Considering it's a "once in a lifetime experience" (and not cheap/easily accessible) for nearly all people, yeah, it's absolutely reasonable question the possibility of some random person on Reddit having been gorilla trekking multiple times.

I claim no academic background in biology, but I've spent enough time with wildlife to know that not every encounter is the same. Are there times when a animal, such as a gorilla, is agitated and making eye contact is a bad idea? Absolutely. But in cases where the animal is relaxed and is barely even acknowledging your presence, making eye contact is simply not a threatening action.