On the 23rd December 2008 the press reported that a...

[Path Finder]

Blind man demonstrates a phenomenon called 'Blind-sight' by navigating an obstacle course.

A man know only as TN who has completely lost his sight after suffering brain damage has astonished scientists by being able to negotiating an obstacle course in what has been called a powerful demonstration of a phenomenon known as “blind-sight” which has been describe by the press as an eerie kind of sixth-sense.

It seems he can also react to the facial expressions of other people, brain scans have confirmed this, his brain apparently registers facial emotions such as joy, anger and fear. A professor Beatrice de Gelder, of the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands, who was in charge of the study, claimed that this was absolutely the first study carried out of humans having this ability.

Preparing to take part in the Drum Stalk in order to gain a new insight into ones inner landscape.

For all of you that have taken part in Nature Awareness take heart, science is not far behind you, at long last. It would be interesting to carry out our own study of what we know to be true based on our own experience of navigating woodlands blindfolded namely during the drum stalk and of course not forgetting ‘meet a tree’ and those of you who also experience the thread of intent etc.

Anyone interested in learning more download my dissertation from my blog at: http://wild-tracking.blogspot.com/

Enjoy and of course I would every much be interested in your feedback or google the above title.

Click on link to see video footage:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fPTnmSu_2og

 

[firecrest]

does it say what kind of blindness he has? losing sight due to brain damage is not the same as losing your eyes. You can actually still be seeing but unaware you are seeing..

 

[Toddy]

I was wondering the same thing. One of my friends (doctor) was talking about this not so long ago too; she mentioned that even a blind from birth adult may duck when something suddenly comes towards them, something about the primitive part of the brain processing data even when the normal sight processing part is damaged beyond repair.

Or is the post more to do with the drum stalk like a shamanic experience

cheers,
Toddy

 

[DoctorSpoon]

When I originally saw this research it got me ranting. What you have is observations of one person with brain damage, the claims people make about what this tells us about the rest of the population are way overstated. This person has never been blind in a conventional sense. He simply has part of the wiring between his eyes and his brain damaged; clearly not all of it which is why he still retains some abilities and not others. This is nothing new - it is just a clever piece of publicity which hit the press at a quiet time.

I've no problem about you getting spiritual about trees Pathfinder, but I'd steer clear of the dodgy science if I were you.

Nicola
(A professional researcher when not spoon carving.)

 

[firecrest]

I was wondering the same thing. One of my friends (doctor) was talking about this not so long ago too; she mentioned that even a blind from birth adult may duck when something suddenly comes towards them, something about the primitive part of the brain processing data even when the normal sight processing part is damaged beyond repair.

Or is the post more to do with the drum stalk like a shamanic experience

cheers,
Toddy

Interesting.

The "blind from unawareness of seeing" (not sure of the medical term) they did experiments putting a light spot on the wall and asking them to point to it. They basically say along the lines of "well I can't see but Ill guess its here" Their guess turns out to be usually correct because some part of the brain is still processing it and it comes to them subconsciously as a vague feeling.

 

[Toddy]

Judith said that the physical reaction occured even before the person had time to think about what they were doing.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Jared]

There was a similar story a while back about a teenager in California. But he had cancer at the age of two and had his eyes surgically removed.

But he's developed an ability to echo locate.

http://gprime.net/video.php/blindnavigator

 

[Path Finder]

Hi Nicola

Thanks for your feedback, I would be interested in knowing what kind of research you have done. As I am very interested in exploring Nature Awareness from that angle as well as the spiritually.

If you are up for it, I would love to hear from you. As there is a lack of empirical evidence into alternative and spiritual aspects of recovery within wilderness-therapy and the so called grey-literature.

This is a quote I have often used. I do feel it is important Miller (1998) states that in terms of spirituality to “…Simply to ignore a…potential source of healing violates both scientific curiosity and professional responsibility”, he continues by challenging the academic and spiritual community by stating, “…It is time to question and reverse the assumption that spiritual variables are taboo for scientists and therapists, or that scientific methods cannot possibly shed light on spirituality” (p. 987).

Warm wishes

Geoffrey

 

[Glen]

Judith said that the physical reaction occured even before the person had time to think about what they were doing.

cheers,
Toddy

That would still be consistant with "not knowing that one is seeing".
In the video it does seem that the "blind man" is directing his eyes ( movement of head ) at least towards each object as he approaches and passes.


Possibly the most research ( or easiest to get acess to ) that has gone on, that has almost direct relevance to the phenomenom, is in split brain studies, where the corpus calloseum(sp?) has been cut and the left and right sides of the brain have little on no direct communication with each other.
Fascinating stuff if you have even a slight inclination to learn about such things.

 

[nickg]

So isnt that what the report is saying -- that a non sughted person still has sufficient faculties to aviod walking slowly into trees etc. The important fact that I get is that with eyes that are not 'sighted'in the normal manner he could still detect obstacles, whether this was due to stereo hearing, acute heat sensitivity, detection of 'Kirlian' effect or whatever is not the important thing - or rather it is - by showing that sight is not the only sense that comes into play.
I have experienced a session of 'Drum Stalking' (without any alternative 'belief' system in play) and was amazed at how possible it was to walk through a crowded woodland without any collisions.
I have actually no difficulties with this concept wharever

Cheers
Nick