Blind Dreaming

For most people, the most vivid aspect of a dream is what they can see. It’s normal to wonder if blind people dream, and if so, do they have the same kinds of visual imagery. The study of dreaming is ongoing, and dreams are still not fully understood. What researchers do know is that everyone dreams, even the blind.

Can Blind People Dream?

Yes, blind people can and do dream, even those who are congenitally blind, or blind from birth. The quick answer is that everyone dreams. Even when you don’t remember dreams, you still had them.

Dreaming occurs during the REM phase of the sleep cycle. During this sleep stage, the brain is nearly as active as when awake. Your body relaxes and is less able to move so that you don’t hurt yourself or someone else in the middle of a dream.

Why we all dream is not well understood. There are plenty of ideas, but no sure answers. It might be that dreams help you consolidate memories and learn. It might help us regulate emotions, problem solve and process thoughts. If all this is true, it makes sense that blind people must dream as well. It’s important for normal functioning.

How Do Blind People Dream?

Just because they can’t see doesn’t mean blind people can’t dream. Their brains still function in largely the same ways as sighted people, and they have the same sleep cycles. The big question is whether or not blind people have visual dreams.

Some studies suggest that even congenitally blind people dream, but this conclusion is controversial.Most experts suggest that people blind since birth cannot create visual dream imagery. People who became blind after birth do have visual imagery in dreams. The extent of that imagery is generally less the longer they have been blind.

Studies have found several differences between the dreams of blind and seeing people:

• In one study, researchers found that blind people were less able to recall their dreams. In the group studied, 42% of sighted people could recall their dreams while only 27% of blind people could.
• Another study analyzed hundreds of dreams in a group of blind people. They found several differences. Blind people are less likely to dream about personal failures or aggressive interactions, for instance. They dream more about animals, especially their service animals, and about eating and food.
• People who are blind from birth are more likely to have dreams that involve the other senses of touch, taste, sound, and smell than sighted people, according to a study that compared the two groups.
• The same study also found that congenitally blind people are more likely to have nightmares than sighted people and those who went blind after being able to see.

Dreaming is universal, but not everyone enjoys it. If you are troubled by dreams or nightmares, try meditating before bed to gain some control over them. Regular meditation reduces stress and anxiety, which may be contributing factors to bad dreams.