Un- Answerable Question??

[Smowball]

I tried to explain this question I have to MrSmow but he looked at me as tho I was mad and so I gave up lol!

My question, which I've pondered about for ages and ages is this : if somebody is born blind, so they have literally no concept of what anything looks like, then as they grow up, learn to speak, smell, touch, interact with others as best as they can without sight, then what do they see, if anything, in their mind when something is described to them??For example, say a blind person is given a flower to smell, and they can smell it beautifully, then the other person tries to explain what a flower is and what it looks like..... it has a long stem, a round red flower with petals on top..... well how do/can, they imagine what a stem is, what a petal is....... 

Or imagine a cat - it's a furry creature with 4 legs and a tail..... what do they see in their head? Anything?? or, it's pyramid shaped..... how do they imagine a pyramid?

Does anyone see what I'm trying to get at or am I making no sense? lol.

[Tilly2]

When I worked in Special Education, one of my pupils had been born with multiple congenital deformaties. The pupil was born without eyes and had only tiny stumps for fingers but the thumbs were fully formed.

The pupil used all the other senses to the full and the tactile sense was particularly well  developed. When required, we would supply the pupil with things to touch, hold, smell and taste and, because of the trust in us, the pupil was always eager to try things out and explain how they perceived the experience.

Most amazingly, this pupil could hear a tune several and then sit at the piano and play it!

 

[Smowball]

Fascinating answers, Thankyou.

Tilly, that's amazing!

[JinnyJoan]

I understand what you totally mean but you would have to see the Helen Keller story.

I recall my mother and I having to move into my aunt's house during the Troubles as the street next to mine was getting burnt down.  My mother and I were in bed and she was saying things and I was very nervous and I couldn't hear a bloody thing so I ended up putting my fingers on her lips (first time) to try and feel what she was saying and I did think of Helen then.

[Tilly2]

Did that work, JJ? Could you tell what she was saying?

[JinnyJoan]

Tilly it did work and I could understand her but it made my mother laugh

[david small]

If I recall correctly. A blind from birth person, dreams in touch, taste, and smell. But in total blackness. I read this years ago. Several blind people testified to the validity of this.

[Countrylover]

I have just been talking about Helen Keller to Mr Lottie and was most surprised that he hadn't heard of her.  Probably because of where he came from, but I thought she was known world wide and  his niece is deaf and has bad eyesight

[barry1010]

I don't see pictures when I dream, I have words and feel emotion, like reading a book.

[douglas9401]

Well that's novel.