Life Awareness...

[Chance]

I'm rushed for time to write this, so forgive me if its a mess... I gotta run soon...

I woke up thinking on this Life Awareness thing, and it has turned into a whole mass of thoughts that are basically just all over the mental landscape of my reality... BUT in all this I have to wonder if AS/ASD people (mainly high functioning) might possibly have more of, or a different level of awareness. Could that actually explain ASD at a different level than just poor communication?

I notice movements others never see or feel. I hear stuff others never hear, but can't hear certain things others hear. I smell at levels others mostly can't hardly believe. Those are known things about ASD... what about the other stuff.

I feel words, maybe the energy behind those words... Which is maybe why some words feel like daggers sometimes. I just "feel" things somethings I can't even put in words, and if I tried people would probably distance themselves from me really fast.

Like yesterday we had 0 chance of rain, we were to be on the west side of the storms, yet all day I had this nervousness and I could sense the deep humidity moving in. Suddenly without any warnings posted last night some of the strongest storms I have seen blew up out of nowhere...

I can sit back and listen to conversations, and I have a whole different level of sensing what is being said... not by the words spewing from peoples mouths, but maybe by the energy they are putting off in the process... Thus giving me a very different experience than the words that are spoken by that person... (this causes me confusion that I cant fully explain)

To me this may be the parts of ASD that no one can understand because they can't even conceive experiencing it... They only see our external confusion while we see their internal confusion... or worse a truth about them or what they are saying they are not saying... I may have just opened a can of mental worms with this???

I can get easily lost in explaining this... so I'm gonna just stop there for now. I hope others maybe understand this dual level situational experience... I gotta run for now and get to work hoping not a lot of stuff is torn up from the storms. I will try to check back in later or tonite...

Have a good day everyone... : )

 

[John Parris]

I'm rushed for time to write this, so forgive me if its a mess... I gotta run soon...

I woke up thinking on this Life Awareness thing, and it has turned into a whole mass of thoughts that are basically just all over the mental landscape of my reality... BUT in all this I have to wonder if AS/ASD people (mainly high functioning) might possibly have more of, or a different level of awareness. Could that actually explain ASD at a different level than just poor communication?

I notice movements others never see or feel. I hear stuff others never hear, but can't hear certain things others hear. I smell at levels others mostly can't hardly believe. Those are known things about ASD... what about the other stuff.

I feel words, maybe the energy behind those words... Which is maybe why some words feel like daggers sometimes. I just "feel" things somethings I can't even put in words, and if I tried people would probably distance themselves from me really fast.

Like yesterday we had 0 chance of rain, we were to be on the west side of the storms, yet all day I had this nervousness and I could sense the deep humidity moving in. Suddenly without any warnings posted last night some of the strongest storms I have seen blew up out of nowhere...

I can sit back and listen to conversations, and I have a whole different level of sensing what is being said... not by the words spewing from peoples mouths, but maybe by the energy they are putting off in the process... Thus giving me a very different experience than the words that are spoken by that person... (this causes me confusion that I cant fully explain)

To me this may be the parts of ASD that no one can understand because they can't even conceive experiencing it... They only see our external confusion while we see their internal confusion... or worse a truth about them or what they are saying they are not saying... I may have just opened a can of mental worms with this???

I can get easily lost in explaining this... so I'm gonna just stop there for now. I hope others maybe understand this dual level situational experience... I gotta run for now and get to work hoping not a lot of stuff is torn up from the storms. I will try to check back in later or tonite...

Have a good day everyone... : )

Hi Chance

One of my conclusions about my Aspergers is the importance of differences in how our brains receive and process data from the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell & taste). This feature seems to be mentioned in the books almost in passing the 'oh yes, Aspergers peoples' senses may be distorted, either heightened or reduced' sort of comment. But when you think about it, this is actually quite fundamental - our brains may be working with distorted sensual input. I know you might say 'compared to what' but could it be possible that some of your sensual awareness' is far higher than for other people enhancing your special qualities?

Otherwise can you tell me next week's lottery numbers?

