Uh, this is hard to ask but... what are blind people's dreams like?

Question

I don't mean to be offensive or anything, but if someone has been blind since birth, what are their dreams like? Is it just sounds? Do their brains make images?

Answer 1

I don't think your question is offensive; it just shows curiousity. Perhaps some visually impaired people can share their personal experiences with you through this question/answer space (and yes, blind people can use a computer). From a medical point of view, what forms the dreams would take of a person blind from birth would depend on the cause of the blindness. If the blindness was caused by a genetic problem or by malformation or non-formation of the eyes or the optic nerve, that would still leave the visual cortex of the brain essentially intact. This area is in the back portion of the brain. As long as it functions, anything that causes its nerve cells to fire will generate an electrical impulse and could cause an "image", usually a spot of light or shadow, but without any definite shape, since there is no incoming stimulus from the eyes for the brain to interpret. Also, if the visual cortex is intact, and there are no memory traces from earlier visual experiences, the "images" the blind person might experience in dreams would most likely be random and without clear meaning.

If the blindness was caused by trauma, brain injury prior to birth, and the visual cortex is "dead" or non-functional, there should be no images of any sort experienced. However, the human brain is somewhat "plastic". If one area is damaged, frequently another area of the brain can assume some or most of its function. So, some people born without a living visual cortex may also experience "images" while awake or asleep, for the same reasons I stated earlier. Many blind people will form their own psychological "image" of people or things in their lives from their other senses, and could incorporate these into their dreams.

Actually, I think your question is fascinating, and I hope some of the visually challanged Internet will share their own experiences with you.

Answer 2

properly, that is demanding to do, yet certain. I dream. i'm blind from beginning. i take advantage of a 2d sight in case you'll to artwork mutually. i'm a uncommon blind, Hemeralopic. I easily have very virtually no creative and prescient even as uncovered to mild. I see utilising a technique of resolocation. As an merchandise vibrates, it sends out what's termed a resonation, which acts like a technique of metadata, and relying on resonation length, i'm getting texture, structure, and hues. It has required 11 or so years of no sight in any respect, and then a very major discovery to finish that. I easily have perfected the technique. There bypass, I easily have had some seen desires. i have not been in a position to dream in a while, although that is achieveable.

Answer 3

dreams occur on what happens in the morning or during the day when we're awake, and replay it in a strange fashion that no one can really understand what it's about. as far as i know, blind people can see the dream as well as anyone because it's not something physical, but something in your mind. and if it's in your mind, you don't need eyes to see it.

Answer 4

Probably a site like http://IhadADreamLastNight.com will help you out. There is a lot of content regarding dreams there.

Answer 5

I guess her question is how can someone dream like we do if their brain doesn't have visual information to drawn from.

GREAT question.

Unfortunately I have no idea.