Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

Is daydreaming and spacing out the same thing?

Page 2 of 2 [ 21 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Previous topic | Next topic

Squirrelrat
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 23 Sep 2010
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 448

16 Nov 2010, 9:24 pm

To me, spacing out is losing mental focus without trying to. Daydreaming can either be a form of spacing out or an intended vacation from reality.



Jediscraps
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Sep 2010
Age: 47
Gender: Male
Posts: 522

16 Nov 2010, 9:24 pm

I do daydreaming in the sense of imaginary scenarios and such.

But I can leave for awhile and not know I'm gone until I come back which isn't usually that much time. I don't mind it, it just feels weird coming back and realizing I wasn't paying attention. I'm not sure it's spacing out because I think I may be thinking of something, but I don't remember right now.



Mackica
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Nov 2010
Gender: Female
Posts: 637

16 Nov 2010, 10:50 pm

I space out quite often in class, and sometimes when talking to people, but it's more common when I'm a bit sleepy. Now,daydreaming about backpacking or hiking..that is totally different from spacing out, and I reserve that for my public transit commutes!



pensieve
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Nov 2008
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Posts: 8,204
Location: Sydney, Australia

16 Nov 2010, 10:57 pm

A daydream has content, spacing out happens when you don't notice it.

However, I can relate to what MONKEY said.


_________________
My band photography blog - http://lostthroughthelens.wordpress.com/
My personal blog - http://helptheywantmetosocialise.wordpress.com/


marshall
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 14 Apr 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 10,752
Location: Turkey

17 Nov 2010, 3:05 am

KakashiYay wrote:
For me, no, not even close. I "daydream" a lot, but never, ever "space out." Daydreaming for me is still thought, though I don't really direct it. I don't ever recall having nothing going on in my head.

My dad says he has the same inability to go to a "nothing place." The more he and I talk about ASD, the more he's becoming sold on the idea that he's maybe an Aspie.

Sometimes my husband will be just staring at the wall, looking totally blank. When I ask if he's okay, he says he's just zoning out, with absolutely nothing in his head.

I'm envious of this, frankly, as it's beyond tiring to always be thinking.

Same here. My mind is never totally blank. To the contrary, I'm often so intensely focused on my thoughts that I have a hard time being interrupted. NTs never seem to mind being interrupted and can seemingly switch mental gears on a dime. They don't ever seem to be focusing/thinking too hard at any given moment either. I really can't relate to how their brains function. My mind is always on hyper-drive as well as my emotions. I'm an absent minded irritable nervous wreck. I think that pretty much describes my state of existence.