Vision

[Gravdigr]

I'm a pretty lucky guy in a big-picture sort of way. No handicaps, except my personality. I am particularly thankful for perfect vision and hearing. In order to more fully appreciate my gifts, I want to go without one for a while, a week to be exact.

Now, you can't really 'go deaf', temporarily, on demand. However, I can 'go blind'.

I want to close my eyes, apply gauze, then tape everything down. For a week. But, I don't know if this a safe (from a health standpoint) thing to do. What are the (health) risks of doing such a thing? Besides being called a dumbass. I know I'll fall over stuff, but, could I potentially harm my beloved eyesight through such an endeavor?

And would anyone want to hear about it if I go through with it?

[lumberjim]

i'd like to... but I think your posts might be a little jumbled if you can't see the keys.

klsdhg' woj rojg'o woks
S=H ROLI
QWRK

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

klsdhg' woj rojg'o woks
S=H ROLI
QWRK

Is that Armenian?

[Clodfobble]

Moisture + warmth + darkness = a breeding ground for infections. At a minimum I'd make sure to take the dressing off and clean your eyes thoroughly each day.

That said, I think the idea is kind of retarded, myself. It's the kind of thing college film students do just so they can make a documentary of themselves doing it. I can only assume that you have no job, or you have one that you can take a week off from, because I don't imagine your boss would appreciate the philosophical value of the experiment. So what will you do during this week? Either you will greatly minimize your daily activities like a real blind person would, in which case the experience won't be that philosophically enlightening, just boring, or you will attempt to go about your normal daily routine, and probably get hit by a car.

[Pete Zicato]

I would highly recommend against this. I sometimes have to have my eyes patched due to my cornea problems. The cornea specialist is very careful to put antibiotics in before and have be put drops in after. You can also abrade your cornea if your eyelids are closed too long.

Plus all the stuff that clod said.

[Gravdigr]

Ya know, I expected pretty much every kind of response when I made this post. But, retarded? So much for new experiences with some folks I guess. I suppose I'm in a minority for appreciating what I've got, and trying to experience something that makes me appreciated these things even more.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Moisture + warmth + darkness = a breeding ground for infections. At a minimum I'd make sure to take the dressing off and clean your eyes thoroughly each day.

That said, I think the idea is kind of retarded, myself. It's the kind of thing college film students do just so they can make a documentary of themselves doing it. I can only assume that you have no job, or you have one that you can take a week off from, because I don't imagine your boss would appreciate the philosophical value of the experiment. So what will you do during this week? Either you will greatly minimize your daily activities like a real blind person would, in which case the experience won't be that philosophically enlightening, just boring, or you will attempt to go about your normal daily routine, and probably get hit by a car.

No. I don't have a job. You also sound a little resentful that I might have a job from which I could afford to take a week off. "...Either you will greatly minimize your daily activities like a real blind person would, in which case the experience won't be that philosophically enlightening..." That's the least intelligent thing I've ever seen you post. How could this exercise NOT be INCREDIBLY philosophically enlightening? Why else would I even consider such a thing. You must be the polar opposite of the opinion I had formed of you. To call an experience like temporary, voluntary blindness "just boring" seems preeeety shallow. "What will you do during this week?" EXPERIENCE BLINDNESS. What did you think I was going to do, open a shoe shine stall at the train station? Get a job (wouldn't you be proud) as a proof reader at Doubleday? Living for a week like a blind person is the whole point. Have you never went without anything voluntarily? Some people say that you can never truly appreciate something, unless you've gone without it.

"...You will greatly minimize your daily activities like a real blind person..." I don't personally know any blind people, but I'll bet not one wouldn't find that statement offensive.

My plan was to do everything (with supervision, I'm not as retarded as you apparently think I am). Take walks. Sit on the square. Eat out at a restaurant. Masturbate. Ride in cars. Did I say masturbate? Watch (listen to?) a movie. Go to a bar, hear the band. Sit around and BS w/friends. One of the things I was looking forward to was going to a diner/cafe type place, anyplace w/a short order grill. At times, crowded, busy places like that induce panic attacks, and I was wondering, if it would be worse, or better without the visual input.

Overall this thread gets a solid

[lumberjim]

I assumed he was a grave digger.....

is that the kind of a job you can do with your eyes closed?

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

I assumed he was a grave digger.....

is that the kind of a job you can do with your eyes closed?

yoostabee (as in: I used to be)

[lumberjim]

settle down, buttmunch

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

settle down, buttmunch

Yeah, yeah. In a minute.

[Pico and ME]

Gravdigr...before you do this, spend a week organizing everything you need to use or touch, so that you will know where everything is. Unless your aim is to know whats its like to suddenly go blind, which if so, you will have a really fucked up week.

I'd suggest getting the those glasses for after cataract surgery and paint them black.

[Pete Zicato]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

I'd suggest getting the those glasses for after cataract surgery and paint them black.

Much better idea.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

"...You will greatly minimize your daily activities like a real blind person..." I don't personally know any blind people, but I'll bet not one wouldn't find that statement offensive.

I do personally know two blind people. It's a reality that they can't go out and do everything they'd like to do on their own, and they are quite aware of it. They're both happy people who are living fulfilling lives... but they do it with the help of others, and recognizing that there are things in life unavailable to them. They do not do their own grocery shopping, for example. So part of the "blind experience" in that case would be sitting at home waiting for your groceries to be delivered like they do, not wandering the store aisles attempting to learn the canned goods by touch.

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

My plan was to do everything (with supervision, I'm not as retarded as you apparently think I am). Take walks. Sit on the square. Eat out at a restaurant. Masturbate. Ride in cars. Did I say masturbate? Watch (listen to?) a movie. Go to a bar, hear the band. Sit around and BS w/friends. One of the things I was looking forward to was going to a diner/cafe type place, anyplace w/a short order grill. At times, crowded, busy places like that induce panic attacks, and I was wondering, if it would be worse, or better without the visual input.

Ah. Part of my reaction stems from the locale I pictured you living in. Around here, there is not a square, restaurant, movie theatre, or bar within walking distance. If the things listed above are the only things you imagined doing, then I'd say your daily activities are already fairly minimized, so maybe this would provide you with a valid comparison to your normal life after all.

I'm sorry I came off as rude as I did. I just find it... self-serving, I guess, to emulate someone's very real disability as some kind of thought experiment. It's like that program high school kids sometimes do where they pretend to be homeless for a night so they can understand what it's really like to live on the streets--except they don't really, because in the morning Mommy comes and gets them and they go home and take a shower. I think it would be far more enlightening, and a far better use of your time, to find yourself a real blind person, and learn what their life is like by helping them with the things they struggle with.

[Bullitt]

You might start seeing things (upper left corner):


I've never tried any of these, but your idea reminded me of this.