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What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

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Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#21

Post by kerryfalk »

e12e wrote: post #18
qewrffewqwfqew wrote: post #5

The sort of post-TMS emotional hypersensitivity he describes is "normal"? On one hand I wonder if I'm further on the spectrum than imagined and should seek help ... on the other, being overwhelmed by other folks' emotional state sounds crippling.

To me it sounds like he probably ended up on the far sensitive side of the spectrum, but well within normal. But, even if he was an adult, he didn't have the mental tools to handle the emotion - I read it as if he suddenly got the intense and open empathy children can have. You don't go to a six year old and describe the suffering of refugees in detail, because it'll give them nightmares. Just having a general idea o…

Agreed. Everything I read that he said I can relate to. They are feelings that if presented with the same situation I think I would probably feel.

I read this story thinking about how difficult it would be to go from not feeling it, to feeling it. I've spent decades learning and adapting, he had no time. That would certainly be very overwhelming.

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#22

Post by smegel »

notthemessiah wrote: post #13
smegel wrote: post #3

The biggest takeaway from this for me was...so what the hell is EM radiation from my mobile phone doing to my brain???

Cell phone radiation is typically in the GHz wave range, and rTMS, as well as most brain waves, typically between 1 and 30 Hz. They are completely different parts of the spectrum, well, so unless you are a pigeon, I don't think there's much effect.

> I don't think there's much effect

I felt more reassured when scientists were promising there was no interaction between EMR and organic matter.

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#23

Post by jonaf »

0942v8653 wrote: post #17

An article written by Robison: An Experimental Autism Treatment Cost Me My Marriage https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11313452 (26 days ago, 560 points, 313 comments)

My 2-year-old son is the happiest, sweetest little boy. He was diagnosed with autism about 6 months ago by a pediatric neurologist, who we saw because he has zero communication skills (verbal or otherwise). He is almost always remarkably happy, and we love that about him. However, as you may imagine, it's impossible to discipline him, because he doesn't understand when you are disappointed or say "no" firmly. He thinks it's funny. Everything is funny. I am not sure yet but if he can go through his entire life successfully and mostly independently, and maintain the ability to enjoy literally every waking moment so greatly, I would go so far as to say I envy his innate joy. If I could ask him, I wonder if he would want to feel disappointment or sadness the way I do.

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#24

Post by bootload »

e12e wrote: post #18
qewrffewqwfqew wrote: post #5

The sort of post-TMS emotional hypersensitivity he describes is "normal"? On one hand I wonder if I'm further on the spectrum than imagined and should seek help ... on the other, being overwhelmed by other folks' emotional state sounds crippling.

To me it sounds like he probably ended up on the far sensitive side of the spectrum, but well within normal. But, even if he was an adult, he didn't have the mental tools to handle the emotion - I read it as if he suddenly got the intense and open empathy children can have. You don't go to a six year old and describe the suffering of refugees in detail, because it'll give them nightmares. Just having a general idea o…

"I do think he's wrong about not having had a limited form of empathy: literally feeling other peoples pain is empathy. That doesn't mean he didn't care, or loved before - but it absolutely sounds like he had trouble: "understanding and entering into another's feelings"

Sort of.

Pre TMS Robison was unable to distinguish subtle facial expressions. What does this really mean? It means he could not decode other peoples facial expressions and more importantly fire the mirror neurons that allow recognition of emotion. The research mentioned is important in that it shows some linkage to mirror neurons and activation in specific sections of the brain (inferior frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and superior parietal lobe) which is the machinery unavailable to Robison before the experiment.

What does this really mean? Well the post TMS Robison recognises facial expressions and the neuronal machinery now understands how that expression effects others and acts on it. There a relationshipt with mirror neurons and facial reading ability. If you test people for facial recognition who have botox, they loose that ability to decipher emotion much like Robison.

You can view the episode Dr. David Eagleman talks to Robison about this very article on The Human Mind, Ep 5, "Why Do I Need You?" ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDR_0Co4ycU

"Then, my first job was on the crew for a rock-and-roll tour. I worked in music and sound engineering into the early ‘80s."

