Close your eyes

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

michaelmirza

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 21, 2015
638
0
Chicago, IL
I tried something while smoking tonight. I closed my eyes while taking a sip. And I noticed... nothing. I couldn't feel the smoke physically or even really taste it, mostly. I opened my eyes again to confirm that I was indeed still smoking (I was). Makes me wonder if the visual aspect of seeing the cloud leave your mouth might actually be a pretty significant part of the overall pipe smoking experience (could also be part of why vapes are so popular). Next time you smoke, try closing your eyes for a few sips and see what you feel or don't.
Any tips on how to taste and feel your smoke more richly?

 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,895
31,635
34
Burlington WI
Not while driving of course...
But yeah, you have a very strange point there...totally different!
(Mind blown)

 

cynicismandsugar

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 17, 2015
773
4
Springfield, Mo
I'm fascinated in this strange phenomena you've mentioned, and will be trying it myself, this morning, during my first smoke of the day. Hmm, perhaps, as with many of the finer things in life, pipe smoking is a full sensory experience... food, drink and "that-one-other-worth-while activity" are, so I don't see why an especially self-indulgent blend would be any different.
I'm also interested in hearing any techniques others are implementing to gain an extra appreciation of their favorite tobacco. May you have more luck in obtaining this information from certain members than I have. :wink:

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,700
16,209
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
For me all my senses play a part when I am smoking while relaxing. From the feel of the pipe in the fist to feel of the smoke, the taste and smell, etc. The visual of the pipe, the tobacco in the tin, the feel of the blend as I pack, all of the various aromas and the sight of the smoke wafting in the air all contribute to the entire experience. I do not linger over any of them nor to do I separate them, each makes the experience what it is. Put them all together with an engrossing book, a tasty fortified wine and my evening cannot get better.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,258
108,362
If I'm not reading, I will often smoke with my eyes closed. Retrohale while doing it, and you get the full effect.

 

blackbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2015
706
0
I can't handle it. Seeing the smoke is a big part with me. I learned about this with cigarettes and did an experiment. If I smoke a cigarette with my eyes closed the whole time....it does not give me the full effect and I want another one. Seeing the smoke is certainly a key aspect in the experience; however, on occasion it can be beneficial to close your eyes and let your other senses take the lead. Especially with a complex blend as you try to decipher it. It's truly amazing how all of your senses play a role...all 5 of them used for smoking your pipe!

 

lestrout

Lifer
Jan 28, 2010
1,758
283
Chester County, PA
There's a goodly bit of recent academic research on the interactions between the olfactory senses and the other ones, which folks have (mistakenly) assumed act independently. One intriguing case has to do with coffee: it tastes stronger when served in white cups, vs. clear glass.
hp

les

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,258
108,362
I can't handle it. Seeing the smoke is a big part with me.
When breath smoking, I rarely see anything other than an ocassional thin slip of smoke coming from the bowl. The retrohaled smoke is so evanescent, I can only perceive it by smell and taste.

 

hawke

Lifer
Feb 1, 2014
1,346
4
Augusta, Ga
With eyes closed, not feeling the smoke in the mouth I consider a good thing. It means to me that my tobacco is not too hot and there is a dryness in the puff which is what I try to achieve.
My style of smoking delivers a nicotine buzz every time. Sometimes its after a few puffs but its always there. Some tobaccos give a more pleasant feeling than others. I puff as through a straw for three or four times, exhale some out my nose, then hold a draw and breathe thru my nose into my lungs not inhaling any of the mouth smoke, then three or four more and exhale rolling it out the nose slowly. This gives me the best tastes in my mouth and the best nic effect when exhaled thru my nose. This happens with my eyes closed or open. I do enjoy the visual of thick smoke rolling out of my nasal passages.
I find Latakia blends give the most nose burn effect of any blends. However even Carter Hall can render a nose burn if a concentrated release is exhaled thru the nose.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
One of my best smoking companions is blind since birth. He is not like sighted people, and he is not like other blind people. He goes all over Manhattan with just a cane, and goes hiking in the mountains with a friend, and runs with another friend. But he can't see, and he is an ardent pipe smoker. So, I will have to meditate on that. But yes, I think hearing the match strike, seeing the smoke rise, feeling the pipe warm in hand, smelling the process, and tasting, and hearing the pipe wheeze or sizzle now and then, is all part of the experience. I'll run the experiment when next I light up.

 

blackbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2015
706
0
Sadly my last two tests haven't worked out as planned. Instead of my taste and smell going up, my hearing peaked and taste/smell slacked. You've created quite an interesting topic Michael, well done.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,413
Florida
I know of one of our brothers that combines an abdominal workout with his pipe smoking in order to more fully appreciate and experience his pipe smoke.

He takes a 'sip', exhales the smoke and then leans into it and 'smells' it.

I've skyped with him and seen him doing this.

I've tried his technique myself. It does yield results. In fact, it's the best way I know of to actually be the smoker and detect the room note.

My 'argument' with him is that this is in fact, inhaling pipe tobacco.

I suppose it's not full strength inhaled tobacco, and in moderation (some day I'll know what that means) it's no big deal.

 

winton

Lifer
Oct 20, 2010
2,318
771
Of course, during a IL winter, you will find that you can enjoy the smoke for a long time after the pipe goes out. Actually, you can still see it, 10 minutes after you put the pipe down.

 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,604
14,671
I too find this to be an intriguing phenomenon...and I definitely find it difficult to fully taste/smell the smoke without seeing it. I actually started a thread on this topic a long time ago that contains some very interesting comments from some of the members. Here's the link:
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/seeing-the-smoke

 

fyfol

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 3, 2015
101
0
I love seeing the smoke slowly dissolving into air in my room, and watching as this happens is really an important part of my experience. When I first started smoking cigs during a cold winter, I would go over to street lights and puff the smoke toward them, just to see it :mrgreen: I suppose it is different with everyone, both in terms of significance and joy, like any other pipe smoking phenomenon. I also like seeing the tobacco lighting up when I take the puff, that bright orange/red is a wonderful sight to me, especially coupled with a bit of smoke coming out of the bowl.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.