高空飞行对情绪的影响

你知道在哪里能看到成年男人抱头痛哭吗？答案是：在2400米的高空中。飞机客舱有什么独特的力量能使男人们变得那么容易动情呢？在飞行过程中看电影为什么会让我们那么大喜大悲呢？

I'll let you into a secret. There's a place that gets me every time: whenever I'm there, I can't help but well up. Where is this tear-inducing location? It's thousands of metres high in the sky, in the cabin of an aeroplane. Especially when there's a trashy romantic comedy on. 

Why am I admitting this now? Because apparently, I'm not alone. English crooner Ed Sheeran confesses to getting all emotional when flying too. And get this: a survey carried out by Gatwick Airport in London found that 15% of men confess they're more likely to cry during films in planes than watching at home. And 41% of men owned up to burying themselves in the blankets to hide their tears in a separate survey by Virgin Atlantic. In all, 55% of air travellers in the Virgin study claimed they experience heightened emotions when flying. 

So, what's going on? How does air travel tap into our hidden emotions? A study from the Netherlands has shown adults cry due to feelings of separation, loneliness or powerlessness. All of these are easily experienced when flying: you're far from family, often alone, and have no control over the aircraft's flight. 

Another theory relates to the lack of distraction. When you're strapped into your seat in a sealed cabin in the sky, there's not a lot you can do. So we are able to invest ourselves more fully into the movies we watch. 

Then there's the physical space. Air pressure and oxygen levels are lower, and this can affect our mental state. Conditions in an aeroplane resemble those at an altitude of 2,400m. The reduced oxygen at this height can affect the brain. According to a study by the US Institute of Medicine: "the initial mood experienced at altitude is euphoria, followed by depression." 

And what about the movies themselves? Virgin say top culprits include tearjerkers such as Billy Elliot, Eat Pray Love and, at number one position, Toy Story 3. Their emotional firepower even caused the aeroplane to slap tongue-in-cheek "emotional health warnings" on select movies back in 2011. 

Virgin Atlantic film critic Jason Solomons said at the time, "On a flight, we're isolated, leaving loved ones or aching to be reunited with them. We're nervous, we're tired, we might have had a drink at a time we usually wouldn't, and if we see an image, a scene that reflects our emotional state, frankly we're suckers. Flying and films is a heady cocktail.