Blog > Thoughts > Sean's Thoughts > In My Dream, I Was Blind
In My Dream, I Was Blind
Written by Sean on Friday, October 16, 2009
Last night, I dreamed that I was blind. It was a strange dream. It had more to it than the part where I was blind, but that’s the part that is sticking. I was blind, and not paralysed.
It was interesting, because the dream was quite vivid. But also it was a "dual mode" dream, I was experiencing the dream as "me", inside the blind body, seeing nothing but feeling, using a cane to get around, etc. And at the same time, I could see myself, from outside of myself, as if I was watching a movie.
I told a friend of mine who is blind, and she asked if I was terrified. I was not. It was intriguing, and interesting, and felt natural. Not like I was out of my comfort zone, but like it was something I was used to.
This cane is similar to the one I used in my dream.
I was using a non-folding cane with a crook. A bit like the one in the photo above. The thing is, these canes aren’t used particularly often. And what is really weird is that in the morning, on my way to work, I saw a guy on the sidewalk, using just such a cane! Odd.
I don’t have any desire to be blind. In fact, to be candid, it is probably on my top 3 list of disabilities I least want (along with Traumatic Brain Injury). Yet, at the same time, I would like to experience it to some level. Perhaps it is a similar thing to crossdressing. I don’t want to be a woman (although it would be fun to experience for a month), and I don’t want to be blind. But I do crossdress occasionaly. I wouldn’t mind trying the blind thing.
I could get "blind" contact lenses, and a cane. I would benefit from mobility training, but it would be tricky to get that, given I am not blind. It would even be trickier if I wanted to do it from a wheelchair, a cane wouldn’t be appropriate. But walking would mean having to go where I’m not known (and what if I was in blind mode in a city, and not seeing someone who knew me and spotted me?).
More importantly though, this is not something I’d want to experience by myself. I’d want/need someone with me. To build shared memories, to do things together. And my partner is unlikely to play along.
Bah, just another rambling about one of my dreams. But a wonderful thing about that dream, is that is was NOT a nightmare!
Tags: Blind, Disability, Paralysed
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1 On 16 October, 2009, Chloe said:
Interesting stuff this; and I wonder what such dreams can tell us about ourselves.
I don’t actually recall any dreams where I was either blind or deaf. However I have been motivated to blindsim occasionally since I was a child. The most significant blind experience was when I had a chemical burn to one eye twenty years ago. I had both eyes bandaged for a week or so. Doing things in the house was much easier than I thought it was going to be. I could figure out what clothes to wear just by feel; no problems with getting around the house, getting dressed, daily hygiene, finding food. We even had people over to dinner; and I looked after baby. Outdoors was a completely different matter and I was entirely reliant on holding someone’s hand. I really did enjoy the experience, apart from the intense pain from the burn. It didn’t bother me at all that the eye doc said I only had a 30% chance of regaining vision in the burnt eye.
At this point my only interest in blindsimming would be in a wheelchair. I’ve never done it but I’m sure it will happen in due course.