Is it possible to be born with no senses?

[CrazCo]

Just wondering if this is possible.

[Phi for All]

I think the kind of damage to the nervous system that would disable the tactile sense completely would make it unlikely that a fetus would come to full term. That said, while not probable it could be possible.

[CrazCo]

that's what i was thinking.. highly unlikely but probably possible

 

which got me thinking... would it be possible for them to have dreams?

[Phi for All]

would it be possible for them to have dreams?

Good question. Since dreams are filled with imagery gleaned from the senses, I would tend to say no. But the human mind is capable of adapting when sensory input is impaired.

 

If thought is occurring in the mind of an individual who has no sensory input, it's possible for that thought to translate itself into dreams. I just can't imagine what those dreams would be like, since I can't even imagine what thoughts would occur to a brain with a complete lack of stimulus.

[curiouslou]

Such an organism would be, for all intents and purposes, a "neomort". Basically just a brain dead organism. See, by being devoid of all sensory information the "baby" would be a blank slate. As such it could process information, but its brain would not have any information to process. (It is "senseless"). So while having little to do with the original question i feel that i have contributed somewhat to the conversation.

 

 

Link to the "neomort" article.

http://www.allanturner.com/death04.html

[Mr Skeptic]

Just wondering if this is possible.

 

I would say no -- because he wouldn't be alive. To qualify as alive, one must be able to respond to stimuli, which requires sensing. So someone without senses would not be alive, even if his cells were alive. But then, without the internal senses for things like blood carbon dioxide, or blood glucose, they would not be alive in any sense for long.

 

If you mean someone born without a sense of sight, hearing, touch, taste, or smell, I think that is possible but extremely unlikely. While such conditions can exist naturally in a few individuals, they are rather rare, and getting all of them at once would be nearly impossible.

 

On the other hand, someone could surgically cut the spinal cord, optic nerves, auditory nerves, etc, and chemically damage the taste buds and smell receptors. I think that would make them a living vegetable though.

[CrazCo]

Respond to stimuli point: very true. I didn't consider that. Thanks.

[SkepticLance]

There is a neural tube defect called anencephaly. It occurs rarely but often enough to have been well studied. Essentially the baby is born with no higher brain. Only the portions of brain near the brain stem, which keep the heart pumping but not much else. Fortunately, such babies normally die soon after birth.

 

This defect is more common when mothers eat corn products contaminated with fumonisin, which is a toxin made by the fungus Fusarium. It is most common on organic (hence unsprayed) corn products.

 

Such a baby essentially has no sense organs, and cannot be called truly human.

[CharonY]

It really depends on what level you define "senses". On the cellular level you require receptors for signalling molecules, nutrients etc. to sustain life.

[iNow]

That's a really interesting point. If one goes down far enough, then everything is a sensor since it interacts with it's environment chemically.