Remember that exploding guitar Ace Frehley used in KISS? That was all Robisons' doing ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE0RmdkR9s0

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#25

Post by proksoup »

qewrffewqwfqew wrote: post #15
proksoup wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It most certainly is, and the disarray caused by finding people to contain motivations that were hidden can radically alter relationships. Stay in the dark maybe I don't know I wish the light bulbs we already found were legal, but me myself I'm signing up if this technology becomes so and a few other folks take the risk before me first ...

> I wish the light bulbs we already found were legal Are you hinting at psychedelics? I'm familiar with their documented ability to open up different kinds of doors, but not this particular one. Colour me skeptical.

I've experienced it myself, felt identical to the author's experience, becoming aware. There's plenty of other untrustworthy anecdotal evidence[1] on the internet, but I'm not aware of any published research on the matter.

Skeptical seems a rational stance, and was mine prior to my experience.

[1] https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/1082819... (psychadelic forum posting asking about autism experience with psilocybin)

"I have aspergers syndrom myself. I feel that psychedelic drugs allow me to feel like a person without aspergers syndrom temporarily or atleast give me a feeling that mimics empathy."

"I have symptoms of aspergers, in the past they were much more prominent. I feel that psychedelics make us more aware. As we become aware corrections can be made"

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#26

Post by kauffj »

tgflynn wrote: post #16

I'm amazed by the improbability of this guy's life. He had an abusive father and a schizophrenic mother dropped out of school at 15 then worked as a sound engineer for a famous rock band, built a successful high-end auto repair business and then became a best selling author. I have to admit I was skeptical reading the article but his story seems to check out ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Elder_Robison ). I won…

I work with John's son, Jack, on LBRY (http://lbry.io). The whole Robison family is full of people with interesting stories:

- Jack went to trial as a teenager, facing 60 years (!) in prison for chemistry experiments (http://www.masslive.com/localbuzz/index.ssf/2009/06/actionre...)

- Here is John showcasing guitar for Kiss, built by whole family (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXZi4UZjiiI&t=10)

- John's brother is Augusten Burroughs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusten_Burroughs)

(this is a reposted comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11313452, but people found it interesting last time and I butter my toast with karma)

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#27

Post by superobserver »

smegel wrote: post #3

The biggest takeaway from this for me was...so what the hell is EM radiation from my mobile phone doing to my brain???

You should perhaps be more concerned about the techno-cognitive dependency you're forming by simply using it more than anything else.

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#29

Post by peterarmstrong »

jonaf wrote: post #23
0942v8653 wrote: post #17

An article written by Robison: An Experimental Autism Treatment Cost Me My Marriage https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11313452 (26 days ago, 560 points, 313 comments)

My 2-year-old son is the happiest, sweetest little boy. He was diagnosed with autism about 6 months ago by a pediatric neurologist, who we saw because he has zero communication skills (verbal or otherwise). He is almost always remarkably happy, and we love that about him. However, as you may imagine, it's impossible to discipline him, because he doesn't understand when you are disappointed or say "no" firmly. He thin…

Friendly advice: make sure that, if the time comes, you get a speech therapist sooner rather than later if the speech is delayed too much and the fact of not being able to communicate causes him distress. Early intervention helps so much, so it's great you have a diagnosis at this young age...

Re: What It’s Like to ‘Wake Up’ from Autism After Magnetic Stimulation

#30

Post by nashashmi »

Ok. Now I am going to call it. Back in the late 90s, people used to joke that you shouldn't keep cell phones at your wasteline or your "futures" will be affected. And then they would joke further that in 20 years you will have some weird people walking this earth.

Well, it is 20 years later now, and we should see the affects of this supposed cell phone radiation. If I had to guess, I would say the version of the future we were predicting is the one we live in today ... where lots of people now have autism.

The article says "magnetic" waves through the brain can "fix" autism. If magnets and electro waves are the fix, then maybe cell phone and radio waves were the cause that disturbed the brain to be this way.

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