Asperger's Syndrome: the Geek Syndrome

[penndragon]

Open for all to comment and question. Any takers?

[Sowelu]

Huh. I have very little detailed understanding of this seeming affliction, but like autism, I get a feeling it is in line with all that's involved in the evolution of humanity.

Whether its a negative state pointing to a need for change, or a positive state revealing an evolved state of change, I don't know.

I do know that somewhere within, it has often made sense to me that those with great intelligence have no use or time for the social mores of modern society. And that focusing on them is a waste of their energy and time. In a sense, Einstein can be included in this group.

The socialization that we all expect our fellow beings to comply with is quite dysfunctional, let's face it. The appearance of propriety and respect and comraderie and all that is far less of value than the truth of those things. But the truth of those things is far more difficult to find on this planet, unfortunately. These people (with Asperger's) often behave without giving much care, interest or credence to the appearance of those "refined" qualities of socialization.

Perhaps this is a natural revelatory development, via spirit, of what happens when we over-emphasize the intellect? Or perhaps it's a means of revealing what we, on the whole, are really like behind the mask anyway? Or... perhaps it's something else altogether.

Autism has often struck me as a "heart-sense" response to the amazing "noise level" of human existence. Any sensitive can tell you that retreating inward is a life-saving technique for the most part. Add multiple dimensional awareness to the amazingly high noise factor at this level, and autism makes a lot of sense, imo.

Again, though, what any of it actually indicates or means... I don't know.

Were you thinking along other lines in making this post, or is this the type of discussion you were intending?

Namaste,
Sowelu

[penndragon]

Not only beatiful, inside and out, but right on target! MIra, Ed, Nisroc, Blue Rose, Destra, Age A, Liza, and all other regulars, kick this conversation up a notch. I'll save my comments for later.

[Nicole]

First I have to figure out what it is! LOL I'll google it.

[destra]

What Nicole said *grin*


Here are some google findings, a clear cut explaination:

A More Down-to-Earth Description
by Lois Freisleben-Cook
I saw that someone posted the DSM IV criteria for Asperger's but I thought it might be good to provide a more down to earth description. Asperger's Syndrome is a term used when a child or adult has some features of autism but may not have the full blown clinical picture. There is some disagreement about where it fits in the PDD spectrum. A few people with Asperger's syndrome are very successful and until recently were not diagnosed with anything but were seen as brilliant, eccentric, absent minded, socially inept, and a little awkward physically.

Although the criteria state no significant delay in the development of language milestones, what you might see is a "different" way of using language. A child may have a wonderful vocabulary and even demonstrate hyperlexia but not truly understand the nuances of language and have difficulty with language pragmatics. Social pragmatics also tend be weak, leading the person to appear to be walking to the beat of a "different drum". Motor dyspraxia can be reflected in a tendency to be clumsy.

In social interaction, many people with Asperger's syndrome demonstrate gaze avoidance and may actually turn away at the same moment as greeting another. The children I have known do desire interaction with others but have trouble knowing how to make it work. They are, however, able to learn social skills much like you or I would learn to play the piano.

There is a general impression that Asperger's syndrome carries with it superior intelligence and a tendency to become very interested in and preoccupied with a particular subject. Often this preoccupation leads to a specific career at which the adult is very successful. At younger ages, one might see the child being a bit more rigid and apprehensive about changes or about adhering to routines. This can lead to a consideration of OCD but it is not the same phenomenon

Many of the weaknesses can be remediated with specific types of therapy aimed at teaching social and pragmatic skills. Anxiety leading to significant rigidity can be also treated medically. Although it is harder, adults with Asperger's can have relationships, families, happy and productive lives.


www.udel.edu/bkirby/asperger/

[Nicole]

Ok, sounds like these people are just not interested in the same types of things others are, like they came in that way with that knowing. Also, I for one have found that since my awakening has progressed that I am losing my ability to communicate with language. And I'm a master of it - not just because I hold a masters in English but because I've always been adept at using it and interested in it.

Anyway, without being in a box much of what was described describes me, as I'm sure it does tons of other people and probably especially the children coming in these days. But then, scientists like to label people you know?

