[optacon-l] Re: Sight Versus Blindness
- From: "Steve" <k8sp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2015 16:21:19 -0400
I think a lot of the research concludes that if one lost their sight before
aged 5 or so, then the adjustment is almost impossible. Short of miraculous
intervention, the image processing and interpretative correlations have been
formed by the optic nerve and visual cortex by that time.
This is butressed by Mike May's experiences when he had his vision restored in
his mid-forties. He had lost it around age 4 in a chemical mishap. The last
chapter of his book "Crashing Through" written by Robert Kurson discusses this
in a lot more depth. What I recall is the hand-eye coordination stuff like
playing catch was good, but you couldn't recognize what would appear to be
basic stuff like the gender of a person walking down the street.
I'm really anticipating a self-driving car more than a restoration of my vision.
Now, people who lost their sight even after the age of ten may likely have much
different experiences. Some of the vision restoration done with a bionic eye
in the Netherlands appears to have found better results with people who lst
their vision later in life.
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: Evan Reese
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:55 PM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: Sight Versus Blindness
Hmmm, I'd be more than happy to have the opportunity to find out whether or
not I could adjust to vision. And, if, unlikely as it sounds to me right
now, it turned out that I could not adjust to it, well, it wouldn't bee all
that difficult to return to my current condition. <smile>
Evan
-----Original Message-----
From: Debbra Piening
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:47 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Sight Versus Blindness
Actually, I can understand how it could happen. Years ago, I had a friend
whose vision had been restored. She told me that although it was nice to be
able to see, she wasn't at all sure she would have had the surgery if she
had known how difficult the adjustment would be. That gave me much to think
about.
-----Original Message-----
From: optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:optacon-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Anne Telfer
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 2:26 PM
To: optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: FW: About the Video TIM.
Actually it did happen. It is not a legend.
I think if I suddenly had sight I might find myself walking around with my
eyes shut for a while.
Anne
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jyrki Voutilainen" <jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "Optacon User List" <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 7:13 PM
Subject: [optacon-l] Re: FW: About the Video TIM.
> Sure. I try to understand the different point of view among other blind
> born people than me, and I do definitely not want to prevent somebody to
> be satisfied with their situation.
>
> I appologize if I've seemed to be non-understanding, but the same
> arguments have been told over and over again for not willing to see; what
> you've never had, you can't miss etc. etc. Somebody who has gained sight
> after being blind is told to have committed suicide. In one of my recent
> posts I called this just a legend.
>
> Perhaps I'm some kind of a dissident among blind born people? :)
>
> On Tue, 17 Mar 2015, Carolyn Arnold wrote:
>
>> Jyrki, I agree with your assessment. I joke about having to work twice as
>> hard to do half as much.
>>
>> As old as I am, I think that the way you state it is right, but
>> understand
>> that if someone else feels otherwise, well then, it works for them.
>>
>> GIFT (God is forever true),
>>
>> Carolyn
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Jyrki Voutilainen" <jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx>
>> To: "Optacon User List" <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 1:08 PM
>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: FW: About the Video TIM.
>>
>>
>>> I had to read your post below twice in order to fully understand what
>>> you
>>> mean, but if I ever had to be without vision, I would rather have seen
>>> during my so called active period of my life and lost my vision little
>>> by
>>> little while loosing something else too. And I do fully agree with your
>>> comparison; wanting not to see is like wanting to be sick.
>>>
>>> Being without something as natural as vision all your life is nothing to
>>> envy despite of whatever skills you may have. Despite these skills you
>>> have to work many many times harder just to cope with quite ordinary
>>> things that sighted people don't have to worry about that much.
>>>
>>> I have thought that not willing to see or claiming that is some kind of
>>> self defence, some kind of unwillingness to admit the truth.
>>>
>>> On Tue, 17 Mar 2015, Carolyn Arnold wrote:
>>>
>>>> It's hard to imagine not wanting to see. That sounds like wanting to be
>>>> sick
>>>> and not wanting to be well to me. I never had perfect vision, only
>>>> partial
>>>> and not really good partial vision, but I used it to the max. I'm glad
>>>> I
>>>> had
>>>> what I had as long as I had it.
>>>>
>>>> Another personal opinion that I feel strongly about is being better off
>>>> never to have seen. I think that is almost an insult, but have learned
>>>> tolerance. So, now I say something like, granted, I have a far more
>>>> active
>>>> old age and probably better life than someone sighted for a life time,
>>>> that
>>>> loses sight, but think of all the years that person had on me, could
>>>> drive,
>>>> run, look into the faces of loved ones, see body language, have all the
>>>> advantages of sight, while I did not.
>>>>
>>>> GIFT (God is forever true),
>>>>
>>>> Carolyn
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Jyrki Voutilainen" <jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx>
>>>> To: "Optacon User List" <optacon-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:39 AM
>>>> Subject: [optacon-l] Re: FW: About the Video TIM.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On Mon, 16 Mar 2015, Fran wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Most blind people simply are not interested in such a device, God
>>>>>> only
>>>>>> knows
>>>>>> why.
>>>>>
>>>>> You are unfortunately right.
>>>>>
>>>>> Many -- or even most -- blind born people also claim that they never
>>>>> wish
>>>>> to see, and God only knows why. I have dreamed about artificial, or
>>>>> whatever, vision since I was young.
>>>>>
>>>>> When I ask such people why they are unwilling to see, they say that
>>>>> they
>>>>> don't miss something that they've never had. I understand this only
>>>>> partially, because they must know that most people do see.
>>>>>
>>>>> But fortunately some blind born people also say that they could think
>>>>> about testing an artificial vision with an On/Off option and with the
>>>>> opportunity to interrupt the test whenever they wish.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Jyrki Voutilainen
>>>>> mailto:jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>> __________________________________
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>>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>> --
>>> Jyrki Voutilainen
>>> mailto:jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx
>>> __________________________________________________
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>
> --
> Jyrki Voutilainen
> mailto:jykke.voutilainen@xxxxxxxxx
> __________________________________________________
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