The human eye provides visual and spatial orientation, which is responsible for providing about 80% of the sensory inputs needed to maintain orientation. If visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive stimuli vary in magnitude, direction and frequency the resulting effect can be spatial disorientation. To achieve appropriate orientation the body relies on accurate perception and cognitive integration of all three systems. Spatial disorientation is achieved through three major sensory sources: visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive. Spatial disorientation is a phenomenon that is well known to aviators, but it remains unclearly defined and continues to be one of largest causes of aviation mishaps. Aviation incorporates a three-dimensional environment and can lead to sensory conflicts, making orientation difficult or even impossible to maintain. Humans are naturally designed to maintain orientation while on the ground in a two-dimensional environment. Aviation-associated spatial disorientation, as described by Benson, occurs when “the pilot fails to sense correctly the position, motion, or attitude of his aircraft or of himself within the fixed coordinate system provided by the surface of the Earth and the gravitational vertical.” In other words, spatial orientation is the natural ability to maintain body orientation and/or posture in relation to one's environment while at rest and during motion.
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