Why is is difficult to balance while looking up?!
Question:
Why is is difficult to balance while looking up?
It's harder to balance while looking straight up as opposed to looking straight ahead. Why is this?
Answers:
The short answer is that balance is a learned skill. You learned to stay upright (on 2 feet) primarily while looking forward. Your brain has "become accustomed" to this being a normal balance position. This is due (physiologically speaking) because the organ which controls balance is/are the semi-circular canals located in the inner ear. When your head is in an orientation other than level and looking straight ahead, the detector cells in the semi-circular canal sends a message to your brain telling you that you have changed from your "normal" orientation. Since you do not stand looking straight up very often, your brain is unaccustomed to the signals coming in when you are in that particular orientation. If you practice, you can get better at balancing in any orientation - look at what circus performers can do.