Zoning out....

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People have pointed out to me that I "zone out", meaning I'll float off into a spot inside my head and be totally oblivious to things going on around me. It's been known to last for as long as a couple of minutes at a time. If I get in deep enough, people can talk to me directly and I won't be aware of it. This is a real problem when I'm being given directions for something, which happens a lot. I'm hopeless with verbal instructions because I can never be sure if I got everything. Someone will ask me to do something, and I may even answer the person regarding the request, and have no memory of it. People have asked me "Where do you go?" I don't know what to tell them. I'm guessing it's just deep thought, but most of the time I'm not thinking of anything important, just some random thought that suddenly occupied my brain. I know everyone does this from time to time, but I do it A LOT. Anybody else?

Yes, "zoned out" is my default mode. I am always withdrawn into my own thought processes. When I was a child, I got the nickname "outer space" at school.

I can zone out for hours. Often I get very agitated when someone pulls me out of it. If you only do it for a few minutes you're not doing to bad.

I always zone out. I thought I might have ADHD but I was just diagnosed Aspergers. Its good to know other aspies zone out. Makes me more confident of the diagnosis. I notice not many other people or neurtypicals (as everyone calls them) zone out much at all.

Yes, a lot...I often find it very hard to remain 'present'. It's easier to be in my head.

I have the outer shell impervious thing going on.

I can sit in front of whatever im doing, and be absolutely oblivious to whatever is going on around me, not even be aware of it. People could talk and Ill never hear it.

All.....the.....damn......time.

I'm zoning out right now.........what was this thread about again?

Yes, me too. I sometimes get annoyed when people try to drag me out of my head and engage me in a conversation, because I'm more comfortable there. I think this phenomenon actually gets to the essence of autism - the word autism means "self-ism", that is, the person is absorbed in their own mind/world and therefore less engaged with the world around them. Severely autistic youngsters are in that little world of their own all of the time, and a lot of effort from parents and carers goes into getting them to come out of it as much as possible.

My school reports when I was a child all complained about my constant "daydreaming" and I do it as much now as I ever did. If I begin to find things going on around me overwhelming, like being with someone who talks too much, I automatically retreat back inside my head and am no longer aware of what is going on around me, though I have learned to switch on a kind of autopilot which allows me to make interested noises duing pauses in the conversation, to fool the other person into thinking I am listening.

I do this a lot and did it at school all the time. Makes it so hard for me to learn and listen.

Cool! Topic! I do this alot too I either have something on my mind or am stressed. I feel bad though my 5 yr. old nephew asked "Are you drunk?" I said no.

Yep--it happens to me a lot on my walk home. I'll "come to" at some point and realize I didn't register my surroundings for the previous couple minutes.

I have trouble with verbal instructions sometimes too because I'm often thinking as I receive the instructions. Or maybe I'll get distracted by something in the room. In any case, I'll walk away from the exchange thinking, "OK, I don't think I got any of that."

i zone out all the time, ecspecially when im bored, i think about my interests so there no calling me out of it XD

I have done this much of my life. I too withdraw into deep thought.

Its funny, some people have actually walked up and said I looked "confused", and I just think to myself, no, you don't have any clue as to the complexity of the thought I was just thinking, infact, you probably couldn't understand if you tried; I usually just smile and say ok or something like this; it blows my mind. People.....

I'm always off in Never Never Land and loathe to return to the "real" world. It's not a problem until I'm forced to interact with workmates or those unfamiliar to me. I think it's necessary for those on the spectrum to have this away time, but we have to balance it out with healthy doses of human interaction too. Much as I hate to admit it.

I love zoning out. It's relaxing.

I think the reason I like to zone out is because the pleasures and statuses of this world that NT's covet "money, drugs sex and power" are things I have no real interest in or desire. Even the lesser things like games , entertainment and hobbies are not always a real turn on for me. I guess what I'm saying is the real world can be a boring place.

BTW: does anyone ever zone out to use there imagination to dream up and develop ideas that can be applied onto the real world?



<sarcasm> Who said that La-La-Land isn't a fun place, Who wouldn't wanna fly like Peter Pan, Jump and bounce on the cotton candy clouds, slide down a rainbow, clime a lollipop tree, go swim in the chocolate river, smell the peppermint flowers and have a pixie/fairy for a night light? BTW: Did someone say that there is no gravity in outer space? YUPPY!! </sarcasm>