I've been getting MRIs every four months for 9 years now. (I had a very rare type of cancer.) My admittedly anecdotal experience is that most places seem to be getting worse at administering them. I suspect they are being prescribed for diagnosis much more, and the techs are somewhat harried by the stricter schedules. GE's Adventure Series is certainly a good idea, but I think it's easy to forget how important it is for the techs to administer them well, and how an overworked problem may exist for them.

As for the noise (that other people were flippantly dismissing), it really can be jarring. Cover your ears with your hands, with your fingers pointed towards the back of your head at about at 45 degree upward angle. Then, repeatedly bang your head with your middle fingers while your ears are still covered. That's roughly the a quieter version of one of the more unsettling sounds.

I'm quite used to it -- to the point that I always ask the tech to tape my head in case I fall asleep and move -- but still. That sound is not just the rhythm backing a techno song; it's the sound of parts swirling around you with massive energy.

It maybe safe, but so are roller coasters. Yet, while you go on a roller coaster looking for a thrill, you enter an MRI machine with the very real fear that something could be very wrong with you. That's not going to make for a pleasant experience. And, it's not surprising that that underlying fear might be projected elsewhere.