A higher spiritual truth to autism?

[George Newman]

I’m just tired and want some rest. We are who we are. We pull the expected levers and flip the expected switches. We try to blend in. I wouldn’t even know what to hope for. God knows me. I’m on his mind for a reason. That reason escapes me today. I could make something up that sounds good. Someone else will disagree and we are right back where we started. I’m just tired and want some rest.

 

[Tesseract]

3) Autism is a gift. Beyond just stating that autism is not a disorder, I would go to the other end and declare that it is a gift, a superpower. A human foot is a gift of superiority for humankind, not a hand with a disorder. Autism is a superiority, not an inferiority. Any Aspie who thinks otherwise is an eagle raised by chickens and doesn't understand any of the above. Neurotypical? Neurocommon. Or to use the Latin, neurovulgaris.

I realise that this is just your opinion that you are putting forth, but no, I cannot agree with this claim. It is not a gift, because it can't be a gift. If it's a gift, then who is the giver? Why were we given this "gift"? Why were some people given this "gift", and not others? How was it decided who would receive the "gift" and who wouldn't, and why?

Being socially awkward, afraid of just about everything (especially change), not understanding something the majority take for granted (body language, jokes, euphemistic language...), being ostracised because we are just "too weird" for the majority, being sensitive to certain lights and sounds... I could go on. This isn't a gift, it's a curse.

You also strongly imply here that the "neurotypical" majority are somehow inferior. "Autism is a superiority, not an inferiority. Any Aspie who thinks otherwise is an eagle raised by chickens and doesn't understand any of the above". Well, no, you are just plain wrong here. Having autism (or Asperger's Syndrome) does not make one a member of some Master Race.

 

[Full Steam]

Having autism (or Asperger's Syndrome) does not make one a member of some Master Race.

Didn't you get the invite?

I may have a spare kicking about I can send you.


In seriousness, I think there is a case for the "giftedness" idea (not meaing a giver exists here).

What if we are seeing evolution in effect?

What if we were at the tip of the evolutionary spear?

We might expect to suffer some ill effects since we would be on the bleeding edge. Our experience would then be expected to be a mixture of advantages and disadvantages, and even some hardship that was actually for the long-term good.

A world full of Aspies would be a world without war and famine - easy problems to fix if you take away the very NT problems of greed, self-service, mistrust and lies. (no offence to NTs, as it's only a small percentage that is like that)

 

[Ezra]

This I believe is a thing that separates Aspergers autism from moderate to severe Kanners autism. When you have moderate to severe autism, there really isn't an up side. Nothing spiritual. No next step in evolution. No superiority. Just withdrawn, nonverbal, hypersensitive, anxious and dependent on others .

Remember the more advanced the autism, the more it is like what I described above. The higher the level, the lower functioning one is. I don't mean to piddle on anyone's fantasy of being an uber-being or a indigo-child or whatever similar. But that's just not how autism works. If you have some super ability, you likely have it in spite of autism, not because of autism.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

 

[Anthracite]

Wow, doing my best to ignore the aspie superiority complex there...

No, I don't think us on the spectrum are any more (or less) "enlightened" (whatever that means) than anyone else. We're all just people whose brains are wired in different ways. I'm spiritual, I'm an animist, I feel a great sense of belonging with everything in the universe. That doesn't make me "higher", it just makes me, me.

 

[WildCat]

I'd like to believe there's a higher spiritual truth out there somewhere, yes, but not necessarily concerning ASD. Unfortunately, in spite of the lucky few who are successful in their lives and preach nothing but blessings and good fortune (yet never seem to share the whole picture), being on the spectrum is a challenge period. I won't bother to give examples, since anyone can read and watch the multitudes of content coming from parents and those diagnosed and form their own conclusions if they so choose.

If you choose to believe in a spiritual connection, that's fine. If you choose to ignore reality and present yourself as a member of an elite club (despite all the irony and evidence to the contrary), that's fine too. If you choose to exist and take the ups and downs of life as it comes, that's also fine.

 

[Mary Anne]

Oops, sorry for shooting that blank.
I just have.to wonder about of ur purpose to being the way we are. The Pleiadians would say we are systems busters. In other words beings that see through the ridiculous systems that are in place, societal,political and what have.you and in so doing cause changes to come about . And the mormans( at least the one that I know best) will say that we, as well well as downs syndrome and other "intellectual disabilities" have somehow earned this incarnation as some kind of reward, and don't have to do it the.same way as others,or that w e are hear to teach different lessons to those willing to learn them. I just don't know. I just wanted to see what you all have to say. I do think it's important to try and find out in o order to make peace and find equilibrium with what we face on a daily basis. I know I want nothing more than to believe in a loving creator with a bigger picture we all fit into. And having a logical mind I have come to find that " intelligent design" is not only possible but likely, and if you look at where we are as a human race , what we can do as far as genetics, clowning, virtual reality,3D printing cells and even complete organs , AI, robotics...it all makes sense when morman doctrine states that"as you are I once was, as I am you shall be."I mean why can't the big bang and the breath of life be the same event?

I am very interested in this Mormon take on disabilities. Never heard of it. Do you have any particular links to share here?

