Ainc
Ainc
Fireworks in Your Eyeballs (Some Assembly Required)
Fireworks in Your Eyeballs (Some Assembly Required)
Fireworks in Your Eyeballs (Some Assembly Required)
Tuesday 14th October 2025
Explore the challenges and triumphs of visual prostheses with Bill Lundgren and Lily Turkstra. Discover how expectation-setting impacts mental health.
58 minutes
Informative
Inspiring
Honest
Supportive
Engaging
About this podcast
Author:
Ainc
Overview:
Categories:
Mindfulness & Emotional Wellbeing
Sobriety Toolkit
Navigating Intimate Relationships
Navigating Challenges in Recovery
Healing Relationships
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Episodes:
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Get the buttons here!Seeing Through Technology: The Human Side of Visual Prostheses
Episode Overview
- Current visual implants offer basic perception, not natural vision.
- Setting realistic expectations is crucial for mental health.
- Independence gains vary and require individual assessment.
- Support systems play a vital role in user adaptation.
- Users often misinterpret device limitations as personal failures.
"It's not you who is doing anything wrong; it's the device that is not meeting your expectations."
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of Blindsight brings you an intriguing conversation with Bill Lundgren and Lily Turkstra, a PhD researcher at UC Santa Barbara. Together, they shed light on the fascinating yet challenging world of visual prostheses. If you've ever wondered what it's like to 'see' with phosphenes or how expectation-setting plays a crucial role in mental health support for users, this chat is for you.
Lily shares her journey from studying auditory perception to working with bionic vision devices, revealing how her own experience with face blindness influenced her research path. The discussion highlights the rudimentary nature of current implants, which provide perception rather than natural vision, and the importance of aligning expectations among clinicians, families, and users. You'll learn that while independence gains are possible, they vary greatly among individuals.
The episode emphasises the necessity of mental health support and realistic expectations to avoid feelings of personal failure when devices don't meet anticipated outcomes. With a touch of humour and warmth, Bill and Lily explore the complexities of adapting to these new technologies, making it clear that patience and support are key. So, if you're ready to understand the human side of technological advancements in vision restoration, this episode is a must-listen.
How do people find hope in the darkest times? Tune in to find out.