im diagnosed at Level 2-DSM spectrum model-and was just talking to my friend about how the "body‐wide"/generalized senses such as touch, proprioception, interoception (& balance/equilibrium to some extent) are probably the most crucial difference between how i describe my relationship to my senses compared to most ppl I've heard describe theirs. Because they're such "big" senses, the smallest difference can translate to a large gap between how i perceive space & time, in a way that differences of my reactions to sight, sound, etc, can't account for. dermic processing & neural processing aren't that far apart bc skin and nervous tissue come from the same tissue in early fetal development, so autism's "seed"/predisposition being a deviation (from what's typical) from fetal development onward makes more sense to me, therefore not really much room for "nurture" aside from learning how best to care for an autistic person so we don't end up more frequently traumatized than allistic kids (all other things/care strategies the same). aside from imagined language (imagined speech, "internal dialogue"), my complementary imaginal strategy is to imagine changing bodywide sensations, primarily to predict what something might feel like in regard to how it'll affect my sense of orientation. so i don't really focus that much on particular orifices, even when I'm eating i focus on the immediate surface sensations. i actually can't visualize (imagined sight) very well at all. i rarely think in pictures. And even though imagined speech (internal monologue) is technically imagined sound, i don't imagine any other types of sounds very easily except for music. My conscious inner life is mostly imagined touch, proprioception, interoception, balance/vestibular orientation, and imagined vocalizations in something vaguely similar to my actual spoken voice (but not as vivid). I think the first (consciously imagined bodywide sensations) is probably common in autistic ppl, and then just like everyone else, ppl in general including autistic ppl, have a preference for internal dialogue (like myself) or internal visualization (like Temple Grandin). But perhaps the preference for secondary imagination (language or visuals) is stronger in autistic ppl? Bc we put so much energy into consciously imagining the more "primordial" bodywide senses, what's leftover goes to a specialized secondary representative system.
im diagnosed at Level 2-DSM spectrum model-and was just talking to my friend about how the "body‐wide"/generalized senses such as touch, proprioception, interoception (& balance/equilibrium to some extent) are probably the most crucial difference between how i describe my relationship to my senses compared to most ppl I've heard describe theirs.
Because they're such "big" senses, the smallest difference can translate to a large gap between how i perceive space & time, in a way that differences of my reactions to sight, sound, etc, can't account for.
dermic processing & neural processing aren't that far apart bc skin and nervous tissue come from the same tissue in early fetal development, so autism's "seed"/predisposition being a deviation (from what's typical) from fetal development onward makes more sense to me, therefore not really much room for "nurture" aside from learning how best to care for an autistic person so we don't end up more frequently traumatized than allistic kids (all other things/care strategies the same).
aside from imagined language (imagined speech, "internal dialogue"), my complementary imaginal strategy is to imagine changing bodywide sensations, primarily to predict what something might feel like in regard to how it'll affect my sense of orientation.
so i don't really focus that much on particular orifices, even when I'm eating i focus on the immediate surface sensations.
i actually can't visualize (imagined sight) very well at all. i rarely think in pictures. And even though imagined speech (internal monologue) is technically imagined sound, i don't imagine any other types of sounds very easily except for music.
My conscious inner life is mostly imagined touch, proprioception, interoception, balance/vestibular orientation, and imagined vocalizations in something vaguely similar to my actual spoken voice (but not as vivid).
I think the first (consciously imagined bodywide sensations) is probably common in autistic ppl, and then just like everyone else, ppl in general including autistic ppl, have a preference for internal dialogue (like myself) or internal visualization (like Temple Grandin).
But perhaps the preference for secondary imagination (language or visuals) is stronger in autistic ppl? Bc we put so much energy into consciously imagining the more "primordial" bodywide senses, what's leftover goes to a specialized secondary representative system.
This is fascinating stuff; the need to be touched was first described by Rene Spitz over a century ago with regard to orphans. This focus updates it.
Awesome! Ty
brennender hautgefühl, greetings from the land organ of music
very funny pure satire