It is fascinating, though, how much of our perception isn't the raw input but rather the interpretation and collation that happens in the brain. I read about some new microsurgery that can repair damage to retinas and optic nerves, sometimes even in people who have been blind for years. They said that for these people who have been sightless for a long time (or since birth) when their vision returns it is just a jumble of light. It takes quite a while before it becomes coherent vision, because the brain is having to relearn how to process optical stimulation.