How are dreams perceived and what is their significance for someone who is unable to see in the real world?
It would be clear that those blind from birth wouldn’t be able to see in their dreams but what about those who lost their sight during their lifetime. Do they still dream and if they do can they see in their dreams? This is something that can only be answered from experience.
Rakesh Sharma, aged 81, is a retired business owner in Dundee, Scotland. After a cataract problem that went untreated overtime and led to the deterioration of his vison, Rakesh lost his sight in 2022. After nearly 3 years Rakesh has had to adapt to life without vision and has struggled to do so, not being able to cook or watch sports which were the things he enjoyed doing. One aspect specifically that has changed for him is his sleep. In particular, the way he dreams.
“It’s something I never even considered but when you think about it properly it is such an interesting topic especially for someone like me who lost their vision – because obviously I spent nearly 60 years of my life being able to see very well and then still well enough after.”
Mr Sharma expressed the changes in how he views and approaches sleep.
“You know normally it was just something I did and never really thought about. I’d go about my day, get tired, go to bed and wake up in the morning like it was nothing. Now on the other hand it has become of much more significance to me. It is somewhat special to me. My life has become so different you know I am much more restricted in what I can do and what I can’t do and sleeping is a whole new experience for me now.
“For someone that can see and someone that can’t see, you think sleeping is the same. You close your eyes to sleep and you can’t see anything and then you drift off, have your dreams and wakeup. It isn’t the same. Blind people don’t just see darkness. It is tough to explain. I do dream but it isn’t the same as before. It’s as if they are more enhanced than they used to be.”
Mr Sharma touched on how his dreams feel and whether or not they impact him more than they did before.
“I dream about the same things I used to dream about – you know dreams about family, friends, I still have bad dreams too. The one thing that I notice is that when I wake up I remember my dreams more. I don’t know if this makes sense but they’re more vivid than they were. I know what I dreamt and remember the events more. I don’t get them mixed up with anything that happened in the real world because not to state the obvious but I can’t see anymore.
“What I would say is that these dreams affect me more than they used to. If I dream about my family especially. I’m so lost in the dream, so invested in it that when I wake up it almost feels like I am just being wiped of my sight all over again. I have grandchildren, twins who are 6 now. When I last saw them they were 3 and obviously at that young age 3 years is quite a difference so they will have changed a lot. But when I dream about them sometimes they are still just the same as when I last saw them. It is strange because I hear them, I speak with them and they come round all the time but the last image I have of them is when they were little.”
There have been one particular thing that has come up once or twice in Mr Sharma’s dreams, something that is a bit tougher to ignore.
“I have had dreams that I can see again. I am able to dream normally but the vision thing isn’t something that comes up. The dreams just happen and then I wake up. Sometimes however, I have dreams specifically that I can see again as in the specific focus of those dreams is that I am able to see again. Those ones are difficult for me. In the dreams I remember being so relieved. I go and do things that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to do with my situation. And then I wake up. And it’s this big slap in the face. I would say it is as if it’s my brains way of teasing me. You get so lost in what you’re dreaming about and you forget. Then when you wake up it takes you as second or two to realise, ‘oh wait that was just a dream’.”
