Psychologists set to unveil 'the most terrifying roller coaster ever', using scientific know-how to scare thrill-seekers (and giant hypodermic needles!)
Psychology experts and New Scientist magazine researchers used knowledge of mind tricks to come up with the design
Uses hypnotic swirls, flashing lights and other distractions to fool the mind so it doesn't prepare you for the ups and downs as it normally would
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 18:24 GMT, 28 February 2013 | UPDATED: 19:29 GMT, 28 February 2013
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A new roller coaster promises to terrorise thrill-seekers in a whole new way after it was designed with the help of psychology experts and scientific researchers.
Alton Towers' Smiler opens in May, with plunging drops of up to 98ft and maximum speeds of 53mph.
But it is the roller coaster's psychological effects that are set to push thrill-seekers to their limits, and the designers promise to 'blur the line between illusion and reality'.
Scream if you want to go faster: The Smiler will feature five 'tricks' that it plays on the mind
Fear injection: Huge needles and hypnotic swirls all combine to distract and disorientate
Are you ticklish? The 'Tickler' looks more like a car wash than a tickling stick
Katherine Duckworth, one of the team who came up with the concept for the ride, explained: 'This ride will put not just your body but also your mind through its paces.
'We want people to get off the ride and not know what is real.
'There are five different mind effects, which are all designed to mess with your head. You shoot towards giant syringes, spinning hypnotic wheels, and flashing lights, among other things.'
These props are more than just background scenery. Each is a psychological trigger, set to keep the passengers on edge by disorientating and misleading them.
The ride blasts towards huge needles and what looks like a drive-through car wash but, of course, the threat they present is only in the mind.
But while worrying about whether you are about to be impaled on a giant spike, your brain isn't preparing you for the huge drop just around the corner...
Blinding: Strobe lights will dazzle you... alongside other secrets that are set to catch out passengers
'There is more track per square metre than any other ride in the world,' adds Katherine.
'It is twice the size of Nemesis and each ride lasts two minutes and 45 seconds. This is a very big roller coaster ride. When you get off, you wont know what is real.'
Researchers from New Scientist magazine were involved in Smiler's design. They found anticipation is a key factor in ensuring a thrill and that they worked best when presented as stories or narratives.
As such, Smiler even comes with its own back-story - that it was created by the Ministry Of Joy, a secretive organisation that has been conducting top secret experiments on mankind for years.
New Scientist editor Jeremy Webb said: 'All the experiences we use to generate thrill involve an element of fear.
'The emotion is triggered by either something physical, such as pain, or a mental one - most commonly the anticipation of danger.
'Thrill is a combination of fear and the euphoria we experience after everything has ended.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2286085/Alton-Towers-The-Smiler-Psychologists-set-unveil-terrifying-roller-coaster-ever.html#ixzz2MESDwsrw
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