Ok, I read that article, and I must say I would have locked up in some of those situations. Mostly just the moving through a dark area or confined space w/o knowing what's coming. I had to pussy out of rides at Six Flags, too. When I last went 10 years ago, they only had a couple of roller coasters, and everything else was just a constant gravity pressure effect. Now, everything is a roller coaster, and people are passing out on them. My gf called me a chicken when I passed on one ride. Then, she rides the ride she really wanted to while I sat in the "chicken coop". She got off the ride going "holy shit, I should have never ridden that ride!"
I think it happens when you get old. You spend your days stressed out at work from worrying about work, paying bills, etc. You don't want to spend your leisure time pursuing things that add to that stress. Eventually, the stress reaches a level where you just shut down.
