Can Blind people dream?

[Guest2]

I've always wondered this and asked quite a few people. I have a good mate who started going blind from the age of 10. Now he is 25 and is completely blind. He says he does dream but figures have the outline of shapes but no faces

Do you think people who are born blind can dream and see things? Maybe from the smell, sound or feel of shapes. In dreams I make up faces of people who I have never seen before and I have asked a couple of mates and they do this too, we might have just remembered strangers from years ago though

Are there any blind people on these forums who have been blind from birth who could give an answer? The brain is facinating to me and what we do with it without even knowing

 

[dangerstat]

Are there any blind people on these forums who have been blind from birth who could give an answer? The brain is facinating to me and what we do with it without even knowing

Hmmm I'm going to have a wild guess and say there are no blind people using this forum

 

[K1LLSW1TCH]

Hmm not sure on this one, it's puzzling. How can they dream and see things in their dreams if they're born blind and have never seen the shapes or colors or any of that good stuff?

Also, do deaf people think in words?

 

[gambitt]

Why not? Blind people can use computers.

 

[twist3d0n3]

i reckon they'll be able to dream... maybe it's more auditory dreams with funky splodges and colours floating around?

apparently in every dream you have all characters have your personality, they are essentially you being portrayed with a different face

 

[J.B]

I imagine they do dream but probably not in the same way fully sighted people do.

 

[kylew]

http://psych.ucsc.edu/dreams/Library/hurovitz_1999a.html

Interesting read.

 

[Biohazard]

According to my mate they have normal dreams. His grandfather lost his sight at some point in later life, and is now completely blind. Listens to the radio for the footie now.

But according to him he still has pretty normal dreams. I'd need to ask him if all the faces are there.

 

[Azza]

I made a thread about this a while a go along with deaf or dumb (mute) people and if people from birth who are deaf hear things in their dreams and if dumb people can talk in theirs.

 

[Mr-White]

They dream in brail

MW

 

[Substance]

According to my mate they have normal dreams. His grandfather lost his sight at some point in later life, and is now completely blind. Listens to the radio for the footie now.

But according to him he still has pretty normal dreams. I'd need to ask him if all the faces are there.

I suppose going gradually blind will be different to being born blind though, They will still remember what things look like

 

[Van Hellseek]

Dreaming is just the same as thinking, but without being 'in control'.

 

[Guest2]

Why not? Blind people can use computers.

Indeed, my blind mate works with computers daily, just uses the speech software.

Its annoying his laptop had a smashed screen, no one could use it but him!

 

[I get around]

You can dream in sound, i've dreamt i was blind before.

 

[Van Hellseek]

If you can think you can (and do) dream.

 

[dangerstat]

How do blind people know if they've wiped enough then they've been to the loo?

 

[Van Hellseek]

How do blind people know if they've wiped enough then they've been to the loo?

A heightened sense of smell?

 

[Macky]

Yeah. Well if you weren't completely blind for all your life. If you were blind at birth I guess you will dream about something else, like what your brain perceives things to be like due to touch and taste etc. Pretty interesting/sad.

 

[I get around]

How do blind people know if they've wiped enough then they've been to the loo?

Taste the bog roll.

You can usually feel whether you've wiped enough anyway.

 

[Van Hellseek]

Taste the bog roll.

You can usually feel whether you've wiped enough anyway.

Trust GD to descend from a debate about blind dreams, to a discussion about wiping.