Sensory stimulation response

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I have heard that a lot of Aspies and others on the autism spectrum are bothered when they are bombarded with sensory stimuli, for example flashing lights, places with lots of bright objects, busy cities, etc. Some people on here are bothered even by mildly flickering lights that most people don't notice.

On the other hand, I have found that some of the places I personally enjoy the most are those in which there are a lot of visual stimuli. On certain days if I am in or near a big city at night, just looking at the thousands of bright lights coming from the building windows and the cars gives me a mild to moderate stimulated euphoria. I wouldn't like to have to socially interact with the people around me, but assuming I can keep to myself I tend to like cities with lots of lights. Conversely, there is nothing more boring than being stuck in a sleepy town somewhere where there is little visual material to stimulate me. In these situations I tend to go into my inner world even more than usual. I tend to be a little hyperactive, like to walk around a lot, and like to be excited, while trying to be too calm tends to make me depressed.

I somehow suspect that this need for stimulation is what gets some Aspies initially misdiagnosed with ADHD, though I suspect that the excitability I (and some other Aspies) feel has a different biochemical basis than the feeling people with ADHD get.

I was wondering how many people here find visually stimulating environments pleasant, how many find them uncomfortable, and how many can't say for sure.

I find it very pleasant.

It very much depends.

How do environments with lots of visual stimuli affect me? Not very much. Environments with lots of auditory stimuli on the other hand...

I really like visual stimulants. For example, I went to a Muse concert in November, and it was like a big light show throughout which added to the fantastic atmosphere. Not only was the music top quality but visually it was amazing too. A combination of visual stimulus and music or noises I like make me feel happy.

I would definitely have to live in a place like that.

Tim

My workplace put up a ludicrous amount of Christmas decorations, like they do every year. I really hated it - there was too much going on and it almost gave me a headache.

Not to mention the repeated instances of animatronic cartoon animals singing the same damn lines of a Christmas carol over and over again (not visual stimuli, I know, but my God, it was so hard to block it out...).

I don't like lots of visual stimuli, it makes me feel ill.

Empty rooms makes me nervous. I feel like I'm about to fall into them. I tend to prefer to have a good amount of furniture, pictures, posters, etc.. Generally, I like to have lots of things surrounding me. Somehow makes me feel grounded. But I'm not big on having lots of lights and stuff. I generally like wood furniture, books, figurines, etc.

I have lots of color in my rooms, but not flashing stuff. Some auties would likely find it overwhelming. But I find the absence of these filling up the visual space makes me nervous and feel off balance.

I hate flashing lights, and I do like dark places.

I reckon it's kind of stupid having ads with lots of flashing lights on an aspie site.

I hate really low noises, or really high noises. (Like sirens or bass booms through the walls of my flat, or the low rumble of passing trucks.)

Really low noises hurt my ears. (Especially since I had an ear infection when I was sixteen.)

I always needed at least a little stimulation, for as long as I remember. My family lived near a lake when I was a kid. So me and my parents would sometimes go for walks in the evenings, especially during the summer. My parents loved the quiet, peaceful atmosphere by the lake, while I found it highly irritating, and became restless after spending too much time (meaning 20 minutes) there. Eventually, my parents came to a compromise: they would walk by the lake for 20 minutes, then take a 10-minute walk through a busy commercial street (which they found irritating) on the way back home. Although I didn't completely agree with this plan (why more time in a boring place than in a fun place?), it seemed acceptable enough, and I cooperated.

I think it is a difference if it is self-induced (drinking coffe, tea, eating strongly flavoured food, loud music, playing with the light switch, and so on...) then if a car honks by your side in the rush hour...

Intentional visual stimuli usually doesn't bother me. I expect it and enjoy it. I don't like dim rooms and sometimes empty or sparse rooms unnerve me.

Blinking/malfunctioning lights bother me, sometimes burning my eyes.

Noisy parties or bars don't bother me, I enjoy that kind of sound. Protruding noise in an otherwise quiet place really bothers and distracts me. Like cellphones, talking in theatres, bookstores, cafes, background music in restaurants.
Sometimes I can't continue my own conversation. I will look at the offending person (if it's a nearby human).