ride. That way your body can be fluid with the ride and avoid straining your muscles.
Have a great trip!
Same! I am going tomorrow on the Baron 1898 in the Efteling, super scared but want to get over my fear! Hope it went well for you!
I used to be terrified of roller coasters when I was younger. Had to conquer the fear similarly. That rush of conquering a coaster is absolutely incredible! Loved this video so much
First time I got on a drop tower, I recited the Litany Against Fear (I was just reading Dune at the time):
"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
It's the only fictional incantation that works in real life.
21:04 This is not a stupid thing to cry about, you just did something that most people never even consider. This video makes me wish that RUclips videos could win Emmy's... such a great look into the universal human experience: fear, and the possibility of overcoming it.
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
ofc not, I was crying with him. this relates to so many things in life
definitely
That's the body releasing a lot of built up tension. That type of crying feels great I think. I was so happy seeing the transformation from panic to the joy of realising how many cool rides he can try now.
it absolutely depends on the sort of fear. Rollercoasters are
I had a similar thing. Wouldn't go on anything more than a log flume for years. Then just pushed myself to go on them and it's easy now.
Broader fears are harder to get over and don't go away as easily with exposure. With rollercoasters it's really like a switch flipping in your head.
As a rollercoaster fan with an irrational phobia of chairlifts, I get it. The brain fears what it fears, and sometimes that fear can be EXTREMELY specific. Bravo to you for facing your fear & having a good time.
I was more scared of the chairlift thingy at Alton than of the rides 😭
Oh dude, same. I can do any rollercoaster no problem. but if you can even manage to get me in a chairlift? I'm white knuckled and sweating anxiety the entire time. I won't go near them any more.
me too. im usually nervous about rides but when i ride them i have fun. Cant do the same with chairlifts or gondolas. specially chairlifts that are like SUPER exposed i hate those.
chairlifts are scarier
though the death rate is also extremely low, there's a higher chance of getting stuck, less regulation, and you're not as tightly seated
As some one who works as a chair lift operator, I'm simultaneously both impressed at the amount of safety regulation that goes into chair lifts (at least three different brakes, dozens of sensors that are checked daily, anti-collision checks, etc) and in awe of the fact that there aren't more serious injuries/deaths than there are.
Also, if you want to really scare yourself, look up "chair lift rollback" on RUclips. Probably one of the most dangerous things that can happen on a chair lift, but thankfully very rare.
The courage this must have taken is immense. Well done for tackling your fear!!!
It genuinely put a smile on my face seeing the point where sheer terror faded into enjoyment! Coming from a theme park enthusiast it's so good to see someone conquer a their fear of rollercoasters! Shame you can't get back all that time you lost, but better late to the party than to not go at all? :D
As an enthusiast, I do enjoy how even someone who's super factual and looks into the facts of something, can be afraid of one of the most studied amusement rides in existence to the point where its the most statistically safest form of "transportation". Really puts into perspective that even someone who researches a ton about something can still be affected by the human mind.
With his fear conquered, there are so many amazing, unique, and historic rides he can experience and do videos on!
So many in the UK, and then further afield too!
Well put! We all have our fears and it's great and somewhat inspirational to see someone tackling it head on. Behind the scenes knowledge of how safe the attractions are probably helps too!
Yessssss