Having been a repeat mental health system patient Ive been put through their ideas of meditatation, well meant Im sure but quite unsuitable for my autistic hypersensitivity. The one where they get you to focus on a part of the body, say for eg the right foot, note it, park it, move on to left foot, and so on. I just cannot do this. When I notice a sensory input I have no way of just switching it off in order to “move on”. Each morning I spend over 60 minutes dealing with internal and external sensory overload, so as to focusing on one area, then stilling it, then noticing another - it is quite impossible.
Another bad one is when the facilitator takes you to their simplistic idea of a peaceful place. If its a beach I notice sand irritation between my toes, the wind hurting my eyes, the bitter taste of salt. then Im often told to picture myself in a wood, well when I do i its all pollen and stinging nettles and bracken and brambles and heck its all hurt and tangle
Why assume everyone loves nature? Its a cliche, give me urban concrete and cities, motorways, mines, factories and our post-industrial “red wall” northern conurbation any day. Yesterday I was trying to explain why the huge Magnox power station cubes at Heysham are to me beauty with their straight east striiding pylons of four core. We all have our own personal definitions of beauty and peace
Anyone here who facilitates meditation please note!
Alice
