Do people blind at birth dream in images or in pitch black?
339167
They'd dream in pitch black as they have never had any visual points of reference. They do not know what things look like so cannot dream about it subconciously. Their dreams would involve sounds, emotions, thoughts and their perception of the seeing world.
95836
Black Colour can be defined as the visual impression experienced in directions from which no VISIBLE LIGHT reaches the eye
945387
those born blind usually have irreversible causes such as anopthalmia\nsecondary causes are numerous and many can be reversible
524423
Some people dream in colour, some in black and white.  Some people also have stereo sound.  I believe it has to do with which side of your brain is dominant... I think
27906
I had a dream last night…\nPeople who become blind after the age of 6 can see in their dreams, whereas people who are born blind cannot.\n\nAlthough, people who lose their sight at 7+ have very vivid visual imagery in their dreams 20 or 30 years down the track. The content of their dreams is more often about familiar situations, rather than new ones.\n\nDreaming in sound…\nPeople who are born blind however, still dream. Their dreams, containing as much content as sighted people, are experienced by auditory imagery.\n\nThis is due to their lack of Rapid Eye Movement (or REM), which occurs in sighted dreamers, as if they are watching something in their dream. People who become blind, however have REMs of the same intensity as of sighted people.\n\n\nReferences:\nWebb, Jeremy 1995 The Last Word [Internet] London Reed Business Information Limited Available from http://www.newscientist.com/ [Accessed 22 June 2001]\n\nOrey, H (1999) Medi Info Source [Internet] Irvine, California CME Incorporated Available from http://www.medinfosource.com/expert/exp3092799c.html [Accessed 22 June 2001]\n\n\nWriter: Timothy, Camberwell Grammar\nEditor: Caryn Hamburger
164171
Blind people will not be able to dream the way people with sight do. But, I bet they "see" or visualize the sounds, touch, and smells that they have experienced. This is a very interesting question. Any blind people out there, please respond to the question so all of us can know if you see in your dreams.
1099856
I've read that dreams are always in color because they are based on your brain and your experiences, and you live in color, so if it wern't for television, we woudn't even have the concept of a "black and white" world. Think about it- close your eyes and try to imagine what your world would look like if it was black and white. It's pretty hard to do, and would be almost impossible if you've never seen a black-and-white tv show or movie.  \nThey say that if you don't remember colors, it's more likely that the "color information" is just deleted, not in shades of black,white, and grey like tv.\n\nI don't have any official sources- since all scientific studies on the subject are really subjective, but it's just common sense.
31508
I believe so, just they dream with their hands. Let me explain... I have a deaf friend, and when non-deaf people think, they think with words, when a deaf person thinks, they think with sign language, not spoken words. It's probably the same with blind people, they probably dream with words (since they can talk) and with feel/touch (since they feel there way around).
37102
I agree.  I have a multi-handicapped daughter who was transported to heaven in a dream.  She saw lions and lambs.  children,  Bright blue sky (but no sun) all kinds of trees growing side by side.  and a Man, walking with her.  yea,  i believe that this is a vision of heaven.
723280
They do not and cannot "see in their dreams."  People who have been blind a long time, and who get some kind of operation that permits vision, do not "see" either - because "seeing" requires a very great deal of learning by the brain to processes visual input into accurate spatial/motive relationships.\n\nSuddenly having the visual ability restored is upsetting to blind people.  Not only does it frighten them because they cannot interpret things correctly, but it disturbs their sense of self and their sense of how they relate and fit into the world, which has always been for them a question of sound and touch.
68210
http://psych.ucsc.edu/dreams/Library/hurovitz_1999a.html\n\nThe answer is no, heres site to see why.
359580
Nothing.\nThey have no visual component to their dreams.  Their dreams are much like their waking sensory perception.\nSee the reference below:
758511
They do dream in images, but the images they describe are not the same as yours or mine.  When asked to describe what they dreamed about, visually impaired individuals in some studies described familiar objects in contexts that were completely skewed -- like a huge dog shape for a cloud, or sometimes described something unimaginable to you or I, but it is how they always imagined it to be.\n\nInterestingly, people who had sight but lost it, also come to lose their visual memories of typical objects when they begin to use their other senses to compensate.  Their dreams become altered, as well.\n\nIt's a very interesting topic, and lots of material to read if you are really interested.  "Planet of the Blind"  =  Very interesting book.
