And is this why people need to close their eyes when kissing?
I’ve noticed this my whole adult life. We’re almost certainly attracted to anyone we kiss in an intimate way. And from a young age (at least here) we’re “taught” to close our eyes when kissing/making out. But over time, I certainly began opening my eyes for short periods (not constantly like a psycho!), and what I noticed is that, almost invariably, the woman I’m kissing looks like a totally different person from close up. Now, once the relationship reaches a sufficient duration, I no longer notice. But certainly at the onset, I always experience this phenomenon. And sometimes, I don’t like the close-up version and have to back away for a bit, before resuming the activities.
Anyone else experience this, and is this the reason that eye-closing is the standard operating procedure?
I suspect it’s simply that we instinctively blink or flinch or close our eyes whenever anything comes too close to them (which would include the other person’s face when we’re kissing)—to protect them, and because it’s hard to focus on something that close up anyway.
You close your eyes so you aren’t distracted by other things and can focus on the sensations of the kiss. I don’t think people necessarily look any different.
Could it be the intensity of the moment that makes you both different ? You perceive things differently AND her features change slightly, all due to the emotion ?
My husband always keeps his eyes open, even if it’s dark. So when I open my eyes to see him, it’s really intense, because he’s so close. Of course, now that we’re getting older, it’s difficult to focus at that distance.
There’s the cliche about staring into one another’s eyes, but I think most people don’t really do it.
So I would say he doesn’t look different - I feel different, because I notice more how much he’s focusing on me.
), and what I noticed is that, almost invariably, the woman I’m kissing looks like a totally different person from close up. Now, once the relationship reaches a sufficient duration, I no longer notice. But certainly at the onset, I always experience this phenomenon. And sometimes, I don’t like the close-up version and have to back away for a bit, before resuming the activities.