“Inside the Controversial Mind of the Euthanasia Rollercoaster Designer: When Does the Thrill Turn into the Final Goodbye?”
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to fly through the air at extreme speeds, all while grappling with the ultimate life-or-death decision? Welcome to the twisted concept of the euthanasia rollercoaster, designed by Lithuanian engineer Julijonas Urbonas—a ride that promises to deliver not just thrills, but a one-way ticket to the end of life. This bizarre hypothetical ride first popped into our consciousness in 2010, claiming to offer users an escape from suffering “with elegance and euphoria.” With speeds reaching up to a staggering 223 mph over a 1,600-foot stretch, it’s safe to say that once you’re strapped in, you won’t be getting off. So, when does this high-octane adventure take a dark turn into the final chapter? Buckle up, because Urbonas details the exact moment a rider starts to slip into oblivion… if they make it to the top first! Curious to delve deeper into this fascinating yet macabre idea? LEARN MORE.
The designer of the euthanasia rollercoaster that ‘kills anyone who uses it’ has revealed the moment someone starts to die on it.
Julijonas Urbonas conjured up this (very much hypothetical) ride which could end lives ‘with elegance and euphoria’ back in 2010.
The Lithuanian engineer had previously worked at a theme park and dubbed his design the ‘hypothetic death machine’, picking up an award for the Public Prize of New Technological Art of Update 2013.
His project would see riders zoom at speeds of up to 223mph across a whopping 1,600ft stretch. And as the name suggests, riders very much would ‘only ride once’.
You can only ride it once (TikTok/@ridesnslides)
Explaining his pretty macabre idea, Urbonas said: “Riding the coaster’s track, the rider is subjected to a series of intensive motion elements that induce various unique experiences: from euphoria to thrill, and from tunnel vision to loss of consciousness, and, eventually, death.
“From there, you would begin experiencing a blackout and ultimately you would eventually lose consciousness and die.”
In a 2021 interview with ZANDLAND, the engineer broke down the stages of the ride to explain just at what point a person’s decision to end their life begins.
And it comes where he reckons it would be most ‘fun’.
“As with any roller coaster you’ve got a larger structure, but a taller structure – what is called a drop tower,” he explained.
“And the fun part I would imagine would be the slow, slow wobbly movement because it would provoke you to think about your decision really seriously.”
The drop is when it all kicks off (YouTube/ZANDLAND)
So, Urbonos said it would be at the moment you’re ‘on the top’ you might actually end up choosing to come back in case you change your mind at that last key moment.
The engineer added: “But if not, you are then dropping down, free fall, half a kilometre free fall until you reach something between five and six hundred kmph.
“Because of this curvature, you’re pushed against the seat so much that your blood is rushed towards lower extremities – so no, or little, blood is left in the upper parts of your body.”
He claims that the design means at this point, ‘your brain starts to suffocate’.
“It starts to produce all kind of weird experience that are usually accompanied with euphoria, extreme pleasure,” he added.
And this all links back to how Urbonos observes that those who ride rollercoasters in general are essentially ‘torturing themselves with pleasure’.
Well, that’s one way to see it, I guess.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