Hey, wonder if I could get some free gov't money if I could prove I had that? LOL Just kidding!

[Nicole]

And thanks Destra for the info!

[penndragon]

Great observations, Nisroc.

This is the article that opened my interest about the subject. It was different from most of them. It was closer to Asperger's original definition without putting people in a box and saying they suffer from autism. The children of Silicon Valley.

www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.12/aspergers_pr.html

What fascinates me is this subject is that I'm originally from this area. The S.F. Bay Area (Berkeley) I'll tell you the rest as this unfolds.

[Sowelu]

Wow, penndragon, that's quite an article! Thanks for posting the link.

The vaccine mention stands out to me as a possible cause for the sudden increase in Asperger's and autistic children, especially considering that many are fine for the first two years of life. Perhaps there are other environmental factors assisting, too. Especially if there are pockets of greater populations in certain geographical areas.

I didn't have much choice in receiving vaccines while under my parents' care, but I won't step up for any now or in the future, including flu shots. And if I had children of my own, I wouldn't make them get them, either. It's a feeling not based in any factoids, but when you feel something like I feel this, you don't need facts, you know?

At any rate, I would venture a guess that Atlantis fits into all of this somehow (it kept popping in while reading that article), and not in a necessarily beneficent way. LOL! The feeling was that perhaps those who are aware of what happened then are seeking to induce a similar situation now, and so are genetically tweaking things so that many are born "strictly mind-based" and automaton-like.

Sort of deliberately forcing the population to remain masculine-dominant, mind-dominant...

Dunno, just a possibility that popped in.

As with any mind-dominant tendencies, though, I sense an enormous amount of "feminine" or emotional energy available to these Beings. But just as with psychopaths, actually (though I am not equating autism or Asperger's to psychopathy), the emotions/feminine energy in mind-dominant beings is/are not non-existent, they are actually repressed and/or ignored to such an extent that they become a negative fuel-base, so to say, generating distorted creations - grand distorted creations, even.

In the case of autistics that I've observed, I seem to sense they feel ALL emotional energy around them, which is quite a burden! Without being able to selectively sort out what belongs where, the forced focus on something "mesmerizing" feels soothing, and the attention-directing may act as a distraction from the onslaught bombarding them. So in this case the repression may be the only viable solution to the onslaught, is my point.

It almost feels like an external representation of attempting a "single point of light", so to speak. Being open to all energy and having the various internal centers of self being constantly exploited by same, they direct their intent and focus on a single external reference, catching a break from the deluge and perhaps even gaining an inner connection to Source that is more nourishing.

But in the end, as with all that exists, there will be much gained/learned from all of this, and in that light, these Beings with these afflictions are honorably participating, intimately, with the Grand Plan of Creation, imo. They come bearing gifts, if only we can properly unwrap these gifts to reveal their beauty.

[penndragon]

I feel you.

Sowelu said:

"The feeling was that perhaps those who are aware of what happened then are seeking to induce a similar situation now, and so are genetically tweaking things so that many are born "strictly mind-based" and automaton-like."

I would not worry. There are too many changes going on, good changes, for us to worry. But so much of what you stated is right on target. I, like Nisroc, feel connected to those with Asperger's but I would not label myself autistic. I would call myself "spiritually delivered".

I connected with so much of this article on so many layered levels.

But this was a beautiful observation.

Sowelu said:

"In the case of autistics that I've observed, I seem to sense they feel ALL emotional energy around them, which is quite a burden! Without being able to selectively sort out what belongs where, the forced focus on something "mesmerizing" feels soothing, and the attention-directing may act as a distraction from the onslaught bombarding them. So in this case the repression may be the only viable solution to the onslaught, is my point.

It almost feels like an external representation of attempting a "single point of light", so to speak. Being open to all energy and having the various internal centers of self being constantly exploited by same, they direct their intent and focus on a single external reference, catching a break from the deluge and perhaps even gaining an inner connection to Source that is more nourishing."

More later on why I feel this connection to this article.

[Sowelu]

Interesting, penndragon. I felt a whole lot of energy between us as I read your post. Even made me a bit dizzy, heh heh.

((((Hugs))))