Because I've been wondering for a while. What do blind people see? Is it completely black? Or just a blur? I'm so curious, I need to know it. But I don't know any blind people. And I doubt blind people browse an internet forum.

We had a thread like this earlier.

 

 

 

I'm assuming you're referencing people who are blind from birth.

 

 

 

Basically, there are no facts, merely two broad divisions of opinion:

 

 

 

1. That they can dream visually and pretty much that the ability to understand and comprehend visual experiences is an inherent component of the human body.

 

 

 

2. That they can't, because they've never known, nor experienced sensory visual data and thus cannot imagine what they cannot know.

 

 

 

Personally, I am of the latter's opinion.

I don't want to know what they see or if they see in their sleep. I'm just curious when they are awake, eyes open. What is it that they see? Nothing; blackness, or do they see just a very big blur. Can you pick up little things? I'm talking about completely blind here.

Hmm, I've often thought this, it could be any colour other then black also, as the blackness you see when you close your eyes is the back of your eye lids. What do the heavy set, black sun glasses do? I've always wondered, is it because people sometimes get a bit unnerved seeing their eyes, or does it help them in someway?

There are different 'kinds' of blindness. Some will be able to see light, but not recognise shapes as it's all blurred or distorted, and others won't be able to see light at all, so if you shut your eyes, that's what they see.

 

 

 

Like this blind man in Top Gear's resonably priced car

They don't see 'blackness' as you or I perceive it. Blackness is the perception of the lack of light. If you've never perceived light, you cannot distinguish between its presence, or in this case, the lack of it.

 

 

 

Those who are partially blind perceive a blur, those who are born blind [without the visual component evident in normal brains/eyes] interpret the world in terms of touch, smell, sound and taste.

 

 

 

Led - for the completely blind, the glasses don't help them in anyway. As you mentioned, it's probably to evade awkwardness, although this is just speculation.

Hahaha Jeremy "Are you alright?"

 

Blind man "Y.."

 

Jeremy "*scoffs*Well I'm not!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the news a few months back there was a story about a couple, and they were both almost blind. They could see light but couldn't make out shapes and what not, but they were both sailing around the world in a sail boat, with just the two of them all board.. I thought it was very amazing.

Here's a cool little experiment which will show you how blind people see:

 

 

 

-Cut a pingpong ball in half

 

-Turn of the unnatural light sources (e.g. lamps etc.) and go outside

 

-Put the ping pong balls on your eyes so it covers them perfectly and you can't see under them

 

-After a while (10seconds max) you will feel like you can't see anything

 

 

 

Read: http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i11/11b01701.htm

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganzfeld_experiment

What is it about blind people that makes them want to walk their dog all the time?

- Jimmy Carr.

There are different 'kinds' of blindness. Some will be able to see light, but not recognise shapes as it's all blurred or distorted, and others won't be able to see light at all, so if you shut your eyes, that's what they see.

 

 

 

Like this blind man in Top Gear's resonably priced car

 

 

 

I'm not from the UK obviously, so I was wondering are the 2 people the man beat, are they actually decent drivers, as it seems their well known from the audience. :?

I think it's just black....I was watching a stock car crash where the giuy went blind...and he couldn't see anything exept black.

 

The dreaming part i've wonded about forever. :-k

There are different 'kinds' of blindness. Some will be able to see light, but not recognise shapes as it's all blurred or distorted, and others won't be able to see light at all, so if you shut your eyes, that's what they see.

 

 

 

Like this blind man in Top Gear's resonably priced car

 

 

 

I'm not from the UK obviously, so I was wondering are the 2 people the man beat, are they actually decent drivers, as it seems their well known from the audience. :?

 

 

 

Famous guest drivers, they go on the show for an interview, then go for a blat around the track in reasonably priced car. :P

There are different 'kinds' of blindness. Some will be able to see light, but not recognise shapes as it's all blurred or distorted, and others won't be able to see light at all, so if you shut your eyes, that's what they see.

 

 

 

Like this blind man in Top Gear's resonably priced car

 

 

 

I'm not from the UK obviously, so I was wondering are the 2 people the man beat, are they actually decent drivers, as it seems their well known from the audience. :?

 

 

 

They're both old entertainers - typically mild mannered, but with a wicked British sense of humour. They're old fashioned men though, shall we say.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, the very last one, Richard Whiteley, passed away around a year ago :(

I'm not sure if it is extreme enough, but take some goggles and put water in them and then put them on your eyes and try to see. That is how I imagine it. :-k

I have a blind cousin (since birth, never seen a second in his life). From what I understand, he constructs his image of what he thinks is there and uses his other acute senses to figure out exactly what it will look like. Back a few years ago (he's almost 17 now), he could play and beat pokemon blue and red using only his ears. I also remember him beating me in a race in mario kart, using his ears to tell where he was and if he had bumped into a wall. I think it's just amazing.

 

 

 

However, I have never asked him about color or dreams or the like. I'll be sure to next time I see him :D

I have a blind cousin (since birth, never seen a second in his life). From what I understand, he constructs his image of what he thinks is there and uses his other acute senses to figure out exactly what it will look like. Back a few years ago (he's almost 17 now), he could play and beat pokemon blue and red using only his ears. I also remember him beating me in a race in mario kart, using his ears to tell where he was and if he had bumped into a wall. I think it's just amazing.

 

 

 

However, I have never asked him about color or dreams or the like. I'll be sure to next time I see him :D

 

That's amazing!I guess never being able to see would be a lot different in terms of someones brain than if they had been able to see in the past :-k

My uncle is blind. He went blind around 15 or 16. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta with his seeing eye dog and his son (about 5) comes to visit. I'm pretty sure they see black. It's like when you cant hear something...its nothing...not a blur of voices

I actually wonder this all the time. But then again the blind i know are people that are elderly at my mums work so i pretty much refuse to ask.

I do know one blind guy. But he just lost his sight to a disease so I'd imagine his case would differ from someone who was born blind. :-k

 

 

 

I also found this video which is somewhat on-topic and very interesting: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gkDI_spL0HQ

If we know what dogs can see, then cant we find out what blind people see?

I'm not "blind" as you are describing, but I need seriously thick corrective lenses to see. Back in the day, they could have been described as "coke bottle" lenses. Thank goodness for new technology to keep my glasses thin and light.

 

 

 

I cannot see more than 2 inches in front of my nose without my glasses on. I see blurry shapes and very vague colors. Without the glasses, I have to rely heavily on voices to determine who is in front of me. I have a great respect for people who cannot see and continue to lead normal lives.

If we know what dogs can see, then cant we find out what blind people see?

 

 

 

Dogs can see objects etc, blind people cant.

I know quite a lot blind people (because my aunt is blind, she's in a club for it, and I help at there eat-fests, because they can't carry plates ofcourse...)

 

 

 

If you are completely blind, just close your eyes and you see the same as they do. Well, it won't be exactly the same, you can still see light and dark. Just go to a dark room and close your eyes. It's completely black.

 

If you are a % blind, you'll see blurry, at a certain % (don't know which anymore) you won't see anything anymore except for light and dark.

 

Meaning you'll just see white/grey/black. Depends how bright/dark it is.

 

 

 

The saddest thing (personally) is to go completely blind after you've been able to see perfectly your whole life.

My blind friend sees what he would describe as a blur, but he cant really know if what he sees as a blur is what we see as a blur.