If people kissed with their eyes open, it would look at least strange and even frightening. However, the reason many close their eyes during kisses is not limited to just the fear of scaring off their partner.
In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, scientists concluded that to enhance tactile sensations, people sometimes close their eyes. Although the researchers did not aim to explain kissing with closed eyes, their work is still relevant to this question.
During the experiment, participants were fitted with small devices on their hands that emitted vibrations and were asked to look at a screen with flashing letters. The volunteers were to mark the appearance of the letters X or N on the screen while simultaneously reporting the presence or absence of vibrations. The researchers noticed that as the sequence of letters became more complex, participants lost the sensation of the vibrations.
Although the study itself was not aimed at examining kissing etiquette, its results can be adapted to this topic. Kissing is an intimate and physically tangible act. For the brain to fully appreciate the intensity of sensations, it is necessary to close the eyes. This allows for a focus on touch and internal experiences.
“These results may explain why we close our eyes when we want to concentrate on another sense. Turning off visual perception frees up more mental resources to focus on other aspects of our experience,” the researchers explained in an article for The Independent.
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