"Spacing out"

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What does it for you??

Usually, the G Force visualizer and listening to Pink Floyd + FSOL + The Orb makes me go very spacy and drifty.

I go spacey all automatically with no space-inducing input required. I have to be super careful when I'm driving because of it. Generally, the more "face time" I have to have with other humans, the more "space time" my body automatically throws me into so I assume it's some kind of recovery mechanism for my brain. Or something.

It's extremely easy for me to zone out. I have to distract myself in order to keep from zoning out. I have to have the TV on when I'm doing things in the kitchen like eating or washing dishes so I don't zone out. I almost always have music on while I'm posting because I zone out more when I don't

Any distraction to my train of thought no matter how small, when I am trying to FORCE myself to think about something has the potential to cause me to space out...I try to multi-task in an effort to concentrate, and I find that while I am listening to a program I will totally space out on what I am doing...and if I concentrate on what I am doing, I can listen to an entire program and afterwards not be able to remember a single word of it...I usually try to listen to "Democracy Now" or "This American Life" while I work, as an incentive to stay in my chair and actually get things done..Sometimes I will listen to either or both programs several times in a row during the vain struggle to get my work done. It is pitiful...

This is one reason why I don't drive. I space out all the time.


I have a similar problem. I can't concentrate on listening to something at the same time as doing something with my hands, so I used to think that I should work in complete silence so I could concentrate on what I was doing. But after some experiments, I found that I actually work better when I'm listening to something (usually audiobooks or radio shows) because then the furthest my mind will wander is to the radio and when I notice that I'm listening to the radio and not concentrating on what I'm doing, I can switch my attention back. If I work in silence my mind wanders all over the place and I often don't realise it for quite some time. Of course the same thing is true if I listen to a rather dull audiobook. And if it's too interesting then I listen to it too much and don't get my work done. I usually work best when I listen to something I'm familiar with (Hitchhiker's Guide, Red Dwarf, Harry Potter). That way I don't feel like I'm missing anything when I'm concentrating on my work, but it's interesting enough that if my mind decides to wander it will just wander to the audio and not all over the place.

I'm not sure if any of that makes sense because it's hard to describe, and I rambled far more than was strictly necessary. And I'm not even sure if it's totally on topic, although I guess concentration is just a way of keeping the spacing out in check. So it's kind of on topic.

It occurs when it really does me no favours.

I space out while someone is trying to have a conversation with or if i'm really into a tv series that i can't snap out of, so i end up with no sleep and just acrid because of it. Like today got distracted by watching "something about Mary" three times in a row and then flipping through a book almost finnishing it. So i'm stuck awake U_U.

I have to "space in" normally, generally just chill out, listen to music in my head, ponder math or physics til an external stimulus intrudes. I drive great because I tune in to the vehicle easily, which keeps my interest no problem.

Could be absolutely anything, but if there is a pattern or a repetitive motion to it, it helps.

That's why I play CDs when I drive. It keeps me in the moment. But I can't drive with someone else in the car because if they try to talk to me (and they always do, no matter how seriously they promise that they won't) it distracts me too far from the driving and makes me dangerous.

It seems restful. Sort of like a brain-mandated time out. (Not that that's always convenient, though.)

Lately it happens sometimes when I'm in the middle of an action like shoveling a forkful of food to my face. Probably looks odd to pause in the middle of doing something like that, but luckily I never eat in front of anybody.

I've also found the thing about noise seeming to be distracting, but silence being worse somehow. When I'm driving I always have the ipod playing some talk radio program. (And also the car is a manual shift, which I think also help to keep me pretty busy/alert.) Seems like there's a need for a sort of "pulse"; just enough of a stimulus to stay non-spaced, but not so much that it causes multi-tasking overload. Sort of like a pacemaker for the brain.

Not having music to listen to, makes me space out.

Normally after I've just finished something like programming or mind intensive. Or within a few seconds after realizing someone is telling me about uninteresting stuff.

Walking, doing something repetitive (i,e sitting on a swingset) or lying in bed listening to music.

Most often with fatigue [prime time about 2-3 PM]. Very frequent listening to recorded speech - lectures, novels.

I tried describing it to my Dad once, and said it was like floating my mind out on the water. In my head I could see a lily floating down stream. Which is a positive space out experience for me. (There are negative ones as well, but they're not nearly so calming.) My Dad looked at me funny, and pointed out that I'm not normal.

My spacing-out habit is a prevalent one and out of the gazillions of aspie traits this one is one of those that gives me the most aggro.
I have to force myself to concentrate sometimes, I have always had trouble with timed work because I keep having to zone out because I can't think what to write and the only thing I can do at that point is stare into space. I'm worried about my A-level exams this year because of this, I fear I will get a grade that's worse than my actual ability (which is very good if I do say so myself) and my lesson participation is decent so I will be very disappointed if I end up with a s**t mark (in other words anything lower than c).
I also space out in social situations, which is NOT good. Usually in groups I do this, I did it last Wednesday, I was walking to a shop with a boy I know at college and his friends, I ended up walking the wrong direction because I wasn't all with them. And also my brain often decides to frig off and not bother when I'm talking.

I don't get on with my brain, it never cooperates and loves to switch itself off without warning.