- Flax and cord flame: Cuddly items for adults
Cuddly Sausage, Loveable Muesli Bowl: There are Cuddly Toys for Adults. Of course, it could also be childish teddy bears and unicorns, no doubt. But some companies' offerings promise to be more ergonomic for adults who tend to suffer from neck and back pain, and the motifs are more relatable, allowing for better identification.
Examples? There's the Ring of Calf Liver Sausage, awarded as a neck support for "the office PC user, for cinephiles in cinema seats, or for the passenger on long car rides." It has a cover made of golden microfiber. Or there's the fried egg in the form of a flat couch cushion, or the salami stick made of cotton and foam core from the Shop Aufschnitt Berlin.
In the online shop of the Hessian Kuscheltier.Boutique, you'll find cuddly cucumbers and bagels, squeezable muesli spoons and toast slices for the target group of teenagers and adults. Even gray storm clouds, campfires, and snow-capped mountains made of plush. The brand Jellycat also has a large selection of lovable food items: the kale leaf, sandwiches, sushi - and a ginger root that looks a bit like a teddy bear.
Cuddling with the ginger root? As a true grown-up? Yes, cuddly toys and cuddly objects serve the same purpose for adults as they do for children, says Prof. Markus Kiefer from the University of Ulm.
"It's okay for adults to cuddle with a teddy bear," explains the psychologist and neuroscientist. "Physical contact with other people has a soothing effect - it's similar with cuddly toys. They're soft, they feel good. This simulates contact with other people and triggers a soothing feeling, especially when there's emotional unrest."
Kiefer actually researches knowledge storage in memory, but a few years ago, colleagues from the university clinic asked him to investigate why patients with borderline personality disorders often bring cuddly toys to the clinic. "We found out that cuddly toys serve the function of a so-called transitional object. This is essential for these patients - the cuddly toy helps them calm down," says Prof. Kiefer.
For children, cuddly toys also serve as transitional objects. When their caregivers, especially their parents, are not there, it can cause fear. "Then children use these objects as a substitute to comfort themselves," explains the neuroscientist.
Once children have established stable attachment patterns - meaning they trust that those who leave will return - cuddly toys generally lose this role. "For borderline patients, the use of cuddly toys remains an emergency mechanism to calm down."
But teddy bears and co. can also play a role in psychologically healthy adults. "We adults sometimes have attachment anxiety, feel alone for this or that reason, without having a treatable psychological disorder," says Kiefer. "Cuddly toys then again take on the role of a substitute for a caregiver who is not present. It's then also completely legitimate to use the cuddly toy to get over something like heartbreak."
Or simply as a special gift.
If you spot such cuddly objects for adults, you often immediately have an idea of who you could give them to: a cuddly cassette in the age of digital music streaming for a flirt, a skateboard for middle-aged people who no longer dare to try it.
And someone who is completely immersed in their hobby might receive velvety soft table tennis rackets and ice hockey pucks as a gift. Or perhaps a cuddly campfire and snow-covered mountains made of plush for someone who loves hiking.
Silvia Wald's fluffy meat display also has a serious message: "One should think a bit about the aspect of sausage," says the convinced vegetarian and trained clothing technician. Therefore, her products are intended for "people who have something to do with meat in any remote sense or are vegetarians."
Totally infatuated with salami
The name of her company, "Aufschnitt Berlin," is a play on words from the cut for making clothing and the display from the butcher. Still, she knows that most customers buy the salami "probably for a friend who is totally infatuated with salami."
But Silvia Wald has decided against eyes on her products. "Because I think that thereby this yet very strongly polarizing and actually very serious topic of meat consumption is somewhat trivialized and made laughable or childish - which it is not supposed to be." So, she also has collections with animal organs - pillows in the shape of lungs, kidneys, stomachs.
But why not simply give a heart? And a cardiologist might appreciate a plush version of an anatomically correct heart. Such gifts have a lasting effect: "Many, for example, receive a cuddly toy in a special situation, perhaps from a friend or partner. The cuddly toy then becomes a keepsake and is therefore valued," explains Prof. Kiefer.
In the realm of emotional support, Professor Markus Kiefer from the University of Ulm asserts that cuddly toys serve the same purpose for adults as they do for children, providing a soothing effect through simulated contact when we feel emotionally distressed. Furthermore, in some instances, cuddly objects can serve as transitional objects for adults struggling with attachment anxiety or going through challenging periods, such as heartbreak.
