Blind dreams?

Discussion in 'Community Discussion' started by RamSlack, May 26, 2009.

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  1. RamSlack, May 26, 2009

    RamSlack macrumors member

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    NW Washington
    #1
    Something that has always had me curious. I met a blind person today who had never had sight before. I've always wanted to ask this question but forgot.

    What do blind people dream? I'm not talking about the people who had sight prior to going blind, but the people who never had sight before with which to base any visual dreams on. Can they dream in color if they have never seen color? Can they dream about flying through the clouds if the've never seen clouds? Stuff like that. Do they dream in feelings? Do they dream in smells? How does that work?

    I'm assuming that there aren't many blind people who read this forum. Is there anyone out there who's had this discussion with a lifetime blind person before?

    Disclaimer: I'm not trying to be insensitive to blind people and I apologize if anyone takes this post that way.
     
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  2. nobunaga209, May 26, 2009

    nobunaga209 macrumors 6502a

    nobunaga209

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2009
    Location:
    TX
    #2
    Not gonna lie, this is one that made me go "hmmnn?". I'm curious now too! :p
     
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  3. jecapaga, May 26, 2009

    jecapaga macrumors 601

    jecapaga

    Joined:
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    Location:
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    #3
    This answer from the link below seems to make sense. You dream with whatever visual material you've ever had.

    " Yes, blind people do dream. What they see in their dreams depends on how much they could ever see. If someone has been totally blind since birth, they only have auditory dreams. If someone such as I, has had a measure of sight, then that person dreams with that measure of sight. I still dream as though I can see, colors included. For people I've met since, their faces are just blurs or how I imagine they look. To me, someone like my mother looks forever 30. "

    http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/11187

    Also, do deaf people dream with sound? Quote below...

    "Those who are born blind or become blind before the age of five do not see in their dreams. Nevertheless, their dreams are just as rich in narrative and detail as in sighted people. If one's sight is lost after the age of seven, dreams will still brim with visual imagery. A grey area exists between five and seven years.
    Interestingly, those rapid eye movements (REMs) signifying that a dream is in progress do not occur, or occur very weakly, for those born blind or blinded before five.

    How about congenitally deaf people? It appears that they may dream in sign language! Their dreams are also more colorful than those of people with normal hearing."

    http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf133/sf133p16.htm
     
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