Suddenly spacing out in conversations.

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Anniemaniac
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27 Apr 2008, 7:57 pm

Do you ever find that when someone's talking to you, randomly and suddenly, you find yourself thinking "I have no idea what you just said" because, for one random moment, your concentration slipped and although the person was still talking, and although you still seemed as if you were listening, you were completely in a daze and have no memory, in fact, you didn't even HEAR what the person said because you dazed out?

This happens to me all the time, alot during important things too. For example, I went to sit an assessment to see if I could get into a science class in college. After the tutor had settled us all down in the room, and out the papers on our desk, he started going though a brief summary with us about how to answer certain questions, how long the paper was, if we had a time limit, what stuff we needed, etc.

I was listening fine one minute, but the next thing I know, I suddenly find myself not having a clue what he said because my mind just kinda... stopped for a few seconds. It doesn't seem like a lot, but because of that, I didn't hear him say "no time limit", so after about 30 minutes, still only half way though, I start panicking thinking "any minute now he's gonna say "5 minutes left", so I rushed my work and consequently, I know I made mistakes...

It's not just conversations either, it happens alot with other things, like college work, I'll be sitting in class doing a sum, and the next thing I know, I'm fighting hard to get my concentration back. It even happens when I'm doing something I enjoy. I just end up doing things automatically. I can be playing a game, space out, but no one knows because I still continue playing as if I have full control of the game, but yet, I'm not actually aware. My mind's temporarily gone for a few seconds.

Anyway, this is alot more drawn out than it was intended to be. To sum it up in two questions; Do you space out often, and do you have any idea what causes it?

I'm asking because I have the interview for college tomorrow and if I make it though, I can't be sitting in class spacing out randomly for no apparent reason, I'll miss important information.



ButchCoolidge
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27 Apr 2008, 8:08 pm

This happens to me a lot, especially when I'm bored or tired.



DejaQ
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27 Apr 2008, 8:09 pm

I'm not sure if I exactly space out, but my mind drifts a lot, occasionally during conversations.



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27 Apr 2008, 8:11 pm

oh yeah. Strangely enough, this happens usually when someone introduces me, and they say "...and this is", and I just tune out. Don't know why. I've learned to be vaguely familiar....;)



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27 Apr 2008, 8:13 pm

From what I've read, it has to do with your brain getting bored trying to filter out all the unnecessary gibberish to get at the relevant information.

It makes sense to me, I do it the most with highly verbose, long-winded people.



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27 Apr 2008, 8:43 pm

Something similar to this happens to me as I read when I am tired, I will sometimes read the same sentence 4 or 5 times without actually understanding what I read. I have not really experienced that in conversations, though.



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27 Apr 2008, 8:55 pm

Yeah, this happens to me, too.



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27 Apr 2008, 9:04 pm

Riddick124 wrote:
Something similar to this happens to me as I read when I am tired, I will sometimes read the same sentence 4 or 5 times without actually understanding what I read.


ditto, sometimes as you read it different than it was intended.


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27 Apr 2008, 9:07 pm

Quote:
Anyway, this is alot more drawn out than it was intended to be. To sum it up in two questions; Do you space out often, and do you have any idea what causes it?


I have had this happen all my live long days. What gets me is I miss the first few seconds of the explanation and spend the rest of the information trying to glean what it was from the context of the rest of the info. It has been brought to my attention that I might not be 'missing the first few seconds of the convo, but the info is only clear if known what they were talking about anyway.

I wish I could give you hope, I truly do, but I have no idea why this is, I only struggle to get it right and suffer when I blindly flail my way through. If you find out what it is, or just how to get over it, please put it on WP?

thanks,
Merle



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27 Apr 2008, 9:36 pm

The worst is when I go to someone with a specific question and then zone out immediately as they are answering.
Yes Pakled- introductions are zoned out on as well. Couple that with prospagnosia and I might as well be in my own universe.



sinsboldly
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27 Apr 2008, 10:14 pm

riverotter wrote:
The worst is when I go to someone with a specific question and then zone out immediately as they are answering.
Yes Pakled- introductions are zoned out on as well. Couple that with prospagnosia and I might as well be in my own universe.


I zone out on intros because by now I know, even if I study their face and say their names over and over, rhyme their names with common things or body parts I will rarely remember them if I see them in the halls or if they move their desk or change their hair color or even style I am clueless anyway.

That was one of the best things I realized about myself when I figured out I had AS. I had thought I was hopelessly stupid, now I realize only other people think I am hopelessly stupid!

Merle



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27 Apr 2008, 10:51 pm

Anniemaniac wrote:
Do you ever find that when someone's talking to you, randomly and suddenly, you find yourself thinking "I have no idea what you just said" because, for one random moment, your concentration slipped and although the person was still talking, and although you still seemed as if you were listening, you were completely in a daze and have no memory, in fact, you didn't even HEAR what the person said because you dazed out?



... how did you get inside my head?


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27 Apr 2008, 10:57 pm

Yes. I am a chronic astronaut.



Ryn
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27 Apr 2008, 11:37 pm

My Mom does this all the time, it drives me up the wall.

I can't do this, it seems. I feel like I constantly need to pay attention, and it's weird because even when I was little I remember watching shows with kids tuning out their parents and I was envious. I sometimes don't hear or understand what someone is saying, but I've never spaced out unless nothing is going on, though I know people have a hard time getting my attention once I'm in my own world.

From what I've seen, it seems that the person who is spacing out is either on a different tangent of thinking or has absorbed too much info. I'm not sure what you can do, but I wish you the best of luck. ^^


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sim
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28 Apr 2008, 12:13 am

All the time. I don't even listen to half the things people say unless I'm absolutely captivated, because half the things they say can be delegated with a Yeah/Okay/What (credits to lil'john for the answering convention).



dupertuis
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28 Apr 2008, 12:16 am

I tend to fade in and out all the time. Usually I'm not aware of "going away," but quite aware of returning. Even during my long-term sessions of obsession I wander away and come back. Sometimes, physically, I'll find myself in another part of the house, sometimes engaged in another activity.

And, sure, this happens while someone is talking to me. My wife gets frustrated with me "fogetting" something she just told me. Sometimes I never heard the information because I was "out" for that moment; sometimes I've heard the info but simply forgot it.

I'm never quite sure which it is.

dp


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