Think Happy!

Well, I guess that Christmas is the time for miracles, so finding this story today was a welcome discovery.

Anyone watching the patient known as “TN” successfully navigate his way through an obstacle course would have thought an eerie “sixth sense” was guiding his path.

Blinded by two strokes that destroyed his visual cortex, he has been unable to see for years, despite having healthy eyes. Nevertheless, TN successfully avoided all the obstacles, without a single mishap.

…TN’s ability is a rare form of “blindsight” – a condition where brain-damaged individuals who don’t have a mental image of their surroundings still subconsciously react to visual information.

…Brain scans had previously revealed that TN could recognise facial expressions, since the amygdala region showed increased activity when he was faced with fearful, angry or joyous faces. This suggested his mind could process some visual information, albeit subconsciously.

See for yourself below:

Isn’t it just incredible, what the brain can do?