What is finger flicking?

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I've seen autistics who flick their fingers beside their eyes when concentrating on something. Would anyone who does that like to share their personal experience? I'm really curious how it works, what it does.

For me, it sort of "draws off" some degree of overstimulation, if that makes sense. I don't always do it right beside my eyes because it hurts to hold my arm like that for long, but I do it where I can see it.

Thanks for your reply. Would it be correct to say then, that if you are giving something your total attention, and the level of visual input you are getting from that focus is too high, that the finger flicking is a voluntary self imposed visual distraction that tones down the focus enough to make it comfortable?

For me it reduces some of the visual stimulus. I have really good vision and my eyes take in EVERYTHING that they see, even from the corners. Sometimes I get frustrated seeing so much movement so I cover that area with my fingers. The flicking just helps me stay calm.

I did this when I was younger, mostly when I would read, and it would help me to concentrate on what I was reading.

Okay so maybe i got it backwards. So it helps phase out surrounding environmental stimulus to enable better focus on a single object? Does that sound right? Or can it be both sometimes?

I'd probably go with a bit of both there.

i finger flick when i talk to people who make me nervous...new people, people in authority (the managers and work and my teachers at college have all got used to my fingers going a bit crazy when i speak). but i don't do it by my eyes, my hand sort of rises to my chest i think it's some sort of defence thing because i also have issues with personal space and being touched. the actual flicking calms me and focuses my attention on what i am trying to say while my hand being in front of my chest makes me feel safer.

i think the reason behind stimming varies in individuals

Thanks so much for this thread. My son flicks a lot and also covers the corners of his eye. Flicking is I guess a bit more common and so I had some idea as to why he likes it, but the corners of the eyes I didn't understand. When I tried it myself, I just got a headache and to me it felt pretty awful, so to hear from someone else who can communicate how it feels to you is really helpful! (Son is largely non-verbal, mainly echoaila!) Thanks again!