How Blind People Dream

The Science Behind Dreams · Oct 19, 2026 · 8m

Episode 71 explores how dreams differ between people who were born blind and those who lost their sight later in life. People who are blind from birth generally do not experience dreams through conventional visual imagery. Instead, their dreams often rely more heavily on sound, touch, movement, spatial awareness, smell, taste, and emotion.

People who became blind after having years of vision may continue to experience visual dreams because the brain can draw on stored visual memories. Faces, colors, places, and scenes from earlier life may still appear, although the vividness and frequency of…