neurotic behaviour autism and Buddhism

Recently, I have been thinking about how negative neurotic behaviours seem, so often, to be intrinsically linked to people's autistic identities.  It seems that the threads on this forum are dominated by negative experiences, hardships, and overwhelming emotions. People often describe negative states of mind as if they are fixed aspects of an autistic identity.

As a Buddhist, I practice transforming negative emotions through meditation. I sometimes wonder to what extent autism fits with the idea of Buddhism. As an autistic person, do I just have more negativity to work with? And (hypothetically) if I were to transform all my negativity and become enlightened, would I still be autistic? What would an enlightened autistic person look like? 

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  • I wouldn't call myself negative. I do experience anxiety but, apart from a period of about 18 months after a severe burnout, I have been able to cope with it. I suspect there are many threads from people who are not coping because they come here having exhauted other channels of help - largely because there is so little or limited support. 

    I tried Buddhist practices decades ago but they didn't work for me. I'm lucky enough to be able to organise my whole house as a calm place.I don't think enlightenment would alter your brain any more than it would your body. I'd be more intrigued by wondering whether samsara rebirth would change your brain as well as your body. Does the self migrate through rebirth? And how far can the self be separated from autism, as it is part of the structure of our mind, which is our self?

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  • I wouldn't call myself negative. I do experience anxiety but, apart from a period of about 18 months after a severe burnout, I have been able to cope with it. I suspect there are many threads from people who are not coping because they come here having exhauted other channels of help - largely because there is so little or limited support. 

    I tried Buddhist practices decades ago but they didn't work for me. I'm lucky enough to be able to organise my whole house as a calm place.I don't think enlightenment would alter your brain any more than it would your body. I'd be more intrigued by wondering whether samsara rebirth would change your brain as well as your body. Does the self migrate through rebirth? And how far can the self be separated from autism, as it is part of the structure of our mind, which is our self?

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