 

[55853]

I thought it was because most people are able to "tune" things out. I can't tune things out so I'm constantly completely aware of everything around me. I notice most people have to decide to do that. If you ask "what's that sound?", they can listen out for it, maybe having to close their eyes, but because they weren't listening for it before, they didn't notice it.

But I thought that was only one symptom, rather than underlying ASD.

 

[Tom]

What you describe is similar to things said by some others on the spectrum. But as far as I know not studied or described by science. So it is spectulative at this point. My own thinking is that it is a distorted thought processing. It can sometimes be useful in certain things, but not always.

As far as new level, I would ask level up or down? As it is not completely understood (or even half understood) what causes autism its even harder to assess what is going on. Historically I suspect it was mainly occasional random mutation or problems in the birthing process but the modern increase the result of environmental poisonings (insecticides, car exhaust, modern chemical exposure, etc). I seriously doubt it is an evolutionary process. Besides what data does exist argues against it being a step up as we die earlier, marry less, and probably are more on the struggling side then successful side on average.

 

[kay]

It rained? Glad to hear that!

I think at least a portion if not most of those with the whole ASD thing going on (since there is most likely autisms, and not just one autism, it very likely won't hold true for everyone) are much more sensitive to a wide range of environmental input. Picking up on too much everything is obviously going to cause fatigue, anxiety, difficult chitter-chattering, staying on the same page as everyone else, ect..

Anyhoo, what I am saying is it doesn't sound surprising that you would be picking up on the weather that the meteorologist miss. We had storms last night. Was suppose to be just a bit of rain around 6:00am but at 1:00am I went downstairs for a snack because I wasn't able to sleep and heard a weird noise. A storm was moving in so that kinda explained why I was still awake. I used to wake up in the middle of the night long before the lightening or thunder, pretty much every storm. Fortunately I don't as often, it is annoying to do that, I just want to sleep.

Anyhoo, don't know what sorta energy you pick up on but if there is something going on at all you probably are aware on some level when most people are not. And of course that will lead to communication issues. It's like living in a parallel universe in a way.

Don't know if I made sense or if I fully understood your post but that is my thoughts. Now I will be back trying to figure out the essence of ASD and what you describe is certainly a likely contender.

And again I am very happy you got rain!!!

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I woke up thinking

That was your first mistake.

might possibly have more of, or a different level of awareness. Could that actually explain ASD at a different level than just poor communication?

It's poor socially based communication - based on other people's definition.

Speaking on our terms,in our own time, is it poor?

Our conversation may have a different purpose and meaning, even as we use the same words.

To me this may be the parts of ASD that no one can understand because they can't even conceive experiencing it... They only see our external confusion while we see their internal confusion... or worse a truth about them or what they are saying they are not saying.

Partly not being able to give importance to different things that demand our attention. Lots of processes going on simultaneously. No differentiation.

Partly,I wonder , if it part of seeing things literally and logically. An evidence based answer using language needs more effort than a social based answer.

'Hey dude, what's up?'

Silent expression, running and processing body and mind checks ..
Ten minutes later. 'systems are running fine'. Or 'okay'

Social answer 'spiffing. How about you?'

No thought required, also I gave an English social answer from the 1930's.

I may have just opened a can of mental worms with this???

Will the mental worms not stay in the can?

They may be attacked by normal worms.

Have a good day everyone... : )

That sounded like small talk.

Are you a spy?

 

[Chance]

That sounded like small talk.

Are you a spy?

no spy... just woke up in unexpected good mood, (yet confused)... just trying to pass on a bit of both it seems... : )

 

[Bolletje]

I feel like it’s selective increased awareness. I can sense coming rain, I can sense when the mood of a room changes before people start acting on this mood, I feel like my senses are more keen than most people’s. I don’t believe I have any type of paranormal powers (nor do I believe in those) but I just think that keen senses and a knack for pattern recognition make it very easy for me to make predictions, be it on weather or human behavior.