 

[Mary Anne]

Yes, for without it we would be aware of precisely nothing, including the reality of our own existence. From our perspective, there would indeed be absolutely nothing in existence.



Militant materialists are just egotistical attention-seekers, in my opinion. They - like Paris Hilton and the Kardashians - should just be ignored.



No, it isn't 'science' that thinks this, but certain scientISTS (ex. Hawking, Krauss), who just refuse to close their gobs when it comes to matters they know nothing about.

Never heard the term “militant materialists.” Off to google! Fascinating! I cannot stand them and the social media celebrity-dom they garner. Yet, I wonder how and why they are so idolized.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

No, I don't think us on the spectrum are any more (or less) "enlightened" (whatever that means) than anyone else

Ever heard of letting people down gently?

First I realised I'm going to be "me" all day and the next until I'm dead.

Now you're saying I'm no better than anyone else?

With my T shirt on backwards,my slippers on the wrong feet and food stains down my back.
Yes the T shirt was the right way round yesterday.

I dont even keep snails.

 

[Anthracite]

Ever heard of letting people down gently?

First I realised I'm going to be "me" all day and the next until I'm dead.

Now you're saying I'm no better than anyone else?

With my T shirt on backwards,my slippers on the wrong feet and food stains down my back.
Yes the T shirt was the right way round yesterday.

I dont even keep snails.

I don't do gently, I'm brutally honest

Good, they're hard to look after and if you can't even put your shirt on properly...

 

[Full Steam]

Never heard the term “militant materialists.” Off to google! Fascinating! I cannot stand them and the social media celebrity-dom they garner. Yet, I wonder how and why they are so idolized.

I agree they drive me nuts.

Its the arrogance and mistaken belief they they don't believe in any thing that annoys me so much.

No one can know for sure there is only matter and energy.

Militant atheists are in the same bag.

 

[Full Steam]

Ever heard of letting people down gently?

First I realised I'm going to be "me" all day and the next until I'm dead.

Now you're saying I'm no better than anyone else?

With my T shirt on backwards,my slippers on the wrong feet and food stains down my back.
Yes the T shirt was the right way round yesterday.

I dont even keep snails.

You are special though.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

You are special though.

Touched

 

[Anthracite]

Touched

Show us on this doll where they touched you.

 

[scrp14]

My spiritual purpose is I know that it's all bogus, that everything Neil Degrasse Tyson all makes sense, and I see that religion makes as much sense as there being a flat earth, in that they are too ignorant to see the bigger picture, unable to think outside the box because the bible or whatever fictitious book a religion follows has it all planned out for them because - to my understanding (not belief) - Jesus may just have been a cultural leader who was a prominent figure like a President or world leader, and in those times (200 BC or so) there was probably a worldwide usage of drugs which obviously alter the mind and could in theory lead them to write something like the bible.

Well if i haven't convinced you, try watching Neil Degrasse Tyson's lectures on youtube, or this video pretty much sums up my 'beliefs':

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

My spiritual purpose is I know that it's all bogus, that everything Neil Degrasse Tyson all makes sense, and I see that religion makes as much sense as there being a flat earth, in that they are too ignorant to see the bigger picture, unable to think outside the box because the bible or whatever fictitious book a religion follows has it all planned out for them because - to my understanding (not belief) - Jesus may just have been a cultural leader who was a prominent figure like a President or world leader, and in those times (200 BC or so) there was probably a worldwide usage of drugs which obviously alter the mind and could in theory lead them to write something like the bible.

Well if i haven't convinced you, try watching Neil Degrasse Tyson's lectures on youtube, or this video pretty much sums up my 'beliefs':

That's that sorted. Go home people.

 

[Full Steam]

My spiritual purpose is I know that it's all bogus, that everything Neil Degrasse Tyson all makes sense, and I see that religion makes as much sense as there being a flat earth, in that they are too ignorant to see the bigger picture, unable to think outside the box because the bible or whatever fictitious book a religion follows has it all planned out for them because - to my understanding (not belief) - Jesus may just have been a cultural leader who was a prominent figure like a President or world leader, and in those times (200 BC or so) there was probably a worldwide usage of drugs which obviously alter the mind and could in theory lead them to write something like the bible.

Well if i haven't convinced you, try watching Neil Degrasse Tyson's lectures on youtube, or this video pretty much sums up my 'beliefs':

I just want to point out that you cannot "know" that.

In my opinion there are three positions relative to a religion;

Belief in the religion - member of the faith
Suspect maybe the religion is incorrect - agnosticism
Believe the religion is incorrect - atheism.

Only agnosticism does not require belief.

Atheism is just the opposite side of the belief coin.

I believe agnostics are more logical as they know it's possible that the religion is correct, since they cannot "know".

All of the above may be incorrect.

 

[Tesseract]

My spiritual purpose is I know that it's all bogus, that everything Neil Degrasse Tyson all makes sense...

You know that it's "all bogus" because a celebrity 'scientist' named Neil DeGrasse Tyson said so (and he, apparently, knows everything). Was this post of yours a joke?

 

[Tom]

People sometimes come up with theories that make them feel better about themselves. I think this falls into that category.