• Welcome to Autism Forums, a friendly forum to discuss Aspergers Syndrome, Autism, High Functioning Autism and related conditions.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Private Member only forums for more serious discussions that you may wish to not have guests or search engines access to.
    • Your very own blog. Write about anything you like on your own individual blog.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon! Please also check us out @ https://www.twitter.com/aspiescentral

Zoning out?

Jellohamster said:
When I'm playing video games I zone out of everything. If someone tries to talk to me I say something like "Yeah, whatever, I'm okay". After I realize what I say I feel like a jerk cause I ignored them without meaning to :(
Click to expand...
You're confusing concentrating with zoning out. True "zoning out" (i.e. hyperfocus, flow, etc.) would be if you didn't hear them speak to you at all. True zoning out would be if you weren't even aware of their presence in the room.

True "zoning out" is when you're so focused on what you're doing, you don't notice the house is burning down around you!

True "zoning out" is where people can decorate you as a Christmas tree and you don't even notice!

Now THAT's 'zoning out'!!!
 
I haven't truly zoned out since my pre teen years but quieting the mind to an almost vulcan like state
is very useful! It is by no means easy but I have had 43 yrs to practice. It is super handy at work being able
to utterly ignore everything except the task before me while being aware of what's around me without emotion.
 
I do zone out.

On a recent school trip, my class was going on a bush walk to a dam.
On our way back from the dam, my friend was walking beside me.
Anyways, I started daydreaming as I was walking along.
And next thing I knew, I was miles ahead of my friend.
I had left her behind without even knowing it. :P
 
I zone out after swimming for about 30 min, then it becomes easy and I'm just focused on the repetition of arm and leg movements, its nice to have an empty had.
 
Zoning out for me is a bit different from some of you.

To me it feels like some parts of my mind lets go or shuts off. Which make me go into a trance. It's kinda like when you have been jogging for a few miles and then you sit down; you get that sense of relief from relaxing.

I can snap out of it, but it's a very pleasing sensation which makes me reluctant to.

Amity Alpha said:
I 'zone out' as you've described, but not voluntarily. For me, it's a response to sensory overload, where I literally start shutting down because I can't handle the processing of all the input.
Click to expand...

I've suspected some types of overload to be the cause for me as well. But certain kinds of stress prevents it. Or maybe the stress is a result of the intense concentration I usually use to stay in control of my surroundings.
 
Soup said:
Many Autistic people live the vast majority of their life in a zoned-out state where they are minimally accessible to other humans including their close relatives. Despite the obvious inconveniences & stress this causes their family members, think of the concentration it takes: enough to challenge even the most evolved meditating Zen master. Many still react to outside stimuli & are very sensitive to changes in textiles, temperature & touch etc. They also can express extreme displeasure if a room is rearranged or if objects they've lined up get moved.

One of my Aspie skills is the ability to completely zone out. Sometimes I get a few spacey days (like yesterday & today) where I'm sort of on auto-pilot doing what I have to do but not being truly present. Zoning out is even more extreme: it is the ability to completely shut out the world & go into a trance- like state. Does anyone else out there do this? Please tell me about your experiences with this skill.
Click to expand...

I do this too, a lot. Mostly when I'm walking somewhere or such.
 
In public I shutout the world with my headphones. It can isolate most sounds so I don't have to hear people talking. I pretend I'm at an empty place or in another world. When I use to visit family I would be zoned out in another world as no one interacts with me. I can be there for many hours no one speaks to me. All family events are like this. Well, people speak to me briefly but most of the time no one talks to me. I don't visit family anymore. I also have no friends. The same thing happens to me at social events.
 
I do the same, I can zone out of everything except one thing I want to think about. It helps me re-center and control outside stimuli.

Even though I'm quite light and noise sensitive, I've always liked very loud music for the same reason, I can enjoy a quiet world while the music plays :-) In the 90's I was dragged by couple friends I had to clubs, and I really enjoyed that too, the incredibly loud music made the world quiet and I could zone out and find peace. Being able to put music on my phone was a real blessing for me, I still listen to music while I work or whatever.
 
If I'm lucky, I can get really focused on my work or a book that I have no clue what's going on and I can get totally immersed in what I'm doing. It feels pretty good.
 
I had my girlfriend over the other day and we were watching tv, my phone (house phone) rang and rang until the answering picked up. It was my mom and she left a message. I never broke focus on the show and I knew the phone rang and a message was left but I had no reaction. Later I asked my girlfriend if the phone rang and she said yes and she was wondering why I didn't do anything. This is just a recent example. I zone out all the time and I have definitely honed my zoning out skills over the years. This used to create a lot of anxiety for me because when I did it around people I would come back and not know what was done or said around me. The worst was when I came back and people were laughing and I didn't know if it was becaus of me. I also like how you referred to this as a skill. And it's a good one.
 
Jellohamster said:
When I'm playing video games I zone out of everything. If someone tries to talk to me I say something like "Yeah, whatever, I'm okay". After I realize what I say I feel like a jerk cause I ignored them without meaning to :(
Click to expand...

Video game time is not for talking anyway. Screw them for talking to you while your're getting your game on I say. If i'm playing Batman, then i have crime to fight. I don't have time to talk about the laundry or weather for pete's sake. Get back to me when Gotham isn't under threat of being infected by the Joker's blood-borne toxins...
 
Last edited:
nurseangela said:
Plans for what? Your all-night standup comedy routine? It's between that and studying stats. Hmm. It's a tossup. :p
Click to expand...

Bah - you can't study for math anyway. You can learn math, but once you do, what's to study? You can practice it, sure, but study? I've never been able to do that. I mean, it is what it is, right?
 
icesyckel said:
Bah - you can't study for math anyway. You can learn math, but once you do, what's to study? You can practice it, sure, but study? I've never been able to do that. I mean, it is what it is, right?
Click to expand...

Study as in "memorize". Terms, formulas, diagrams. Stats, as you know, is not "normal" math.

Got another joke you can pull out of your pocket?
 
Oh what the heck.

At the church cafeteria, mother superior placed a note in front of a pile of apples, "Only take one boys and girls. God is watching, you know." Further down the line is a pile of cookies. A little boy makes his own note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

New Threads

Top Bottom