Do blind people have dreams?

Interesting question. Someone has said it... the best way to answer this is to ask the blind themselves. =P Anyway, I think they may also have dreams. The thing is, we sighted people have... shall we say 'visual dreams', i.e., we see images in our minds when we dream. Maybe when the blind dream, it is like how they 'see' or perceive things when they are awake too - in degrees of light, and smells, sounds, and textures.

For me although I am not blind, I think they are still capable of dreaming because their other senses (specially sense of hearing) and the function of the lower part of the brain (medulla?doctors don't kill me if I am wrong ^_^) capable of imagination and involuntary functions are still working. Actually I read on some articles (I forgot the title and the name, sorry) that their other senses are more sensitive they will be able to picture (this is where their imagination, of the blind people of course) images on their own minds that what can they sense is either beautiful, angry, fearful, gloomy etc. So what is the difference? they can still carry this sensitivity or function through their sleep (REM stage of sleeping or Rapid Eye Movement) ^_^

This was an actual question asked in one of the major UK newspapers, and one response from a completely blind person was that he CAN dream, but all of his dreams are in black and white. How common this is, I've no idea. I'd imagine people who've lost their sight have the most vivid dreams, because they've had the experience of seeing shape and colour, but for those born blind? Maybe some of them "feel" their way around a dream world in the same way they would do when awake, or maybe their senses interpret things differently. For example, a sighted person may see strange images in their dreams, or find themselves in imaginary places - maybe the blind equivalent is experiencing strange smells or hearing strange voices?

Being born into this world blind means you never have the chance to get a glimpse of the world. So, I would naturally think that there are only the sense of touch, smell and sounds in their dreams which normally reflects their experience in their daily life. However, blind people also form images of objects in their mind and reportedly they can 'see' in their dreams those objects.

It really is an excellent question and the answer is yes. I have a friend of mine who lost his vision after an accident and I have heard him many a times telling his dreams to us,the interesting fact is his dreams are even more vivid and colorful then ours.But I am not sure about the people who are blind by birth.Because if they have not seen anything is it feasible for them to picturise things?

I was thinking of the other context of dream upon reading your question until i read them all. While it is true that you can get reliable first hand information by talking to a blind person himself, i don't agree that those who have the sense of sight (literal) do not have the right to answer. Scientifically, dreams are caused by Rapid Eye Movements or the REM, a stage in our sleep cycle. It is characterized by the rapid movements of - needless to say - the eyes, among other things. Blinds have eyes too, don't they? If their dreams are like images of what we (with sight) see or their own visions of what their imagination can see, that i am not so sure about. i believe, yes, they too dream. It is perhaps much like asking, do babies dream too? Or i guess that may be asking way off-focus.

A fascinating question! Since dreams are pictures, I would think that if they were able to see for a while then they could dream. But if they had been born blind then they would be unable to dream. Just my opinion and reasoning.

Being blind doesn't in my pint of view would mean they can't dream or they don't see anything close to dreams. They would be seeing like the sounds and more over the vocal dreams. The usual environment for them would be their perception to life and they won't be blank in dreams for sure. A person being blind from their birth itself will mostly be seeing no images in dreams but sounds and noises would be visible I guess. We must also do enough research to find out the medical aspects of this doubt. But no dream isn't possible for sure, right.

I believe that dreams are not only for the sighted people of this world. the disability of blindness does not take away the visions of the world. Anything is possible in a dream. In reality where sight may be lost, it is regained again in a dream world. A dream can often be where the mind open new doors that were once closed.

this is an interesting discussion^^ i never wondered that but you are right.. how are blind people dreams like? i never thought about this. i think that maybe they dont dream like us. just maybe blind ones that saw already before, those can dream normally i guess. but someone that was born blind, i think their dreams are different than ours. i feel sorry that they cant see the reality as we can. thanks for make me think about this. a really cool discussion^^

haha, of course blinds do dream, i know some blind people and they can also dream like what we are dreaming, they are also human's like us.

Absolutely yes, blind also have dreams. Dreams are not only to those who can see but also to blind people. It is brought up by our unconscious mind, blind person also have that.

Dream has nothing to do with your eyes whether you see or not you can dream but it depends on several factor what you have already mentioned and after-all blind people are also human being they also have unconscious mind, feelings, emotions, So they can dream too like us.

Everyone has a dream,because god love everyone,who has the chance to own his&her dream.

i would say they also see. though in a different way. they can imagine things just like any ordinary person. to be sure you should ask a blind person.

Hi denisepadin, An interesting discussion and I see that you've had some good responses. I've never asked the question to someone who was born blind and I think that would be the only way to know with certainty. There is no reason that they would not be able to experience the other senses in a dream but sight would be impossible and images only as imagined. Blessings.

I believe blind people do dream as well and maybe in their dream they are also blind. I am not really sure on this but because they also have subconscious mind and dreaming is a work by our subconscious mind then I do believe they also dream.

you mentioned that dreams are products of our feelings and emotions. blind people have feelings and emotions, too, ergo, they dream.

I would think so... Even though they can't see the world around them to visulize that in their dreams, they can "feel" the world around them... so maybe they dream in solid shapes or blurriness... it is a good question though seeing as our dreams are visual, but with them not have seen anything before what do they really see???? hummm

i think blind people also have a dreams. Eventhough they are out of sight they still have feelings. only the sense of sight where the one that is lackimg to them but the other senses are still present and through that they can still build there own dreams. I think it is based how they handle their condition , how they treat it.