An individual's adaptation to the loss of sight is strongly influenced by the beliefs, superstitions, folklore, and mythology of both the individual and those with whom he or she comes in contact. This article uses both case examples and reports of such beliefs from archives and world literature to illustrate the broad range of connections between folklore and blindness. Clinicians can use their knowledge of such beliefs to help their clients through the process of adapting to the loss of vision.

The paper describes several processes of adaptation in work with both congenitally and adventitiously blind persons. The authors discuss imagery in terms of helping the client make psychosocial changes necessary to improve mental attitudes and to return to the mainstream. Two basic types of imagery are presented: 1) voluntary imagery—a conscious process, and 2) involuntary imagery, occurring spontaneously.

This article supports the view that the “pseudohallucinations” of Charles Bonnet syndrome are related to vision loss, not to psychosis. It proposes that the symbolic content of the images can be used to facilitate the psychosocial adaptation to the loss of vision, just as the interpretation of dreams does for sighted people in psychotherapeutic treatment, and presents several clinical vignettes to illustrate this point.