WALKING BLIND

The blindfold activity that we did in class was very interesting, and I have mixed feelings about it. As one of the "watchers", I found it easy to guide my partner around the room. I have participated in several other similar "trust activities" such as this, but in those the blindfolded partner relied solely on verbal instructions. As I would come to find out, this activity was not based on teamwork, but more on the realization and utilization of our sonar capabilities, a natural ability that humans use all the time but rarely realize. As a "watcher" and a spectator, I recognized that the blindfolded could sense when a person was close without touching them. They acted more self consciously when they felt the presence of another.

When I became one of the "walkers", it was not a good experience. I became very disoriented and sensitive to feel. I felt an icy breeze coming from what I deduced to be an open window. My first intention was to close it. I bumped into many chairs as I wandered blindly around the room, not sure which direction I was going. It didn't help that my "partner" was deliberately putting things in my path. Haha. But when blindfolded, I felt more self-conscious. I got the feeling that I was being watched, and I couldn't turn around or open my eyes to see who. I felt slightly nervous walking around, as I knew the room was strewn with chairs and obstacles. I could only rely on my sensory abilities to aid me, namely the aforementioned sonar. When I began to concentrate, I realized that my listening and even feeling abilities seemed amplified. The spider-sense that I developed was really something. But I understand the sense of alarm from the persepctive of the "watchers", as I could have very easily stumbled out of the window or tripped and fallen.

This activity caused me to realize that sight is not necessarily our most reliable sense. Our sense of sound is equally powerful, and I can see that if I was blinded for an extended amount of time, I could develop my sensory abilities and rely on all of them more.