Immediate support for seasickness
The artificial horizon
Seasickness is caused by a sensory conflict: The eye reports a standstill – for example, in a windowless inner cabin of a ship – while the balance organ simultaneously feels the movement. The artificial horizon gently balances this conflict by making the real movement visible on the screen. Ideally, use this method on a ship below deck.
Why this helps: The display of an earth-referenced line provides the brain with the missing visual movement information. On the screen, you see the bow of a ship and the sea with a mountain range on the horizon. While the bow remains rigid, the background image tilts exactly in sync with the actual swaying based on your smartphone's sensor data. Your brain thus gets the missing visual confirmation of the movement back, which gently soothes the queasy feeling in your stomach.
Scientific Background & Sources
Background: The display of an earth-referenced line provides the brain with the missing visual movement information (inertial cues). This resolves the sensory conflict and prevents the error message in the brain that leads to travel discomfort.
Source: Bos, J. E., et al. (2005/2012). TNO Human Factors / Vrije Universiteit.
Calming for fear of flying & stress
4-2-6 paced breathing
Find your inner balance again. Use paced breathing when you urgently need an anchor on a plane or bus. It is an ideal companion for motion sickness and rising fear of flying, as it immediately supports your wellbeing. Haptic signals guide you completely blindly through the rhythm: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds.
Why this helps: The conscious and prolonged exhalation specifically activates your body's resting nerve. This signals safety to the brain, gently winds down acute stress reactions and feelings of panic, and noticeably dampens the urge to vomit.
Scientific Background & Sources
Background: Controlled, slowed breathing (paced breathing) stimulates the vagus nerve and increases heart rate variability (HRV). This significantly dampens physical arousal and has proven effective in studies as support for restless travel and in stressful situations.
Source: Yen Pik Sang et al. (2003); Stromberg et al. (2015); Zaccaro et al. (2018) on anxiety regulation.
Preventive training for the journey
Mental rotation
Prepare yourself weeks before your vacation so the trip to your destination starts relaxed. A trained spatial imagination helps the brain process spatial and movement data on the journey more efficiently. IMPORTANT: This is purely a preventive training. Practice calmly for about 15 minutes a day before the trip. The application: Decide in the interactive game whether the right 3D figure is identical (only rotated) or mirrored. You have one joker per level.
Why this helps: Such spatial vision training trains the brain to resolve conflicting signals and movements much faster. This can significantly lower individual susceptibility to travel discomfort in advance.
Scientific Background & Sources
Background: Research by the University of Warwick (2021) showed that a two-week spatial vision training (visuospatial training) can reduce susceptibility to travel discomfort by over 50%. A trained spatial imagination helps the brain process movement data more efficiently.
Source: Smyth, J. et al. (2021). University of Warwick / Applied Ergonomics.
