Blindfold

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Astronauts Richard H. Truly and Guion Bluford sleeping on board the Challenger. Bluford, in the foreground (upside-down) wears a sleep mask. Astronauts may find it difficult to sleep in space, especially if they are light sensitive. Truly and Bluford Asleep on Middeck - GPN-2000-001079.jpg
Astronauts Richard H. Truly and Guion Bluford sleeping on board the Challenger. Bluford, in the foreground (upside-down) wears a sleep mask. Astronauts may find it difficult to sleep in space, especially if they are light sensitive.
Sleep mask Sleep mask.jpg
Sleep mask

A blindfold (from Middle English blindfellen) is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindfold may let the wearer see around or even through the blindfold.

Contents

Applications

A blindfolded woman Military spouses exercise finding objects while blindfolded as part of a workshop by Marine Corps Family Team.jpg
A blindfolded woman

Blindfolds can be used in various applications:

A collection of BDSM blindfolds Blindfolds.jpg
A collection of BDSM blindfolds

Use of a blindfold is said to enhance the remaining senses of the wearer, focusing attention on sound, smells and physical contact. This increased awareness is said to allow for greater excitement and anticipation by eliminating visual cues, as one cannot see what to expect. It also requires trust of the submissive, with all the emotional ramifications that entails. [5]

Symbolism

The blindfold has been a powerful symbol in divination and mythology since the 15th century.

In law, it is seen being worn by Lady Justice, to represent objectivity and impartiality. [6]

The blindfold as a symbol is also a common theme in tarot and other divination methods. It can represent themes of the victim, resistance to clarity, denial, or limited views. It is often accompanied by underlying themes of integrity and truth at a cost. Likewise, the icon of the blindfold can symbolize the dichotomy of the conscious and the unconscious, as wearing a blindfold represents a stasis or a lesser state of consciousness, whereas taking off one's blindfold represents a form of awakening or rebirth. It also represents connection to feeling over senses, emphasizing the importance of emotion over perception. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyctalopia</span> Condition making it difficult or impossible to see in relatively low light

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional African masks</span> Ritual and ceremonial mask of Sub-Saharan Africa

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Justice</span> Personification of justice

Lady Justice is an allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia.

<i>Zed</i> (Cirque du Soleil) Former Cirque du Soleil production

Zed was Cirque du Soleil's second resident show in Asia. It premiered on October 1, 2008, at the Cirque du Soleil Theater, Tokyo Disney Resort, in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan. Inspiration for Zed was taken from the Tarot and its Arcana; the main character Zed represents the Fool of the Tarot. The show depicted Zed's journey and his role in uniting two mythical groups, the people of the earth and sky. The production closed permanently on December 31, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blind man's buff</span> Childrens game

Blind man's buff or blind man's bluff is a variant of tag in which the player who is "It" is blindfolded. The traditional name of the game is "blind man's buff", where the word buff is used in its older sense of a small push.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark dining</span>

Dark dining is the act of eating a meal without seeing the food that is being eaten. The basic concept is that the removal of vision enhances the other senses and increases gastronomic pleasure. Since 1999, specialised dark restaurants have opened in many parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fool (tarot card)</span> Tarot card of the Major Arcana

The Fool is one of the 78 cards in a tarot deck. In tarot card reading, it is one of the 22 Major Arcana, sometimes numbered as 0 or XXII. However, in decks designed for playing traditional tarot card games, it is typically unnumbered, as it is not one of the 21 trump cards and instead serves a unique purpose by itself.

References

  1. Gooley, Joshua J.; Chamberlain, Kyle; Smith, Kurt A.; Khalsa, Sat Bir S.; Rajaratnam, Shantha M. W.; Van Reen, Eliza; Zeitzer, Jamie M.; Czeisler, Charles A.; Lockley, Steven W. (March 2011). "Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 96 (3): E463–E472. doi:10.1210/jc.2010-2098. ISSN   0021-972X. PMC   3047226 . PMID   21193540.
  2. Ellwood, Beth (2023-02-27). "Wearing an eye mask while sleeping improves memory encoding and makes you more alert the next day". PsyPost. Retrieved 2023-02-28.
  3. The4. "The Benefits of Silk Sleep Mask". VAZA SILK. Retrieved 2023-04-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. The News Today Online Edition, Of entertainers and blindfolded drivers by Atty. Cyril Regalado (retrieved July 31, 2011)
  5. NeoVox International Magazine, Psst...pass the handcuffs Archived September 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine by Alex Reid, December 22, 2005 (retrieved August 1, 2006)
  6. "Blindfolds in justice". Archived from the original on 2018-02-18. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
  7. "Blindfold Symbolic Meanings in the Tarot by Avia from Tarot Teachings". May 7, 2020.