Saturday, January 14, 2012

Dreaming on the Spectrum


Lately, I have found myself to be preoccupied with my subconscious.  Maybe that's because I have remembered so many of my dreams lately.  I find my dreams to be especially entertaining at times. A few weeks back, someone asked me if I would sing Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," while playing the piano.  I said sure.  Never mind that I can't sing, or that I have no experience playing the piano. I was disappointed that I woke up before I got a chance to play.

My dreams are very vivid to me and I have remembered dreams that I have had as a child.  One particular dream was of a bridge to some sort of a houseboat.  I remembered the feeling of urgency more than anything else.  There was something that I really needed to do, but I woke up before I could do it.  That dream is from the time when I was nonverbal.  It has been retained for all that time, but it is nothing more than a few brief images.  This is probably my oldest dream that I can still recall.

Some dreams have repeated themselves over and over again in my mind.  When I was thirteen, I watched the dark comedy film "Tremors."  It was one film that really scared me.  I have had nightmares about those monsters for years.  Even now, when I can watch the films without being frightened, I still have those dreams.  My latest one was last week.

Those on the autism spectrum have enormous creative potential.  If my dreams are any indication, that potential can be recognized through the sleeping exploration of the subconscious. Are you on the spectrum or off?  Are my dreams any different than yours?  Does the fact that my mind works differently because of my autism change the way that I dream?  Are those off the spectrum really any different than those who are on the spectrum?  My autism is very mild, do those with severe autism dream any differently?  Just something to think about.

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