Psychic ability & Autism

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I think its just a matter of being highly perceptive in some ways. For example, at College, I was told by lecturers that I had a tendency to make connections that others did not make and to spot not only the obvious, but things that others did not notice, particularly when doing analysis. Those connections were there, but most are not aware of them or would not think of them.

Do I have an intuition? Yes. Is it sometimes eerily accurate? Yes. Do I think it's psychic power? No. I think it relates to the abilities outlined above. A tendency to pick up on subtleties and make connections that others can sometimes miss.

Oddly though I can be intuitive about events that are upcoming in my life but put me in a room full of people and errr...my intuition disappears and tells me very little lol. Ie it can tell me that the washing machine is going to breakdown or that my payment this week is going to be late for some reason but ask it to tell me what someone crossing their arms means exactly or what a persons intentions are and it just sits up there in my head going 'lalalalalalala what huh, no idea, lalalalalalalal'.

Oh thanks!

I think I attach myself to people so intensely and fiercely and single-mindedly that these things are inevitable.

One time my sister was rushed into hospital for an emergency operation and my family didn't tell me becausre they "didn't want to worry me."

I spent the whole day by the phone in tears desperately trying to reach one of them on a phone somewhere because I had a terrible sense of urgency and sadness without knowing why.

That's the only time I've ever had a significant experience other than always phoning family members / person I'm close to and often hearing them say: how weird! I was just about to phone you!

I read some research on mirror neurons that suggested that some people have overactive mirror neurons which allow them to actually feel the sensation of being touched when they watch someone else being touched.

In the past, a person that reported an experience like this probably would have been accused of having some kind of mental illness, or the individual might have reported telepathic abilities. I wouldn't totally discount perceptions that people have about "psychic" abilities.

However, I think there are natural processes that could explain some it, if we understood more about the brain, how our minds work, and the relationship to the forces in the environment. I doubt we will ever have a full grasp on any of this, including the forces in our environment.

I agree that any "psychic" ability that we might have is simply due to our powers of observation. I sometimes just get a sense that someone is going to do something (ex: a family member is going to break up with a boyfriend, or quit his or her job, or something like that) just based on things I have seen that person say or do, and when it happens everyone except me is completely shocked.

I once had a teacher in school, along with all of the students in the class, tell me that I was psychic because during lecture the teacher had trouble thinking of the word she wanted to say and I immediately knew which word she meant and I told her. I was familiar with the section in the textbook that she was referring to, and I remembered the particular wording that was used in the book, and so it was rather easy for me to deduce which word she was trying to remember. It wasn't psychic ability on my part, it was simply the fact that I had read the textbook when the other students probably had not.

This kind of thing happens to me all the time.

Agreed that you can, when you have known someone for a time, get to know that persons particular patterns of behaviour and so, when they behave in a predicted way, it does not tend to come as much of a surprise.

Yes, some of us may not be able to see the big picture, but be more observant of details, and better able to remember thoses details when prompted by context.

An example for me that might be applicable to many other areas of life, would be going to the same place on vacation that I went ten years ago, and remembering exactly what clothes I wore the last time I was at specific areas of that vacation. Something that would never cross my mind for ten years, until I got back to that location.

This kind of memory and attention to detail is advantageous at times, particularly in the academic arena, but there are obvious disadvantages too.

That's not being psychic, though. That's being perceived as psychic, which is quite another thing.

True, but an explanation, of some instances perceived as such, none the less. If we could measure natural phenomenon behind what we perceive and call psychic, we might have specfic names for each ability and no longer use the term psychic, but it wouldn't make those abilities, less significant in our lives.

When the question of psychic ability comes up most people bring up objective ways to test it that aren't psychologically meaningful, like a number or letter of the alphabet.

There was research recently with photos that were either neutral or charged with sexual imagery that people were more significantly able to predict in a random sequence. The intensity of psychological meaningful imagery seemed to make a difference in this research.

Why the difference in the result and does it mean anything, no one knows, but it doesn't mean there isn't somekind of natural phenonmenon to explain it, that hasn't been measured yet.

I believe that we can feel eachother's brainwaves, but that's all.

I don't believe in that future predicting, mind reading nonsense.

I beleive in the 'nonsense'.

We barely understand how the brain works. Discounting the possiblities before we even know what we are really dealing with seems premature.

