An interesting question to ask about a fully intact and functional brain’s cognitive abilities is this: how do we know that each individual’s perception isn’t unique, whether it’s visual, olfactory, or of any other sense? Processing and emotional responses aside – how do we know that people actually see things the same way, physically? The color I identify as red might appear as residing on the opposite end of the spectrum to someone else, despite the light’s wavelength being constant. The smell I identify as vanilla may be different from another person’s perception of vanilla’s odor, but because we are both correctly identifying the scent as that of vanilla, it is both futile and impossible to determine whether or not the stimulus is perceived identically between the two people.

Enter science! Everyone’s nose (at least those without ‘abnormalities’) has the same scent molecule receptors, meaning we all have the same capabilities for smelling the odors in the air (yes, they are molecules! they are not magically dispersed by the scent fairies, contrary to popular belief). Similarly, the other sensory organs all function in very similar, though not identical ways. Standards have been established for each sense (see: 20/20 vision) to determine the ‘ideal’ level of functionality, but there is a wide range of sensitivity. Individual differences abound – some people’s hearing is eerily acute, and one never knows if their body odor is unusually strong, or if they’re just imagining things. The medical field has given names to these conditions – there is a name for an oversensitive sense of smell, under-sensitive sense of smell (hyper- and hyposmia, respectively). There are scientific terms for just about anything other than ‘standard’ sensory abilities.

What’s amazing about Pete Eckert, simply put, is that despite being blind, he has vision – more vision than most people are capable of, with or without artistic guidance and education. His story is truly inspiring.