Wait. Where am I?

This summer’s Olympics in Tokyo introduced us to a phenomenon called “the twisties,” which sidelined star gymnast Simone Biles. The condition occurs when a gymnast or high-diver can’t tell where his or her body is while spinning through the air. Airplane pilots and underwater divers can experience a similar condition, called spatial disorientation. They lose the ability to determine up from down.

Anytime our bodies experience motion in multiple directions simultaneously, it is easy to become disoriented or confused. A subtle form of spatial disorientation called somatogyral disorientation can also affect boaters,