YOU are on a plane watching “Legally Blonde” for the 100th time, and suddenly you find yourself inexplicably sobbing. If this scenario sounds all too familiar, you’re not alone.

In fact, 15 percent of men and 6 percent of women reported that they’re more likely to cry while watching a film during a flight than if they were to watch it anywhere else, according to a recent survey commissioned by London’s Gatwick Airport. And an earlier survey from Virgin Atlantic found that 55 percent of people admitted to being more emotional than normal while flying.

Now scientists have a few theories:

There could be a physiological link between altitude and emotion.

“Some believe that the slight reduction in oxygen levels at high altitude might affect the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, thus altering our mood and potentially making some of us more susceptible to feelings of sadness,” biologist Emily Grossman said in Gatwick’s report. “Altitude can certainly make us feel more tired, which is known to decrease our ability to be able to manage negative emotions, perhaps explaining our reduced threshold for tears.”

When there are no distractions, you can be more emotionally involved in a film.

“You have to watch movies with headphones on [on a plane], which forces you to really immerse yourself in the movie and also to have a sense that you are alone, which may increase the impact of the movie,” said Lauren Bylsma, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Airplanes can feel like a safe place to grieve.

Being stuck in one place for an extended period of time can also make you feel hopeless.

When you’re on a plane, you have given up complete control. Once you’re up in the air, you’re stuck there, and it can feel lonely and force you to experience a variety of emotions, possibly resulting in some tears.

In fact, many things about traveling can elicit sensitive emotions.

If you’re going on a trip, you’re probably leaving something behind, even if only temporarily. And if that weren’t enough to deal with, you’ve probably also stayed up all night packing, rushed to the airport, and dealt with surly travelers and airline workers-meaning once you finally take off, you’re ready to release all that stress from your body.

(SD-Agencies)