Smoking In The Dark?

[allan]

Last night I was smoking my pipe and decided to close my eyes to see what would happen.
It was very strange.
I knew the pipe was lit, but the sensations were completely different. I found that I lost most of the taste of the tobacco, and needed to open my eyes to see if I was still smoking, not just puffing.
Seeing the smoke come out I now realize is part of the pleasure, at least for me.
Anyone tried this?

 

[petes03]

Yep, I smoke in the dark (outside) all the time. It is a different experience for sure. I don't think I lose the flavor of the tobacco, but the sensations are definitely different.

 

[fishingandpipes]

I agree, it's rather weird. Not sure why, I can smoke cigars and cigarettes in the dark without issue.

 

[philip]

Seeing the smoke come out I now realize is part of the pleasure, at least for me.

This is true for many of us.

Here are some older responses to the same idea:
Seeing the Smoke

 

[radio807]

I found that I lost most of the taste of the tobacco, and needed to open my eyes to see if I was still smoking, not just puffing.

It's exactly the same with me. While the senses of taste and smell are linked, I don't know why sight seems to play a role with smoking. Very strange.

 

[warren]

Why do you think a chef works so hard the presentation? If you arrive at a restaurant expecting a grand dining experience and the first thing you notice is dirty silverware your anticipation reduced. Then the plate arrives with a jumble of food, slopping over the edge, and the waiter's thumb deeply inserted into the mashed potatoes; are your expectations heightened or lowered? Aroma, a Michelin Star or previously enjoyable experiences at this establishment may over-come the visuals. Probably not! At the least your expectations are lowered.
Smoking a pipe should involve all of the senses. Visually everything from the tin's artwork, the familiar shape of the pipe, the ambiance of the location, and to the flame dancing over the freshly packed tobacco all act to get the other senses prepped for the aroma and taste. Even the sense of touch contributes to the anticipation of the smoke. The curve of the bowl, the feel of the pipe's surface on the fingers, the texture of the tobacco on your fingers, and the heft of the pipe in the hand, all stimulate the awaking of the olfactory and taste sensors.
Of course, all of this prep and build-up of anticipation is somewhat dependent on the time and care one takes in the preparation of the pipe. Even memory contributes. Expectations? Are you loading up with an old favorite, one you know is going to give you pleasure? Or, are you revisiting a tobacco which left a bad taste in your mouth last time? Is this a new flavor which you are hoping will live up to the expectations you have from reading or listening to reviews?
The more you recognize and enjoy the input from the individual senses, the fuller the experience.

 

[allan]

Warren
Very well said and excellent examples given

 

[escioe]

I think in one of the Nick Adams stories, Hemingway writes about this, and about how blind people don't smoke.

 

[warren]

Hemingway wasn't blind of course so he didn't write from experience. I suspect a blind smoker would worry about the safety, an unnoticed, dropped ember can be very painful. I'm sighted and I have, all too often, experienced the sudden realization that my crotch is becoming unexpectedly heated. And, not a lady in sight!
That said, I know some, who are sightless, who smoke. No pipe smokers though. I'm the inquisitive type and always ask the rude questions., I have been told that when one loses a senses they rely more heavily on the senses available. Does this mean that the other senses grow or improve? I have a suspicion that it is simply that they consciously pay more attention to the remaining senses and learn to discern them individually, thus heightening the experience.
I sometimes try consciously, with varying rates of success, to separate the individual senses at times. My findings? The more senses working together the better. Sometimes we try to "parse" an experience too much and forget to enjoy the experience as it should be, in totality. Still, the experiments, try holding your nose as you smoke, and their results are very interesting.
One of my favorites is to close my eyes and let another smoker select the tobacco and fill the pipe. I, eyes still closed, light and smoke. I usually recognize the blend but not the brand. Nuances I've never noticed appear in the taste. While this doesn't make the world a better place, it is fun to do now and then.

 

[craig94yj]

I think one must not look at what you can't see in the dark, but rather what you can. One thing I do take advantage of when smoking in the dark is being able to see the ember. I analyze whether it is full across the bowl or if not, then where in the bowl it is located. I agree that many things are lost without the visualization of the smoke, but what can you say is enhanced. There is a balance to all things and when something is taken from one side then something will be added to the other, thus creating the unbalance that you feel when deprived of the light. What then do each of you notice in the dark that you missed in the light?

 

[warren]

I perceive that the smoke a more pungent. This could be because my brain is giving more importance to the senses that are still fully function. Damn! Now I'm going to have to do research on sensory deprivation.
Allen: It seems as though you have suddenly become a rather large pain. Let us have no more such questions. At least until I finish my research. Damn! A good day gone to pot! So much for football.

 

[jazz]

Interesting this. I was only thinking about this the other night as I went lunting through my living room on the way to the kitchen in the dark. I realised I had absolutely no perception how much smoke was in my mouth and that I seemed not to perceive the flavour.
This thought was cut short as my left leg ploughed into the vacuum cleaner that had not been put away.
However I did return to ponder this a little and then found this thread.
James

 

[mso489]

I don't even need to be in the dark. When I am lunting in a brisk breeze that carries away the smoke,

there is some uncertainty about whether I am getting a good puff from the pipe, when I really am.
Just for the record, one of my all time best pipe smoking companions is blind from birth. Granted,

he is a little unusual, running regularly with a sighted companion, hiking in the mountains, and

getting all over Manhattan and NYC in general with a cane. He has an outstanding collection of pipes,

briars and Meerschaum, and prefers his tobacco very strong. The safety factor isn't of concern. He is

also something of a master chef.

 

[andrew]

I just can't smoke outside in the cold, that's it. Especially as you're always blowing out fog out of your mouth with every breath, it means I can't really gauge how much smoke I'm taking in.

 

[uberam3rica]

I've smoked outside, late at night, with no lights on many times. I didn't notice a change in flavor or anything like that, but I did find it much more relaxing. Something about the quiet darkness made me feel at ease. Of course this was during the summer when sitting outside at night was actually comfortable.

 

[cortezattic]

I was sitting at my desk in the basement man cave, smoking a bowl of Orlik Golden Sliced.

I turned off the lights to rest my eyes and maybe give my palate free rein to focus on the tastes.

Curiously, although I could still taste the tobacco, I found smoking in the dark considerably less rewarding.

I had no idea that gratification from smoking was tied so closely to the visual feedback of seeing the smoke.

 

[checotah]

As humans, our perceptions of pleasure, or pain, or anything else, comes from our input through the five (six?) senses. Consequently, it is not surprising that our pleasures are greater when all five provide feedback. All that being said, I, too, enjoy my pipes more when I see the smoke. However, I enjoy a good, relaxing smoke more in the evening or at night, when things are less hectic, given more to contemplation and relaxation than during the frenetic daylight...

 

[sfsteves]

so, does this mean that dancing in the dark isn't all it's cracked up to be ??

 

[latbomber]

I spent a couple years smoking in the dark on the deck of an apartment I used to live at. There was an evergreen forest at the end of the street and I would watch the moon sweep over it. Being in the dark makes you concentrate on flavor more than smoke production. It is quite enjoyable and a good thing to do from time to time.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

Smoking in the dark??? Heck no! I'm afraid of the dark. Bad things happen in the dark. Leave the light on for me please. LOL ::