What is total darkness?

Answer 1

Something few people experience: a total lack of light.

It is the normal state in caves, mines and other artificial tunnels, totally closed cellars and in the depths of the ocean.

It plays odd tricks on you, and even experienced cavers waiting for a time in a cave rarely leave their lamps off for more than a few minutes, even if they only use one small lamp between the group.

I find - and I dare say others have too - that if I sit in a cave with my lamp off I have to close my eyes because otherwise it feels as if they are straining to see. Also, I have had the strange feeling that if I hold my hand in front of my face I can see it as a slight silhouette against the blackness, deeper if anything. Weird! Obviously my brain knows my hand is there because it's controlled my arm muscles to put it there; and I suppose it's trying to anticipate the signals from the eyes.

I have been in a club team that camped in a cave, and we kept asmall candle burning all the time to help orientation on waking.

Answer 2

Total darkness refers to an absence of visible light, where no light reaches the eyes. In environments of total darkness, objects cannot be seen, making it difficult to navigate or perceive surroundings.