Do Blind People See in Dreams and in Color?

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In summary: If a deaf person dreams, they may dream in sign language, or dream of sounds that are inaccessible to them in waking life.
  • #1
Tungamirai
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Do people who are born blind, see in their dreams. if they do do they see in color ?
 
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  • #2
Good question, and a straightforward answer is forthcoming! If you have never had sight, at all, then you don't experience visual dreams. The reason seems to be that there is a need for visual stimulation to "wire" the brain in the necessary fashion to produce visual dreams. You get primarily auditory dreams, with some smell, taste, and touch in such dreams instead. If a person has had any sight, then there will be some visual elements.
 
  • #3
Does this mean that people who are born without one of there senses think differently and process information differentially?
 
  • #4
Think differently... I'm not sure that's true, but if you're never exposed to visual stimulus there is a lack synaptic growth in the visual cortex. You still have the equipment to see, but the brain hasn't been stimulated to form networks needed to process visual input. I think the best way to think of this is not so much that there is a difference, but that the "firmware" for sight is never initialized... there is nothing to tell that part of the human computer what to create for the mind's eye.

I think you're close with the processing of information, but the thought process... who knows? There are people with sight who have dyslexia, or are synesthetes, or see number forms, or have eidetic memories... they arguably process information differently. I don't think that makes them think differently as much as the internal process is altered, with the input and output ultimately matching in the end.
 
  • #5
Tungamirai said:
Does this mean that people who are born without one of there senses think differently and process information differentially?

Only in the sense that they must process non-visual information as a substitute for visual information. In the following study, a young woman describes objects as "beautiful" from the way they feel. Dreaming often dwells on the concerns blind persons have in moving about, and involves those senses they must rely on for safety: hearing, sensing vibrations, etc.

http://psych.ucsc.edu/dreams/Library/hurovitz_1999a.html
 
  • #6
Tungamirai said:
Do people who are born blind, see in their dreams. if they do do they see in color ?

I don't think that they see anything in their dreams.

I would also conjecture that total deafness would inhibit one from hearing in a dream.
 

1. Do blind people see in their dreams?

It is a common misconception that blind people do not have visual dreams. However, research has shown that blind individuals can indeed experience visual imagery in their dreams, even if they have never had sight before. The content of their dreams may be influenced by their other senses, such as touch and sound, but they can still have vivid and complex visual dreams.

2. Can blind people see colors in their dreams?

Similar to the previous question, blind individuals can also experience colors in their dreams. These colors may not be based on their previous visual experiences, but rather on their emotions and associations with different colors. For example, a blind person may dream of a blue sky even though they have never seen the color before, because they associate it with calmness and tranquility.

3. How do blind people experience dreams?

The experience of dreams for blind individuals may vary depending on their level of blindness. Those who have been blind since birth may have more vivid and sensory-rich dreams, as their brain is not limited by visual input. On the other hand, those who became blind later in life may have more visual dreams, as their brain has already formed connections for visual processing.

4. Do blind people have nightmares?

Yes, blind individuals can have nightmares just like sighted individuals. Their nightmares may be influenced by their other senses, such as sounds or physical sensations, rather than visual stimuli. It is important to note that the content of someone's dream does not necessarily reflect their waking life experiences or fears.

5. Can blind people control their dreams?

There is no scientific evidence to suggest that blind individuals have more or less control over their dreams compared to sighted individuals. The ability to control dreams, also known as lucid dreaming, is a skill that can be learned and practiced by anyone, regardless of their visual abilities. It is a state of consciousness and not dependent on one's sensory experiences.

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