What's the Purpose of Stimming

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I have a question about stimming. What is the purpose of it. I read that it might be a form of self-hypnosis or just something you do when you are nervous or excited and helps you focus. What is the reason autistic ppl stim?

I believe its a form of self calming after being overstimulated.

years ago(long before I knew about AS),we used the term "self-soothing" to describe similiar behavior in NT people who were in an emotional crisis and doing similiar "stemming" behavior...These were teenagers at a CD/MI treatment residence....I think some of it is just the physical release of any kind of tension?I know I rub my forhead or mouth more when I am dealing with uncomfortable emotions and having difficulty focusing...it does help me focus.I work with some one who is DD(I believe he is autistic)He is constantly moving his arms and rubs his foot on the bed at night...I can see no external reason for him to need to releave tension or focus his thoughts...he cant communicate,so I have wondered what he is experiencing....wish I could climb in his head for a few minutes...he also waves his hand in front of his eyes(like I did when I was on LSD and wanted to see the pretty trails)...Just wish I new what he was experiencing.I know something is going on in there....this guy is not a vegtable.

stimming is a way of control, we stim to control when we comtrol we feel safe.
so to control a movement is somethign that re-enforces familiarity and safety and control for us..things we lack in most parts of our livs.

I don't know about you, but I always have to be doing something. It's like my mind is constantly working. I stim when I'm concentrating a lot of the time.

I think it is self calming - but I always say it keeps my body busy so my mind can work - I literally can't think if I'm sitting perfectly still . . .

I think the purpose of it is to calm your self down and or show people your inner emotions.

I used to stim when I was a little kid. I was a hand-flapper. When I got really excited, I felt that I literally had a lot of creative energy flowing into my hands -- that I might be able to use my hands to create something, but there was too much energy at too high of a frequency to do anything useful with, so hand-flapping would dissipate the energy.