In my own world by default

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Does anybody else 'zone out/block the external world' when you aren't doing something which interests/obsess you? I ignore all the external stimuli completely, and I simply walk like a 'zombie', mostly unconscious, whenever I'm not doing an activity which interests me, or interests me partly. The only thing which I'm aware of at that moment are my thoughts, and when I'm in such a state in the external world, with other people, they think that I'm mentally ret*d, as virtually no information comes in from the external world except or relatively simple things, and I can't communicate with the external world with the exception for very simple to medium tasks.

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For example, I had to play table tennis at my school. Everyone was normally assigned tables, and so on. I was in such a 'state' at that moment - 9 out of 10 information units didn't go through to my mind as I was 'in my own world'. I walked like a 'zombie' - virtually unconsciously and unaware. The outside world wasn't even being processed.

So I walked up to a random table as I saw everyone walking up to the tables (this 'basic' information got through). Then, players on this table started saying to me "you're supposed to be on the table X!", since I was supposed to take up the table I was on last time. They said it several times, so I went to that table. Then, I remember there was some game score computation thing. Players on that table asked me something, and all I heard was "Was your score eiaowpeiapo written down 5 row 6?". Then I didn't respond for a while, and then said "Huh?". Then, they all facepalmed and started looking at me in a strange manner. I then went to a side and waited for the time to pass. Then, some minutes later, I heard them screaming my name, so I walked back there again. They said that I was supposed to play. So I started playing, and ended up with a score of about 4 (me) - 20 (other player).I then walked away again, and saw people facepalming and apparently talking stuff about me.

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This was just an example. I'm this way 2/3 of the time. This is especially disabling in class, since all the information gets dodged back as "I'm in my own world". I usually pretend to write, and just make random pen movements across my sheet of paper. People usually think that I'm ret*d for this reason, or that I don't understand anything, while in reality the information doesn't even get to the processing part - it's automatically rejected. Everything is, except for my thoughts.

However, when I'm occupied with my interests, I make virtually all the information 'enter', which is then processed. For example, during class, I usually take my own copybooks, and learn and then work on my own things. What I worked on yesterday was the Leontief material balances of the economy, for example. Before yesterday it was computing a supply schedule function based on the maximum of total revenues minus total costs. Before, it was trying to explain economic growth in terms of input and output assignation algorithms, their frequency and the resulting output change of each input-output algorithm.

I had a lot of trouble with this as a child, then a little less in high school, and now I experience it way less. It seems to improve with age and environment for me. Even though I have better control it doesn't mean I don't still do it when no ones around and I feel the situation is appropriate. I find feeding it sometimes makes me more happy. Listening to music helps me zone out into a wonderful place while I'm walking to work. When I get home from work I turn into a zombie too. My work is good for being extremely routine focused, so I have the option of tuning out when I'm not severing customers.

Angel_ryan wrote

Exactly the same with me, the further you go back into my past, the more I struggled with this sort of thing. I can remember countless instances similar to the table tennis example, like one where I was playing a soccer match, and I wasn't at all interested or paying any attention and I started by tackling the wrong player and everyone had a go at me, and then a few minutes later I scored a goal in the wrong goal, and everyone had a go at me again. Then I wondered off the pitch and went for a walk, people were shouting after me but I ignored them and went off on my own, this sort of thing would happen all the time.

Special Interests (by training the talent) can often be used as a conduit to improved socialization. Darold Treffert, MD writes about this in regards to Savant Syndrome and normalization. I think his concept is applicable across the entire spectrum.

I suspect the means by which you were brought 'back' are often-times the same means needed to keep you 'here'.

TheSunAlsoRises

You tackled someone...in soccer?

Ah the joys of enforced games at school. My games teacher pretty much gave up on me. Soccer for me consisted mainly of staying as far away from the action as possible, freezing my arse off and with a screaming headache from the overhead power lines (power lines always give me a headache). In cricket I was usually more interested in things like the way the breeze blew the grass around than the game.

i used to be; but i have mostly overcome that; nowadays, i have the curtains open, allowing me to quickly switch to 'social mode'.
there still are moments though, mainly when i'm obsessing over something (be it my special interest, a movie that i paused for some reason, or an assignment i'm working on) where i still block off completely, even if i'm out and about, say if i'm getting a coffee or whatever; i can just walk straight into/trough people becouse i honestly didn't see them (while i usually even 'see' others when they are behind me...)