[rescue] LCD monitor diagnosis

[der Mouse]

> there is a well-documented phenomenon of 'blindsight'.  [...]

I'm aware of some forms of blindsight that occur in, eg, cases of brain
trauma - no awareness of stimuli at the low level, but something like
perception going on anyway.  (For example, the subject may claim to be
unaware of anything in a particular area of the visual field, and eg
fail to react to stimuli there, but be able to guess whether a light is
moving vertically or horizontally at significantly better than chance
rates.)

I had an interesting experience myself that may be related.  I was
drowsing, and I found myself looking at a large sheet covered with
words (think of it as partially dreaming, or hallucinating, or
imagining, or whatever you like).  I could read the words (though they
didn't make any sense).  But when I focused on any particular word, to
look at the letters making it up, it vanished: I was getting the
upper-level percept (the words) without the lower-level percept usually
supporting it (the letters).  It was a fascinating experience.

In any case, I've had others speculate that something like blindsight
may be operating in this woman's case.  I don't know; it might be.  But
if that's all there is to it, she's a very good guesser (as I said,
I've seen her see through opaque objects, and if you posit no
magesight, all I can see that as being is guessing), and a damn good
actress who's been fooling a good dozen people for no visible benefit.
(Time was, I couldn't accept magesight myself.  But after hanging out
in that crowd for some months, I found Occam's Razor pushing me into
it; a few experiences of my own clinched it for me....)

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