Autism as an altered state of consciousness

Post Reply New Topic

So I've been thinking, (sorry, it's a bad habit), if you consider that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon rooted in the neurobiology of the brain and that the neurobiology of the autistic brain is different, would it be fair to say that autism is fundamentally a different type of consciousness?

Makes sense on all counts.

- TOM+A/S = intention blindness, problem with consciousness of the meaning of social exchanges, partly solvable by systematization
- Sensory issues, excess of consciousness
- Special interest, loss of consciousness of time and reality
- Stim/Pacing, activating motion to increase consciousness
- Perfectionism, lack of consciousness of what is really asked
- Eye contact, extreme self consciousness
- Good in writing / bad in live exchange, alteration of consciousness
...

Bad news, consciousness is by far the most complex thing that happens in our brains because it involves almost everything, and because it involves almost everything the origin of the difference might be anywhere (and I think there must be only one original difference)

I've often considered this possiblity myself.

That could explain why I'm happily living in a time warp.

If you accept that autism is an alternate form of consciousness, then attempts to learn NT behavior will always be inadequate. The NT dominated world is an expression of that form of perception and processing. While adaption is possible for an autistic, it will always be just an adaptation and not a natural fit to their intrinsic being.

I'm not sure how to present this so it won't be taken the wrong way but, isn't this already a widely accepted theory ? Of course, i only mean accepted by "us"...now the question is, are "they"capable of accepting our difference as it is? i'm afraid not. We cost too much money.

I think the theory is that it is a neurobiological deficit. I don't see it discussed often in terms of consciousness. This feeds into the neurodiversity vs disorder theme. The assumptions about intervention seem to be aimed at getting autistics to behave in a manner more NT and focused mainly on perception and behavior, not consciousness and mind.

Behaving in a more NT manner is useful to me only in so far that it allows me to a greater level of contentment with my own intrinsically different consciousness.

wavefreak58 posted: So I've been thinking, (sorry, it's a bad habit), if you consider that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon rooted in the neurobiology of the brain and that the neurobiology of the autistic brain is different, would it be fair to say that autism is fundamentally a different type of consciousness? - You could depending on how you use words in everyday conversation vs perhaps how words are used within certain fields such as neurology. When a term like altered state of consciousness is used, I tend to think in terms of the many different epilepsies (petit/absence/TLE/complex partial and so on) or perhaps how licit or illicit drugs (alcohol, LSD) can alter consciousness. Autism/Asperger's does appear to imply that normal consciousness may have a glitch or two to it/a variation to it where some things are emphasized and others are not/are automatically overlooked. Consciousness covers so many areas from being awake to sleep, from sports concussions to being color blind/face blind to synesthesia, etc., that it is possible to discuss autism from the point-of-view of a subtle, altered state of consciousness, it seems to me. Words: Alertness, attention, brain waves, cognition, consciousness, EEG, perception, etc.

yes, i understand that, but the theories that WE develop and the ones that NTs develop are based on different points of view, i don't think our consciousness, or the way we view the world and ourselves, is a deficit as compared to that of an NT, empirically, but put us in an NT world and the majority will always be the definition of what is normal, being different will then mean abnormal, thus lacking. Put an NT in a world filled with AS people, and he will be found to be lacking, too. in terms of logic and self control mainly, but also focus, we may deem his senses not acute enough, etc.
We do not see ourselves as inferior, the NTs do not see themselves as inferior. who is right? the majority.
It would only take a reversed situation to show then how their logic is flawed.
behaving in an NT manner does not make me more content with my consciousness, it makes me mad at them for being so unperceptive and easily fooled, which in turn makes me feel like a fool for playing their game.
they base their research on behaviour only because it is the one thing that bother them. They do not want to know what type of consciousness we have, they just want us to "behave normally". you're asking too much of them.

as evidenced by how some of us have not managed to adapt at all despite an entire lifetime of trying.

there is "acting", but i don't know that there is adapting. the world is not made for us. it's like navigating via mirror or something.

I do not believe that there is a superior or inferior mind existence. What deems inferior obviously is superior and that is all. If one believes themselves inferior then they are until they think otherwise. Really these measurements of inborn states are indifferent at first and do not suffer any delusions what so ever but then thoughts happen. The dominance of the social world by a proclaimed neuro-typological class I do not believe holds any opinion what so ever as they are mostly unaware.

That's the fuzzy talk for I'm just not getting the conversation.