Have you ever noticed how some people close their eyes when they speak? I can't imagine myself ever doing that. However, I do often close my eyes while waiting in medical offices, sitting through boring lectures, listening to music, or planning my day. It always feels safe, quiet, and restful in this private internal darkness. I've been aware of this tendency for some time, but I've only recently decided to explore it more deeply, thanks in part to the example set by the writers at OvecomingSexualAbuse.com.
I think that feeling safer with closed eyes stems from the initial trauma (as well as the daily threat) of the sexual abuse I suffered as a child. When the situation was too frightening and I found myself helpless to make it stop, I tried to shut it out. I closed my eyes. It seemed to make the horror less real if I couldn't see it (him). I felt safer with my eyes closed. As an adult, I think that closing my eyes now and then to find a peaceful place is fine. It can be restful, centering, and calming.
On the other hand, if I find myself trying to "shut out" or "close my eyes" to difficult thoughts and emotions through food, sleep, compulsive behavior, or other methods, I know that I need to take notice. I'm fooling myself and not helping my healing process. I'm reminded of the child who hides his head behind a sofa thinking that you can't see him (because he can't see you), when in fact his body is in plain view. The thoughts and emotions are still there in plain view, whether I "close my eyes" to them or not. And, if I don't look at them, they can weigh me down and continue to have power over me.
Many of us have held the believe that, because this life is full of danger, it is safer to peer out at it with our hands metaphorically over our eyes. We want to be safe from the horrors of suffering, death, abuse, disease, poverty, and war. But, if you think about it, with our hands over our eyes (or with our eyes closed) we are actually less able to see approaching danger. I've come to believe that it's much safer to have our eyes WIDE open, taking everything in. That way we can not only see approaching danger, but we can also more clearly see the life and beauty we've been missing all around us.