Perceived orientation in free-fall depends on visual, postural, and architectural factors.

In orbital flight and in the free-fall phase of parabolic flight, feelings of inversion of self and spacecraft, or aircraft, are often experienced (2,3). We show here that perceived orientation in free-fall is dependent on the position of one's body in relation to the aircraft, the architectural features of the aircraft, and one's visual appreciation of the relative configurations of his body and the aircraft. Compelling changes in the apparent orientation of one's body and of the aircraft can be reliably and systematically induced by manipulating this relationship. Moreover, while free-floating in the absence of visual, touch, and pressure stimulation, all sense of orientation to the surroundings may be lost with only an awareness of the relative configuration of the body preserved (7). The absence of falling sensations during weightlessness points to the importance of visual and cognitive factors in eliciting such sensations.