618977
Yes. My grandmother is blind from a disease known as maculuar degeneration.  She dreams in full color.  She doesn't know if the colors look like what everyone else sees, according to her.  But she dreams about an apple and it is what she thinks red should be.  She can "see" what an apple looks like by feeling its shape and texture.  She imagines the rest.
858607
Hi Maddy, I am taking a few moments this morning to reduce stress, pre-wedding jitters, not really nerves, just the usual worries of everything going correctly, as planned. lol \n\nSo, here I am anwering one of your great questions! ;-)  I too have often mused on how the blind or others who have lost a sense, manage to do things, normal everyday things those who have all five senses take for granted on a daily basis. I have mused on what it would be like to be blind. You see, one of my daughters had a knife put out her left eye when she was six. It was a horrific experiance for her and also her father and I. While she has not been completely blind sense birth, we have always been very worried, and sensitive of the worry she may lose sight in her one remaining eye. She was able to 'keep' her damaged eye, but she is basically 90% blind, only able to see shadows and blurred color in it. So, you can imagine this is something I have thought about a great deal. \n\nI read the answers you received when I first clicked here. Bonacua B is as close to an honest interpretation, or considered response than any other. Now, imagination does not require sight. They 'way' they imagine things will be different than those with sight, but they still will have dreams and imagination. Blind folks are as capable of those with sight of being able to be imaginative, innovative, creative and otherwise intuitive. They are in a unique position to provide an alternate view, which can be very impressive. When we are in a 'think tank' it is of best interest to implement as diverse a group as possible. When we keep the group diverse we are able to obtain a uniquely cohesive thought process which can produce great innovative and creative 'out of the box' thinking. This will enable the group to come up with a tremendously increased measure of ideas and concepts. When we place a group of non diverse members into a position of requiring innovative and creative ideas, they are limited to only simular processes as they all have the same abilities and therefor are limited. \n\nThe blind may not be able to see 'color' but color has more than a visual affect. Color is uniquely viewed by each individual with sight. Men and women see colors differently. There are scientific studies which demonstrate these differences between the sexes when it comes to seeing color. The blind are able to imagine colors by using verbal stimuli to create a visual concept. Colors also create emotions, blue is calming, red is stimulating, yellow is comforting, black can be either rage, or blankness, grey is dismal, etc. By utilizing all the elements of color the blind are able to concepulize these and form their own unique 'vision' of color. \n\nEmotions are very strong elements, and they are created from many differing sourses. When we are able to utilize all of our resourses we are then able to acheive our highest potentials. The blind are not any different in this as those who see. \n\nThose who are born blind do NOT increase other senses to 'compensate' for the lost sense. Studies have shown that the other senses which are seeminly increased, are available for the sighted to acheive those inhanced heighths. We ALL have the capasity to use our senses to a maximine capasite, the same as the blind, we just don't do it. When we are trained to use our senses to the highest levels we are able to acheive seeminly spiritual elements within our abilities to minipulate them. Most people just do not work on increasing their senses to the degree of their full capasity. The blind are trained to do so. So, it is not an ability to obtain any higher degree of use in remaining senses, above the ability of any seeing person, it is just they work at acheiving these 'high' degree of developed senses. \n\nI firmly believe the born blind are as able as any other to imagine and dream. The way this is manifested may be different, of course it
1063996
This is an awesome question.  If someone is born blind they do not have the images that sighted people have.  So what imagery could their minds form?\n\nI am certain that blind people dream.  But what does their mind's eye "see"?
318898
I have never heard that at all.. in fact I have never heard a documented account of a blind person 'seing' or 'feeling' ghosts. It would more likely than not depend on what sort of blindness we were talking about here. If they had become blind during their life, then possibly it could be more to do with imagination. If they've been blind all their life, then that would be more interesting, as they would, in theory, never have seen any images of ghosts, so wouldn't know what one looked like, and would be unable to describe one, having never seen colours or shapes to describe what shapes or colours they were seeing. So I would say it would be more likely to sense or hear, not see.