brainlock
nounEtymology From brain + lock.
1
Informal The situation where a person's brain seems to freeze up, preventing them from proceeding.
- Pilots worry about "brainlock" — that sickening sensation when you pull out of a vertical dive at near 200 mph and have no idea what figure comes next.1991, Air & Space Smithsonian, volume 6, page 78:
- Another, more disturbing reason for no-pulls is what skydivers call brainlock. Jumping out of a plane with your heart pounding and stress hormones pumping, it's no surprise that your mind can freeze up for a few seconds.2009, Ben Sherwood, The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life: