In a nutshell
After certain injuries to the visual cortex, affected people may distinguish stimuli in a blind part of the visual field better than chance. Depending on the form, they report either no conscious visual experience or only a vague one.
Why does it happen?
Visual information reaches the brain through several pathways. Preserved connections to extrastriate visual cortex can enable certain responses even when the primary visual cortex is damaged. Which pathway and which residual processing are decisive differs between affected people and the tasks studied.
Frequency
Blindsight is a rarely studied clinical phenomenon after certain injuries to the visual system. It does not occur in everyone with the corresponding visual-field loss.
Frequency is a qualitative description, not your individual probability.
Is it normal?
Not an ordinary everyday experience and not a substitute for intact vision.
When to seek advice
A new visual-field defect requires immediate medical assessment.
Does this happen to you?
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Sources (1)
- The Anatomy of Blindsight (opens a new tab)
This source supports the description and physiological context of this entry.
Editorial update: . AI-assisted research and editing; not individually reviewed by a physician. How we research
