Eyeless sight

The ability to see without the use of the eyes. The idea has been championed by a variety of scientists and writers under a variety of names including dermo-optical perception, paroptic, hyperesthesia, synesthesia, cutaneous vision (skin vision), extraretinal vision, and biointroscopy. The idea was introduced into the modern world by 20th-century French author Jules Romains (pen name of Louis Farigoule), though scattered references had already appeared in literature concerning blind people who supposedly had the ability. Romains came to believe that people had a little-known faculty of seeing in a manner usually associated with psychics. He published his findings in 1920 in a book. Vision Extra Retinienne.


The response to the book from French scholars was almost totally negative. Not only was Farigoule denied any funds to continue his research, but he was denied access to further blind subjects. He changed his name and went on to become a world famous poet and novelist. A decade later a Brazilian, Manuel Shaves of Sao Paulo, claimed that he had found about a dozen individuals, among a total of 400 blind subjects he had tested, who had some degree of eyeless sight, at least to the level of distinguishing colors.


 


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