Why do we get lost in our own worlds so often?

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Is there a scientific explanation for why aspies tend to get lost in thoughts more so than NTs?

Is it the human mind's way of coping with stress or filtering out stressors in the real world? Or is there an abnormality in the brain that causes overactive imagination?

Personally I think it's because we find the stuff our mind is generating more interesting then anything else.

I do not get lost in my thoughts and I am unable to 'snap in' whatever people usually snap out of when they were not aware of their environment moments before and are now back in reality.

However, from a topic on 'spacing out' on here I found that almost all of those with AS or others types of ASDs answered that they were people who seemed to space out quite often.

If there's an abnormality involved that makes people space out more so than the average population, then I assume there is an opposite state that's just as abnormal and that both could be related to the different neurological profile of those with autism.

I'm not sure that's true. when I space out on a boring lecture I can't make myself attentive no matter how hard I try. it's not voluntary, I wish it was.

my space-outs caused me a lot of trouble, I can't drive because of it, I no longer even ride a bike after nearly being killed on red lights that I failed to notice because I was so lost in my thoughts. I even forget to eat at times.

Last edited by anna-banana on 06 Jan 2009, 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

once in school i got lost in my own thought.teacher scolded me for that.since then i never got lost in own world.

I don't know, but boy do I ever get lost. Even just a minute ago I noticed I was having a conversation with a female coworker (conversations with females are hard for me anyway) and I just got so lost in my own world that I was all over the place with what I was saying. She looks at me and giggles, I guess she thinks it's cute, but I feel embarrassed. We start out talking about something, and then I just can't shut up. I half-listen to her, and then I go about talking about whatever is on my mind, and we go from topic to topic to topic within a matter of seconds or minutes.

I think it's just the easiest way to filter stressful things. I know that if I'm in a situation where I have to focus on something stressful, I'll wind up leaving that situation very tired. If I'm not forced to pay attention but I'm still surrounded by stressful things - such as at school - I'll end up spacing out and feeling better about the whole situation.

I've always understood that autistics find the thoughts in their own mind to be more important (or more real) than anything that is going on in the real world. I don't remember where I read that.. but that's the idea that I've always held and that's kind of how I feel.
The real world isn't real.. why should I pay much attention to it?
My opinion is the most important one.. other people are not important.
My perceptions are the only possible way of percieving things .. other people's perceptions don't exist, it doesn't matter what other people think or feel.. Why should I listen or try to understand them?

..ect

But it doesn't seem that other people think this way so that is why I've always felt that I must be autistic.

^^I kind of suspect that people who zone out voluntarily (i.e. have control over it) because they like it more than the reality do not have a disorder. my daydreaming affects pretty much every aspect of my life and I do not enjoy that at all.

Sorry anna, I would like clarification on what you said, please, since you referenced my post. Did you mean to indicate that I am one who has control over it and retreats intentionally or did you mean to agree with what I said?

You're space outs may not be AS specific or they be unique manifestation in yourself. I mean on average, do you find what goes on in your mind more interesting then anything else that could possibly interest you? I don't mean this in terms of you're less interested in the outside world, rather your more focused on your thoughts about things then anything else generally.

I think I see what anna is saying now. It sounds like she equates describing things as 'interesting' with a choice on our part.

I don't believe that my introversion is a choice.. 'interesting' or 'important' are the only ways to really describe how it feels. In general, I (we) are just simply detached from the real world and focus much more on my (our) own internal thoughts. I do not choose to tune out from the real world. What I decribed earlier is more like a breakdown of how I feel about being detached from the world (ie. other people's feelings don't affect me so logically my feelings are more important to me than theirs) not to indicate that it is voluntary. Interesting = preocupation. My thoughts are more 'interesting' to me in that I am more preocupied with them.

If that makes any sense.

Fortunately, I only space out when I am home alone. As far as I know, nobody has ever seen me do it. I also tend to snap out of it with the slightest distraction.

I was just referring to a few of above explanations, although I do agree with them to some extent, I think that what is at the core of the problem is neurology, not choice.



obviously what's going on in my mind is far more interesting than most outside things. I can hyperfocus on things that I find very interesting. what I meant was, I don't make a conciuos decision "ok, this is boring, I'm going to space out now. spacing out in three, two, one..."

usually I just find myself totally lost and having realised that I just missed the whole lecture/conversation/my bus stop/red light/food etc

Me too anna. My husband calls it 'carelessness' and tells me to pay more attention but I don't know how to pay more attention to something I wasn't paying attention to...
I guess he wants me to pay more attention to the real world in general but its so hard to pay attention to everything and I always end up forgetting/losing track of something...

^^yeah that's exactly what I meant