I've had both premonitions and the occassional freaky moment where people ask 'how did you know that?' When those things happen in face to face conversations it is very easy to discount them as some sort of 6th sense - reading details you may not even be aware of and such. But, when I befriend someone on online, whom I've never spoken with other than in IM and the same thing occurs, it is even freakier. I've had people end online friendships because they've been freaked out but the details I just shouldn't know.

And I'm not some cyberstalker. I don't go googling people or whatever...

Just out of curiosity - how many of those that believe and feel they have this ability are right brained? How many of you disbelievers are left brained?

My theory - Right brained thinkers are much more in tuned to all that esoteric stuff the left brainers consider hogwash because it's just not in their lexicon of experiences. The same way that I consider mathmatics voodoo, spiritual connection isn't 'science' because it's not tangible. I think both sides are valid, but that the spiritual is discounted much too quickly because of its intangible nature. Science has already taught us - just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

I think it depends on how you define "psychic". I have no doubt that our understanding of the brain and cognition is woefully inadequate. Who knows what else remains to be discovered. So "psychic" things could easily exist as some as of yet undefined form of perception. But this is not necessarily the same as the magical form of psychic phenomena that drives the profit seeking psychic money machines. This is a real problem in discussing such things. Too much in the realm of psychics is utter lies. Teasing apart real things is extraordinarily hard.

There is no doubt that there are shady charlatans out there - in every profession. Unfortunately, when it comes to the spiritual, the 'psychic', the holistic many people consider the charltans as the be all, end all of the story.

Psychic ability has long been studied as extra sensory perception. I think many people here not only understand this concept but experience it as a part of everyday life to some degree. Our brains are wired differently. Our ability to see immense detail that others miss is considered 'magical' by some people. Are there XMen like mutants out there able to pick apart peoples brains - probably not. But, then again, if someone did profess such a talent they'd probably be committed and pumped full of so many drugs we may never know.

People are highly uncomfortable with the unknown. Suggesting that the earth was round and orbited the sun was cause for hanging not so long ago. I don't think people should delve heart and soul into any unproven concept but I also beleive that you can't shut your mind to the possibilites because that's when we stagnate as a species.

I think the way our minds works has everything to do with the way we perceive our individual Universe. A big part of intuition is emotion and feeling, And even as recent studies suggest, mirror neurons. For those without the ability to perceive or feel some experiences in life, those perceptions and experiences do not exist in their universe.

It is possible that some experience what is termed psychic experience and some don't, along with a feeling of spiritual connection, etc. For those that don't feel it and experience it, they can't possibly fully relate to what is being talked about.

I think this may underlie many of the differences among people in beliefs and behaviors.

Two days before the earthquake in eastern Illinois (which I was awakened by from 150 miles away), I had a dream about a violent earthquake with dramatic swaying from inside a high-rise building. I've also had other episodes where I thought, "I got Miss Cleo BEAT!"

The question is whether or not I'm on the Spectrum. Not officially sure

This is where the big disconnect comes from. Those that believe in this esoteric world usually do not doubt or deny the concrete, rigid thinking of their 'science-mind' brethren. Yet, those that worship at the alter of science are, many times, quick to discount, disbelieve and ridicule anything that could potentially contradict scientific method.

I really think, in order to be more balanced as a people, we need to embrace both sides of the equation. Not that everyone needs to have some sort of dual nature but that both sides of the coin need to respect and support the other.

After all, string theory is pretty far out there... right on the border of what could be considered science.

Bottom line - how many people with AS complain because NT's 'just don't get it'? It's the same exact sort of bias. NT's don't understand because what the autistic brain experiences is so much different than their own. And it's a struggle for them to even conceive of the differences. I don't think it is possible to be a little open minded. You either are, or you aren't and, largely, I believe that is due to a sort of species wide immaturity. There is some sort of perceived threat in entertaining ideas outside our comfort zone.

I'm just weird that way I suppose. I don't only operate outside the box, I'm also quite comfortable way out in left field and the many positions in between. It would be nice to have some company out here.

I do believe psychic ability is possible, but I have never seen any realistic evidence of it. I agree that many people confuse it with strong observational skills. I know from experience that I can easily predict the outcome of events and situations based on a simple calculation of possible outcomes, whats happened in the past, and the most likely course of action certain people will take. I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this, considering that patterns in behavior are very easy to figure out, and I have to know them out of necessity so I can fake being normal in social situations. I also sometimes have dreams that predict the future, but mundane things such as what the time will be when I wake up or who will call me or what someone will say at work, which I also account for the brain attempting to prepare me for the future based on whats happened in the past. The subconscious can be a powerful thing.