At the FAA in Oklahoma City, pilots can take various courses - I took one on high-altitude flying that included a safety segment on night operations.  I was put into a little trainer very similar to what you were in (though all electrical), and the instructor had me do a turning climb, (so I was spinning slowly, kind of like you were) and after a minute or so told me to reach down and pick up a pencil that he had placed on the floor.  I felt immediate and very intense vertigo!  Those little training simulators can do a _lot_!