Blindsight vs weaksight.

Abstract

Blindsight is a highly informative phenomenon because it dissociates relatively preserved visual function from subjective awareness, unlike other common experimental paradigms that often confound unawareness with weak or near-absence of perception. We assess recent evidence for early post-lesional blindsight-like behavior in macaques and wonder if reduced saccade rates may alternatively reflect degraded sensory processing or decision criteria. Decisive tests should compare matched Yes/No and two-alternative forced-choice sensitivity using signal-detection theory, potentially aided by reaction-time methods. Establishing genuine early dissociations would enable reversible animal models and more rigorous identification of neural mechanisms specific to awareness rather than visual processing strength.