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Short version of my headcannon, while Dream was trapped in stone, the only sense he had access too was his Empathic ability to feel others' emotions. After only having access to that sense, it's extremely powerful and sensitive to the world around Dream! He could wear a blindfold, cover his ears, and have his arms around his back and navigate through a new area with ease through a flick of his fingers. aka Dream has emotional echolocation!! Long version: Going on with the idea that once Dream was trapped in stone he was still conscious for a period of time he'd lack all his senses. There is nothing to hear, the rock was all over every phalange, nose, and eyes. Even if there was a chance to taste something, that too was gone, covered in a layer of gray. For the time he is conscious, Dream loses access to all his senses besides one- his empathy. The magical ability to feel the emotions of others and the world around.
When someone loses their eyesight, its often found that their hearing gets better as a result do to lacking that sense. This is what Dream experiences while stuck as stone. That subtle, innate ability to feel what others are becomes more sensitive, growing and reaching out in strands to absorb all it can under Dream's distress. As a kid, Dream always knew that emotions remained inside of objects, and that emotions could be left over them. Often, it took some focus to tap into these feelings, but didn't take up any magical. After being trapped, feeling the emotions from the grass becomes as natural as breathing, grabbing onto the distant bundle of negativity is like his soul beating, and anything any being comes close to Dream the powerful magic curls around them. Not feeling any of the emotions around is a sentence for fading, so it seeks the emotions the villagers left behind for weeks in the dust, magic desperately holding onto blood and poison, staying inside the melancholic cloth for as long as it's able. Dream's magic grabs at it all- negative and positive- and, sadly, results in Dream staying conscious much longer than another monster would have.
When he is finally free from stone, between suddenly having 5 more senses and his sixth being so sensitive, it's all too much, and sensory overloads are overwhelmingly common for a long while (they don't ever leave though. Dream only learns how to live with them). He doesn't have a clue how long he was conscious inside the stone, but by the end only there through fleeting moments of birds making nests and mice finding a filling meal. It's not uncommon to find Dream curled up, trying only to tune into his Empathy. His sixth sense being more sensitive never ever leaves even after getting his other weakened 5 senses back (foods never tasted as vibrant as it did when he was with his brother, Dream likes to believe that's nostalgia speaking). Later on in the aging universe, it's not uncommon to find him wearing soundproof headphones, and gloves are simply a permanent fixture.
Dream is able to feel the feeling inside something as miniscule as a leaf (someone had touched it one day ago, leaving behind a lackluster combination of screeching and a warm, endearing smile). If his eyes are shut, with a flick of his finger he can see and navigate a busy street without much strain. Although, clicking his tongue to send out the wave of magic always makes him smile, giggling as the feelings map themselves out (he refuses to do this with anyone else around, the action held close to his soul behind a brick wall). Safe to say he has spooked Blue with this bat-like ability multiple times. Blue has walked into the room and Dream's looked completely the other way with headphones and an eye-mask on, only to turn and wave at him. It becomes near impossible to hide from Dream if you're nearby. A simple wave of the hand can reveal all the hugs in one's scarf, the screaming from a blade, or the childish laughter from worn shoes.
(Dream keeps this last fact a secret: Stuck surrounded by his own brothers' emotions for so long, his powers clung to Nightmare's feelings. Easily, without question, Dream would always be able to pick out Nightmare in a large crowd. Inside an au, his Empathy targets the strained ball of negativity and tells Dream where his general location is without even thinking twice about it. Sometimes it happens so unconsciously Dream doesn't realize, stuck with a sad smile and lost laughter aches.)