Ink And Reason

Do blind people dream during their sleep? This is a fascinating question that many people wonder about. In this blog post, I will explore the science and the stories behind the dreams of the visually impaired.

First of all, let’s clarify what we mean by blind. There are different degrees of blindness, ranging from total blindness (no light perception at all) to low vision (some residual vision). According to the World Health Organization, there are about 39 million people who are blind and 246 million who have low vision.

So, do these people dream? The short answer is yes, they do. But their dreams are different from those of sighted people. The main difference is that blind people rely more on their other senses, such as hearing, touch, smell, and taste, to create their dream imagery.

For example, a person who was born blind or lost their sight before the age of five may not have any visual elements in their dreams at all. Instead, they may dream of sounds, voices, music, textures, smells, and emotions. A person who became blind later in life may still have some visual elements in their dreams, but they may fade over time or become less vivid.

Another difference is that blind people may have more nightmares than sighted people. This is because they may experience more stress and anxiety in their daily lives due to the challenges of living without sight. They may also have more lucid dreams, which are dreams where the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming and can control some aspects of the dream.

One thing that blind and sighted people have in common is that they both dream about their personal experiences, memories, feelings, and thoughts. They also both use dreams as a way of processing information and solving problems. Dreams can help us cope with our emotions, learn new skills, explore our creativity, and connect with our subconscious.

So, what can we learn from the dreams of the blind? We can learn that dreams are not just visual images, but complex and rich experiences that involve all our senses. We can also learn that dreams reflect our individuality and diversity, as well as our common humanity. And we can learn to appreciate the power and beauty of our imagination.

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