| Aerogel was developed by NASA for use in space collecting stardust. But more recently it has become far more publicly available. Its properties are continually outstanding. For example, it is 99.8% air and insulates 39 times better than the best of fibreglass insulation. It is also "[...] 1,000 times less dense than glass." It is based on silicon and is spongy in consistency. It is remarkably light and has amazing tolerance against heat. It is also very structurally strong. | "People on the outside would resemble ghostly figures." | 
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These properties make it perfect for our current idea of encasing the face. The low weight would allow for continued wearing in comfort. The insulating properties would block off sound from the outside and the smoke-like appearance would mask the outside world in a frosted glass effect. People on the outside of the mask would resemble ghostly figures. The effect would be more than an isolation of the touch sense. It would cause emotions, fear and fright. In turn this would cause adrenaline to be released, causing an increase in heart rate and breathing rate. The experience of walking through the caves would become an entirely amplified experience. There would be more than just claustrophobia, there would be a near complete cut off from the outside world. An interesting, if not frightening thought.
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/tech/aerogel.html - 11/10/2013
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