John Lennon and AS?

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This has probably been discussed before, but does anyone think it's possible Lennon had AS? Sometimes it seems like he didn't, because he was quite charismatic, but of course AS and charisma are not completely incompatible. I was watching a bootleg DVD of the Get Back sessions, and I was really struck and just how STRANGE John was. The other Beatles simply could NOT keep up with him. In the middle of a song he would just start singing gibberish or repeating the same funny phrase over and over in an alien voice or something. I've also seen many pictures of him dressed like s**t in his private life. In interviews, he's said he always felt different as a child. That's what the lyric from Strawberry Fields Forever means - "No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low." He meant that he couldn't identify with anyone, so he must be incredibly smart or incredibly stupid. He has also claimed to be able to morph his face in the mirror as a child by relaxing - I don't know if this is an AS trait, although I did see someone on another thread posting about it, and I can do it sometimes too. Perhaps most importantly, he had an extremely addictive/obsessive personality - drugs, major eating issues... And look at whom he fell in love with, for God's sake - a woman who smiles about once a month and made some of the most bizarre art of all time.

I can see him going either way, but I'm surprised that I've never seen his name mentioned as a candidate in any scholarly articles, etc.

I don't think so... not every eccentric artist type has AS... most of them are just that, eccentric artists. I went to an arts school for the last three years of high school (they had everything from music to drama to visual arts, I studied music) and let me tell you I was NORMAL compared to most of the other students and they defninitely were not aspies.

Apatura ,

This is kind of off-topic, but did you think that attending arts school was a good thing for you? Did you feel comfortable there? We are thinking about an arts high school for my son -- but it's a long way off, he's only 11.

Kris

Well, given their dabbling with drugs, I'd be slow to draw any conclusions about the Beatles based on later recording sessions...

That said, I remember McCartney once described John's reaction to musicals. He took him to a Broadway musical and Lennon muttered through every song and fidgetted the whole time.

I react the same way to most musicals, or worse... but a lot of people here seem to like them, which baffles me. I can't stand most of the bigger ones, I consider them atrocities.

It would have better if I'd been homeschooled... I wasn't bullied at the arts school, but I didn't really have friends, either, and it was awful living in a dorm situation.

If by AS you mean "Acid Substance" then yes, John Lennon definitely had much experience with a certain AS.

I think you make a good point. John certainly shows tons of symptoms and his lyrics describe even more.

I love LENNON

His brain worked in a particular way, he was a non-conformist, an individualist, creative artistically, and to my mind he has also a highly original thinker regarding issues of war and peace, and violence versus non-violence.

But I don't thing he was AS since as ButchCoolidge alluded to in the original post, Aspergers and charisma rarely go together. Also my gut says something else.

The armchair psychologist in me guesses that he may have been schizoid or related order, due possibly to the way his brain was wired, and also due to the severe emotional traumas he experienced in childhood. I think he probably had a mental condition simliar to that of Woody Guthrie (who experienced even more severe traumas as a child, and made strikingly similar contributions in the fields of music, art and social consciousness).

John's prolonged, extremly heavy drug use (over decades), including LSD, no doubt altered his personality furthur. Anyhow, he was certainly special, but I think not AS.

But I really would like to see that DVD of the Get Back sessions. Maybe it would change my mind? Can I get that on Amazon or something?

I think that's a very good point. If I had to pick a Beatle for a possible Aspie it would be George... and I don't really think he had it either, so never mind. But yeah, John always seemed pretty in command wherever he was, and I've never felt that way.

He did have a love for cats.

I agree with most of what's been said, but Andy Warhol was considered quite charismatic and has often been described as an AS candidate, and although I'm not sure if charismatic is the right word, but I can certainly hold my own in front of an audience. I think aspies can actually be quite good at public speaking, inspiring people, etc., because aspies can be extremely confident with opinionated and expert opinions on what they're interested in. One must separate the ability to monologue and spellbind an audience with the ability to make small talk with strangers, etc.

Thats a great book- fizgerald is a neat guy. I tried to meet him when I went to Ireland but I couldn't find his office

As for Lennon, He was a neat guy. I loved his music I though get afunny feeling in my stomach when I think about Yoko Ono It was just awierd relasionship So he Might be an aspie. But I don't think he'll really meet the criteria.
I love the song Hey Jude

Fitzgerald's books are interesting..

I've seen most of Lennon's interviews and I don't think he was AS. He was quiet eccentric, with a great sense of humour. He had a difficult childhood, both parents left when he was young and then when his mother did return she got run over and killed..so this would have taken its toll plus the pressure of being in the band.

As regards criticism of Yoko- He described her as his soul mate ('rubber soul mate' even) and he finally found someone who was intereted in and knew everything he did. You can't really argue with that. He was home! I think people resented this not unattractive Asian woman cause John could of had any woman in the world and he choose her.




OMG did you hear that the Bootleg John Lennon of the Bootleg Beatles was shot by the Bootleg Mark Chapman.. lol

No I hadn't heard.

But yeah I think you're on to something regarding people's outrage over John being with Yoko. They hate it mostly because it doesn't conform to their expectations of what he should have done instead, they don't understand it so they decide to hate it, it's easier.