I feel that my issue is with processing and using the information I gather. I get stuck sometimes because there’s so much to process. I get laughed at because people don’t believe me. I get shunned because people find my knack for predicting their behavior to be unsettling.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I feel like it’s selective increased awareness. I can sense coming rain, I can sense when the mood of a room changes before people start acting on this mood, I feel like my senses are more keen than most people’s. I don’t believe I have any type of paranormal powers (nor do I believe in those) but I just think that keen senses and a knack for pattern recognition make it very easy for me to make predictions, be it on weather or human behavior.

I feel that my issue is with processing and using the information I gather. I get stuck sometimes because there’s so much to process. I get laughed at because people don’t believe me. I get shunned because people find my knack for predicting their behavior to be unsettling.

Sometimes it could be seen as paranormal. But it is just paying attention.
Linking things together,forming patterns,not even consciously..

I also get laughed at when I'm being serious..

That thing of seeing people's reactions move ever so slightly, you can almost see their thought form before they can.
You know completely what they are going to say but you have to be patient.
I liken it to the myth of Cassandra....
The gift of prophecy but the curse of never being believed.

 

[Bolletje]

Sometimes it could be seen as paranormal. But it is just paying attention.
Linking things together,forming patterns,not even consciously..

I also get laughed at when I'm being serious..

That thin of seeing people's reactions move ever so slightly, you can almost see their thought form before they can.
You know completely what they are going to say but you have to be patient.
I liken it to the myth of Cassandra....
The gift of prophecy but the curse of never being believed.

Figures, I was thinking about Cassandra while writing my previous response

 

[kay]

It's poor socially based communication - based on other people's definition.

Speaking on our terms,in our own time, is it poor?

Our conversation may have a different purpose and meaning, even as we use the same words.

Very good point.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Figures, I was thinking about Cassandra while writing my previous response

So are we like a prodrome of other people's thought processes?

Or more likely we pick up on the prodomes of others thought-disease.

 

[Progster]

I don't think that I have a different level of consciousness, but I often find that I'm more aware of my surroundings, or more in tune with my environment than other people. It fits in with the idea that the autistic brain is receiving and processing more incoming information, or rather not filtering it out, and then picking up on what's going on around us more easily.

 

[Sabrina]

Very well explained @Chance . That’s why so many of us need time alone to process so much info and some end up becoming artists, writers or scientists. From all the things you said, I identify most with the ‘words’ part. Also, beauty and ugliness affect me deeply, specially landscapes.

 

[Gracey]

Superb hearing and noticing the tiniest body language, I believe they may be called micro expressions or ‘tells’ can sometimes mean something completely different to the actual words spoken.

Sometimes it’s not what’s said but how it’s said and the accompanying body language.
If we have a few more neural connections than some, we’re taking in much more information from our environment whether we process and organise it or not.

I can feel the atmospheric pressure change before rain and especially storms. It presses on my eardrums and my temples (usually resulting in headache) there can be a bit of a smell to rain too.

I barely sleep the night before and during a full moon (not sure what physics are involved there?)
I’m definitely not a werewolf !
Well, I was but I’m okay NOOOoooWOOooooo.

Extra neurons, bags more input.?

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I barely sleep the night before and during a full moon (not sure what physics are involved there?)

Are you retaining water? It could mean that you're tidal.

believe they may be called micro expressions or ‘tells’ can sometimes mean something completely different to the actual words spoken.

The tiny smile at the edge of the mouth, which they try to hide as soon as it happens. Usually revealing a contrast in their inner secret thought.
Metamessages is the term for hidden language meaning, you know the type we're supposed to be bad at.

 

[Gracey]

Bad at it until it’s made into an interest/focus

When it’s needed to try to work out a context because the spoken word isn’t making much sense (taken literally)
For example,

“Are you okay?”

1) - “fine” intonation rises with smile reaching eyes. Short fine

2) - “fine” intonation lowers, corners of mouth slightly down, longer fine.

3) - “fine” intonation rises in the middle then lowers, eyelids lower slightly, longer eye contact, nostrils widen, mouth may be left open.

4) - “fine !!”
Run ! Take cover! Fireproof underwear for all.
This fine may be passed through gritted teeth


All the same word, many meanings.