What is it with an earthquake that messes with your mind?

Could it be that earths gravity has something to do with it? That earthquakes somehow makes earths gravity have an effect on a humans equalibrium?

Because the Earth is not supposed to move. The ground is the one fixed thing in our world.

Fear + ear fluid distabilization + 100 years since last earthquake that big = mental trauma

I was Fluthering when it happened. Called my mom and gf afterwards. Deep sigh. Grin. Then back to Fluther. : )

It leaves no doubt in one’s mind about one’s total insignificance when “the Earth wants to move” ... and you can do absolutely nothing about it.

Floods we can often move away from. We can usually take adequate cover from (or avoid) a storm. When the earth moves for hundreds of miles all around you, and you’re on the earth, then you have zero ability to modify that. That messes with people’s heads who don’t already recognize their relative insignificance.

Fortunately, I’m all too aware of my insignificance. The quake ain’ no thang.

Interesting. As a Southern CA resident for 40 years, I’ve been through many earthquakes, some larger than yesterday’s shaker, and never felt this. I haven’t heard anyone else mention it either. I think the fear factor has a lot to do with it.

@crisw It wasn’t fear, because most of us didn’t know what was going on at the time. It was disorientating more than anything.

@Adirondackwannabe

Maybe some of it does have to do with that surprise effect, though. In CA, even before you experience your first earthquake, you hear about them, hear what they feel like from people who have been through them, go through earthquake drills, etc. So, when one does strike, you have some idea of what’s happening.

@crisw I think it is the fear of the unknown and unexpected. Plus, people felt it all the way from SC to Canada.

People can’t stop talking about it here. (Although many people I know are poking a bit of fun at the hoopla.) They evacuated our schools and we are roughly 150 miles away from the epicenter. At the same time, most of us didn’t even know what it was until we saw it on the news. It is so far off our radar in this area that very few people near me even noticed the ground rumbling and entire building shaking. One older lady stumbled a bit then muttered, “damn construction” and kept walking.

I grew up in California, earthquakes are normal there. The ground does in fact move and it has to.