In this world full of miracles and mysteries, we are often shocked and challenged by some extraordinary abilities. Of these, the ability of blind people to see is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating. The camera shows people walking on busy roads, reading books easily, and describing the scenery.
How does this “invisible behind-the-scenes force” exist? Is it an advanced technological breakthrough? Or is it an extraordinary sensory ability that humans experience? Let’s unravel this fascinating mystery together and discover the secrets of where the blind can see. What exactly is a gift? Or is it acquired?
Special hearing or touch instead of sight
The word “blind” often gives people the first impression of people who cannot see. Still, in fact, some blind people have demonstrated abilities beyond imagination. Although they have no vision, their visual function can be well substituted through their well-developed hearing or touch. This has led to many inquiries and studies that have revealed the unique perceptual world of blind people.
Hearing is one of the characteristics of blind people. Unable to see their surroundings, blind people become extremely sensitive to sounds. By concentrating, they can accurately grasp subtle sounds and get more information. For example, blind people can judge their environment through the echo of sound. They can even identify the shape and size of objects.
In the movie “Invisible Wings,” the protagonist uses sound to perceive the position and distance of surrounding objects. This ability is also possessed by some blind people in real life.
In addition to hearing, touch is an important sensory modality used by blind people. Blind people can learn about an object’s shape and material by touching it and feeling its concave and convex texture. This ability is used to such extremes by some blind people that they can even identify the color of objects by touch. Tactile sensitivity helps blind people complete many tasks in daily life, such as reading Braille, writing, operating electronic devices, etc.
Blind people successfully develop four special abilities by replacing vision with hearing and touch. The first is spatial perception. Blind people can use sound and touch to perceive the space and distance around them. They can also quickly identify the location of objects. This ability is very useful in daily life, such as walking and avoiding obstacles.
Cognitive ability. Since blind people lack visual input, they rely more heavily on other sensory modalities to obtain information. This allows them to develop sensitivity to detail and the ability to focus on the features of objects. This enables blind people to better remember and identify objects, improving cognitive abilities.
Creativity. The lack of visual input makes blind people pay more attention to developing and using other senses. Some blind people have outstanding performances in music, dance, art, and other fields. They cultivate this creativity through perceiving the world through hearing and touch.
Blind people also display great intuition and insight. They rely on hearing, touch, subtle intonations, and body language in interpersonal interactions to determine the emotions or intentions of others. The development of this kind of insight is very helpful in daily interactions and social interactions.
Blind people can use hearing and touch as powerful alternatives to sight and use these special abilities to succeed. With the continuous advancement of technology and the help of assistive tools, the quality of life of blind people has been significantly improved. Studying how blind people perceive the world helps us respect their abilities and provide more support.
The brain’s reshaping and adaptation of visual information
enters the brain through the eyes and is processed in the visual cortex to create the images we see. However, for blind people, due to the loss of function of the visual cortex, they cannot see things directly through their eyes. However, this does not mean they are incapable of perceiving visual information.
Blind people can use senses like sound, touch, and smell to get visual information because their brains adapt and reshape themselves.
Blind people perceive visual information through hearing. The function of the visual cortex is not completely lost in the blind brain. Still, it is reshaped into an area that processes auditory information. With training and practice, blind people can use their ears to obtain visual information. For example, they can identify spatial location and object shape through the direction, pitch, timbre quality of sound, etc. The brain can perform pattern recognition and image construction from audio information, allowing it to hear visual information.
Blind people can perceive visual information through touch. The tactile cortex is also reorganized in the blind brain to process tactile information. Through touch, grip, and other sensations, blind people can perceive objects’ shape, size, texture, and other characteristics. Some blind people can even draw outlines of objects through touch, further enhancing their understanding of visual information.
Blind people can also perceive visual information through their sense of smell. The sense of smell is a very sensitive human sense, which can help blind people obtain information about the surrounding environment. Blind people can identify objects’ type, location, and status through different smells.
The brain’s ability to reshape and adapt to visual information is amazing. It reflects the amazing and adaptable power of the brain. By reorganizing and rebuilding neural networks, the brain can acquire and process relevant information through other senses without losing the ability of one sense.
This ability is not possessed by every blind person. It requires long-term training and practice to achieve. Only through continuous effort and exercise can a blind person make the most of the brain’s ability to reshape and adapt.
Using technology to help restore visual function
Blind people have always been considered to have no visual function. Still, now, the development of technology has brought them new hope. With some technological assistance methods, blind people can regain some ability to see, making us marvel at technology’s power.
Let’s take a look at brain-computer interface technology. Brain-computer interface (BCI for short) refers to the interaction between the brain and the computer by connecting the human brain and external devices. For blind people, BCI technology can receive instructions from the brain, convert them into images or text, and display them on artificial vision devices. In this way, blind people can see the world through conscious control and realize the ability to see.
Laser launch technology also brings the possibility of restoring vision to blind people. This technology uses infrared lasers to simulate light reflection. The reflected light is then converted into electrical signals and sent to the human brain for perception of the world. This technology can convert infrared laser reflection into light signals. It then sends these signals to the brains of blind people through photoreceptor cells, enabling them to receive light information from their surroundings. The breakthrough in this technology brought them the perception of external light. It gave them the ability to understand the world.
Artificial intelligence technology plays an important role in restoring vision to blind people. AI can use deep learning and image recognition to understand and explain pictures. It can then turn them into words or sounds for blind people to understand. Smart assistant devices can transmit image information in real-time to blind people’s headsets or hearing devices to help them perceive the real-time environment. The application of this technology enables blind people to perceive the world through sound, giving them a more comprehensive understanding of the world.
Although these technology-assisted methods of restoring visual function can allow blind people to re-perceive the world to a certain extent, they still have some limitations. First, these devices and technologies cost relatively high, and not every blind person can afford them. Second, these methods are still in an evolving stage and still require more research and improvement.
In this world, everyone has invisible abilities; you need to discover them with your heart. So, you might as well close your eyes, listen to your inner voice, and let the invisible you slowly wake up. When we look with our hearts and observe with our souls, we may discover a new world we have never imagined.
