People who have had sight at some point dream like sighted people do, so I’ve heard. If they’re blind at birth, I think you’re correct, they dream about sensations, noises, probably touch, and feelings. But I’m not an expert.
Yes, I am certain of it, and find it an astonishing idea that anyone might think they didn’t, without some theory that made sense, and some data to support it.
I’d tend to think such a person (or teacher) must be someone with little memory of their own dreams. Many people don’t remember much about their dreams, but that state of ignorance seems like a weird basis for an essay assignment.
sheesh @Zaku, she said nothing about it being assigned by a teacher, or that anyone denied that blind people could dream. All she said was that she was writing an essay, period. Jump the gun much?
The answer isn’t a simple yes or no.
Various sleep research organizations have found the some blind people see full visual scenes while they dream, like sighted people do. Others see some visual images but not robust scenes. Others yet do not have a visual component to their dreams at all, although some researchers debate the degree to which this is true.
The visual aspect of a blind person’s dreams varies significantly depending on when in their development they became blind. Some blind people have dreams that are similar to the dreams of sighted people in terms of visual content and sensory experiences, while other blind people have dreams that are quite different.