What the Blind May Dream

Hidden Models and the Practical Consequences of Mimetic Desire

What do blind people dream about?

The answer depends on when the person lost their sight. If someone went blind at age 8, they are capable of dreaming using all of the sensory inputs that their brain received before they went blind.

People blind from birth are different. They don’t dream in images—their brain has no images to work with. Instead, they dream in sensations and sounds. The sensations of falling into a manhole or being hit by an unseen car are common. Their dreams draw on the fears and experiences that they have when they’re awake.

Yet blind people are wanting. They want in their dreams. They want to see the color orange, the smile on their spouse’s face, and maybe even the evocative imagery of a Paolo Sorrentino film.

And where did they get those desires? Other people.