My method of thinking

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Hi, I was referred here by someone from another forum on which I was discussing the way I think. He said that the way I thought seemed a lot like the way some autistic people thought. I had heard of this beforehand and came to the conclusion that I wasn't autistic some time ago. I decided to check on this forum and get the opinions of knowledgeable people just to see in case.

Basically I think in sensations and what I call intellectual emotions. In my mind every word, concept and image has a sensation or emotion. Let's take for example a rain cloud. In my mind I would see a rain cloud. I would then feel the texture of a cloud which would vary from a smooth surface when superficially thinking of it to feeling a fine sensation as if soft cotton wool were spread over a space. I would also feel a pressure which would push the rain out of the cloud. I also feel a wispiness showing that the cloud is just a particles of gaseous water. My mind will then focus on the rain and I would feel a dynamic, swirling heaviness spread over a space which would represent the droplets. I would also feel a pulling sensation representing the flow of linear time. I would also feel a sensation of expansion as the droplets approached the ground and my perspective of looking at the cloud. I would also feel a variety of vibrations depending on which aspect of the mental thought I looked at. If I thought about clouds and rain for a while and interconnected elements I would feel an something that can only be described as an emotion without words that would represent the overall concept. I could then at a later stage think of this emotion and all my knowledge about the subject would come to me.

Let's take another example. Say the concept of duplication. I would 'feel' a black space inside which was a sphere. This sphere would be grey and feel soft and slightly transparent. I would then feel the sphere dividing and will feel an excitement coming from the new sphere which would represent the motion. I will then feel a sense of peace that has substance to show that it was the end of the thought. If I wanted to integrate the concept of duplication with other thoughts I would feel the other thought or thought system exists inside and outside of the of the original sphere. I could also put both new spheres into a bigger sphere and assign that to the integrated thought system.

I first became aware of my type of thinking and that it was different from others when I watched a documentary of Daniel Tammet. He also felt sensations and colours towards concepts. I know he is what was known as an autistic savant. I believe I am neither autistic nor of a savant nature. Scientists called his abilities synesthesia and you can call what I have a type of synesthesia but its not like one I've heard of before.

What also came to note was that I am somewhat socially awkward. This mainly arises from the fact I find it difficult to say things to people especially if I don't know them. I've heard that some autistic people can be like that as well.

So I'd like to ask you of your opinions or if anyone else thinks like I do.

Interesting! Thank you for posting this!

I don't think this way.

Welcome to WP. Developmental disorders are broad and varied, change with time and can come and go!

Keep reading and learning is my motto, but address easily identified problems first like obesity or lack of exercise...

You'd have to describe other aspects of your thinking as well.

-Do you tend to take things literally?
-When trying to help people get through tough times, are you more likely to be emotionally supportive or try to figure out a solution / strategy / answer?
-When someone makes a conversational mistake are you inclined to let it pass, or to correct it?
-Do you avoid/hate/bore during small talk, or fail to see the purpose of it?

Blah there are more, and these might not be all the best ones, but ask yourself these questions and poke around this website a bit. You may verywell fit on the spectrum. So far, not enough data to suggest a yes or no (not that we are official diagnosticians anyhow).

Well, I don't think that way... it seems like it would be fun though. I usually think in text -- not so constantly, now that I'm older, but when I was little I thought it was the only way to think.

I don't officially have any form of autism, but I strongly identify with much of what I read on this site.

I tend to think in music. I have a very musical brain.

That sounds like a pretty intense way of thinking, and fascinating! I assume all those sensations regarding the rain cloud, for example, would occur within a small space of time (i.e. a couple of seconds or less)? Or is this a drawn out, progressive thought process?

It doesn't sound like synaesthesia, as you are associating the object with realistic/actual properties. Synaesthesia involves unrelated associations, e.g. having the sensation of soft cotton wool when you think of the word "margerine" rather than "rain cloud".