Autism and working with Self

[Dan74]

Hello Folks,

I've just read the following description from iautism site by Erik Y Chen, a prominent author and speaker on autism, and a 'diagnosed autistic' himself:

Autistic people see others as clones of themselves because they do not have a coherent, independent self that "separates" them from other people. Hence, they instinctively expect others to perceive, think, feel, sense and behave like them.

Even if their conscious mind understands the concept of different selves and could explain this concept, they will subconscious take for granted that other people are like them. Faced with a situation where others disagree with them, they cannot help but feel anger and frustration of the "irrationality" of other people. "Can't they see such an obvious truth?!" is a common retort.

The autistic self is fragmented - its body, emotions, will and intellect do not work together. Without a coherent sense of self, only the intellect can fully mature. The resulting autistic consciousness differs greatly from non-autistic consciousness, making it easy to develop misunderstandings.

Without a coherent self as the foundation, the concept of Personal History may not arise. Unable to learn from past experiences and use it to extrapolate the behavior, intentions and reactions of other people, the autistic finds it difficult to understand others. As the natural social and bodily instincts could not activate, the happenings of everyday life become stressful challenges that must be handled consciously by the intellect.

A coherent self provides the foundation for social instincts to function, and social instincts make it possible to have spontaneous, appropriate and enjoyable social behavior. The vital question is: How does one help autistics develop a coherent self so that their instincts can arise spontaneously?

To me, what he describes is not altogether foreign. I can recall a time when I could've been described as having a fragmented self. Many years later my Buddhist teacher said 'before one can let go of the Self, one needs to have a well-functioning self'. I've wondered since how often the teachings on anatta are a poison to a person whose self is fragmented.

So I wanted to discuss several things:

1. The concept of a well-functioning self and its role for Dhamma practice
2. The view of autism, as presented above, especially from people with experience

Of course the conversation may well move into other directions, that's OK.

[TheNoBSBuddhist]

Thank you for this opportunity.

Could you perhaps define what you mean precisely by a 'well-functioning Self'...?

I have no mental condition that I know of, (save for the standard accepted one, if you like) and I'm not sure i could even label my 'Self' as "well-Functioning"...!

I'm not trying to be argumentative or controversial; but many people on current, prescribed medication, under the care of a qualified Doctor/Psychiatrist, could also be said to have a Self that is 'Well-Functioning'.
I just wanted to specifically clarify what you meant.

(I take it this is in reference to another thread we are both contributing to? Nice work. Most kindly-intentioned....)

[culaavuso]

The concept of a well-functioning self and its role for Dhamma practice

Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu's introduction to his book "Merit: A Study Guide" has some text on this topic:

To paraphrase a modern Buddhist psychologist, one cannot wisely let go of one's sense of self until one has developed a wise sense of self. The pursuit of merit is the Buddhist way to develop a wise sense of self.
...
Buddhist wisdom famously focuses in the characteristics of inconstancy, stress, and not-self, but the application of that wisdom grows out of the pursuit of what is relatively constant and pleasant, and requires a mature sense of self: able to plan for the future, to sacrifice short-term happiness for long-term happiness, to consider the needs of others, and to develop a strong sense of self-reliance in the pursuit of a happiness that is wise, pure, and compassionate.
...
In the course of developing a wise sense of self in the pursuit of merit, one is already learning how to let go of unwise ways of "selfing" as one learns to overcome stinginess, apathy, and hard-heartedness through the development of giving, virtue, and good will. The teachings on the three characteristics simply carry this same process of "de-selfing" for the sake of an even truer happiness to a higher pitch.

[Dan74]

This is a very good quote (as I've come to expect from you, culavuuso) and will go a long way towards answering your question, NoBS.

I would add that people who are not particularly dhammic, can also have a well-functioning self, in my opinion. I mean high-functioning people who know what they want and can work effectively towards it, who have an ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and deal with a variety of situations in an effective manner. Many (but not all) successful people are like this.

[SarathW]

When I was a kid my brother and I used to fight for our toys.
One day my aunt explainesd to me, which was my toy and which was my brothers.
Only that day I realise what it meant by I , me and myself.
I was ten years old that time.
Now I see many adults behaving not understanding this fact.
It is like a sick man living without knowing his sickness.

[Kim OHara]

Hi, Dan,
If you want to explore the full range of Autism Spectrum Disorders in one challenging but rewarding novel, get Menagerie of False Truths by Greg French. The review at http://www.flylife.com.au/library/bookr ... gerie.html gives you a bit of an idea but doesn't do justice to its vividness and intensity.


Kim