One would think the primary visual cortex is needed to see, but apparently not. Despite being blind because of damage to the primary visual cortex, a person is still able to perceive light well enough through other areas of the brain, that when prompted to “guess” where an unseen object is, patients (human and monkey) are able to grasp the object, shaping their hand to the appropriate contours prior to touching the object or knowing what it is. This is called blindsight.
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