While looking for something else (a good picture of the sleep/dream
researchers Aserinsky and Kleitman), I stumbled on a brief account of
early research on dreaming in the blind, about which we just had a
recent exchange.

When I say early, I mean early.  According to the source (the
wonderful book by Stanley Finger, _Origins of Neuroscience_, p. 261):

"G. Heermann (1838) examined 101 blind subjects and wrote that they
dreamed less than sighted people. He found that none of his 14
subjects who had lost sight before age 5 still had visual dreams. In
contrast, all 35 of his subjects who became blind after age 7 had
visual dreams." Finger also discusses a confirming report by Jastrow
in 1888. 

So, it seems the question was settled long, long ago.

-Stephen

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen Black, Ph.D.                      tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology                  fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University                    e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC           
J1M 1Z7                      
Canada     Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
           Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
           http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reply via email to