Seeing for the First Time

io9 has a fascinating piece that takes a look (pardon the expression) at what it's like for blind people to suddenly gain their sense of sight during adulthood. Rather than being the joyous miracle you'd expect, it can become more of a burden on their mind than anything else.

“Spatial distance is often the primary problem they run into. One man saw people walking away from him as inexplicably shrinking. Another would practice spatial recognition by going out in a field and throwing his boot as far as he could. He’d hold out his hand to grab it, and if it wasn’t in reach, step forward before trying again.”