Fear of heights

(I put this thread here because I wanted sophisticated answers. So please ignore my bad english and give me good answers.)

So as most people know you can have this "fear" of heights. But what is this fear really about? Is it the height or the options?
I myself know that I am a little afraid of the height itself but also what I might do up there. Jumping is infact stupid but I am stupid enough to actually try jumping if I could.

So then I'm wondering, maybe there are more people out there who are more afraid of what choices they're gonna take up there than the actual height?

Also when I'm sitting on a high place, the first thing that crosses my mind is "This thing I'm sitting/standing on is gonna break and I am going to fall" then I immediatelly think, what then?
If I fall, I fall and either die or hurt myself really bad.
What will happen? If this thing breaks there is no going back, I can't just go back and climb down, no, I'll either be crippled or die.

So, what do you think people are most scared of, the fact that if something happens they can't go back, the height itself or the choices they will make?

I don't have fear of heights, but it's something that makes the mind think that it's rational so your body instinctively just avoids it.

[font=verdana][color=green]The height isn't an issue; it's what happens if you fall. If I were to stand on a very secure platform a mile off the ground, I will be very calm, as I know that I'm safe up there. If you were to ask me to stand on a dodgy, rotten planked platform that's 20ft of the ground, I wouldn't do so, as I can break a neck quite easily from that height.

So, it's not a fear of heights, it's a fear of falling off.

As I said, the fear that they won't be able to go back.
They will fall and they can't change that.

I think it's more of the fear of dieing than anything else. It's also not the 'choices that we make' that we would be afraid of, but it's the 'what could happen'. I mean, like you said, if I'm standing on a glass floor, I would be somewhat paranoid that the damn thing would break, or if I'm at a railing, I'd be paranoid that someone would just push me off.

The mind focuses on self preservation, and will try to scare itself, no matter how rediculous it may be, just to keep itse;f safe. So when you say, 'so what if I fall?' The mind is thinking, 'screw that, if that thing can break, I ain't going near it'.

It is much like what you're saying right here.
The mind was created to think mainly about itself.
Not only, but mainly.

Fear is the natural result of being in danger. This applies to almost anything, such as being at gunpoint, riding a roller coaster, being near a tornado, heights, etc.

The amount of danger that you think you're in is directly proportional to the amount of fear you'll have.

Behind this phobia is the depersonalization, or more likely the fear of it. Depersonalization is basically a psychic malfunction, which makes you do things which your normal personality wouldn't do. Like jumping -This is only the depth psychological theory. Non-psychologist would simply say it is the fear of accidentally falling.

I have a bit of a fear of heights I don't think the fear is just about falling I think it's when you look down you get a sensory over load and part of you doesn't understand what exactly is going on because when I look down my vision doesn't that weird zoom out close up shot that you get in a movie.

I dislike heights and I work construction, how the hell did that happen lol. I usually manage to conqure it but another thing i always worry about is I'm gonna drop something and hurt someone. So to answere your question, I guess I'm afraid of the actions I'll make up there.

It's probably because they get nausiated while looking down from up above and that looks like you're going to fall to your death or something like that.

[font=Tahoma]I only really get fearful of heights when I look down from a place and its usually a pretty steady place. Its more like me thinking "If I jumped now..." Not saying I would commit suicide or do so. But just the thought of leaning too far over it what makes me a bit antsy.[/font]

THIS, is exactly what I'm afraid of.

Edit: Also, this;


I had no idea about the other thing tho, that's pretty cool. :3

Im terrified of heights for me its really because its so high and i'm a fragile human being. Will I feel pain? If I do how much pain will I be in? Yhe thought of me racing toward the ground then my body literary exploding is just terrifying to me.

To be specific, I think "fear of ledges" might be more accurate than "fear of heights"; being in a plane is no problem at all, but standing on a 3 foot stool makes me really nervous.

When I approach a ledge, my instincts tell me to back away from it and crouch low the ground. However, my logical side often knows that railings and the like don't just break from the slightest bit of pressure, and that I probably won't tip over a 4ft high railing unless I do something exceptionally stupid.

I've actually come to enjoy this fear over the years. Despite ignoring my instinct, I'm still very much safe near the ledge, and this disregarding of instinct is a bit of a thrill for me. Not so much of a thrill that I go out looking for ledges to stand near, but enough that I can entertain myself when the people around me aren't doing anything interesting.

I had a fear of heights but it wasn't the height it was the fall.

Sounds like bullshit.

I know I am terrified of heights, an thats because I am utterly afraid of falling. That's all there is to it.

So, as I said in the main post, technically you're not afraid of the height itself but the fall it can cause.

I'm honestly not afraid of heights as long as I'm still connected to the ground. Leaning over a high ledge is fine. Being locked inside a metal tube suspended a mile above the earth? Less so.