Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:21 — 63.5MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Artwork by Alex Bal
Conversation with Alexandra Bal, Aspergerian author, on highly sensitive people, sensory processing as central to diagnosis of autism and ADHD, changing environment/changing symptoms, what’s communicated through space, a spectrum of reactions to the environment, the disability movement and genealogy, the poisons of war, Genesis as propaganda for psychic split, a prohibition against self-awareness, Plato and the origins of social engineering, removal of women from social roles, the colonization of the senses, systematic invisible traumatization, language as implant, the guardian aspect of the psyche, protection against sensory overwhelming, analytical vs. holistic thinking, the insinuation of values via language, one child’s view of adults, extra-consensual perception, electromagnetic connections and the heart’s energy field, the Tibetan model of health, 84,000 channels of psychic energy, a culture of suppression, the 54 senses, knowledge-as-suppression, the one thing we know for sure, Castaneda and seeing, the three levels of seeing, acknowledging Spirit, UK Consciousness treaty, why cats meow, the secret conversations of forests, the religious mindset and the imposition of narratives, first doctors were clergy, the Vatican as the original corporation, the extended mind, boundaries and emotional incest, body armor, attachment parenting, the basic biological bond, the autonomy of language, two kinds of people, the perceptual spectrum and autism as a species response, violence as a quest for identity, the accumulated distress of generations, Jasun’s Fabian family background and socially engineered activism, how did it all begin, the choice for detox, learning to trust, the challenge of being guided by awareness.
Songs: “El Mariachi” and “Monkey Said” by The Freak Fandango Orchestra; “Possieres et Fumees,” by Sleepy John Corbeck; “The Smell of the Fields,” by Mizz Spike; “Les Animauix,” by Titan.
Some thoughts/feelings/sensations/intuitions: I can really relate to how hypersensitivity is denigrated, dismissed and even ridiculed in our society. Once upon a time I was vindicated in my very own “Princess and the Pea” moment (almost literally) with my mother and a mattress when visiting home for the holidays; however, not before enduring two restless nights, morning aches and maternal tongue-clucks at my complaints. (Mom’s fave phrase to toss at me in childhood was “You’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” after which I felt guilt-ridden and so dismissed.) I have similar sensitivity issues with sounds, smells (which incl. tastes) and barometric pressure.
On your topic of intuitive-minded children forced into analytical modes\ in our educational system: I believe both modes are of equal importance within individuals, so actually it’s the innately analytical thinkers who are disadvantaged by our skewed methods of teaching. Whether I credit a rock thrown to my eye in early childhood or my training in Method acting, I feel something brought my left-right brain thinking into somewhat better balance than the norm. It is even evidenced in my SAT scores were virtually even in both math and verbal skills.
I’ve always interpreted Jung’s notion of individuation specifically as a person’s lifelong striving to balance one’s four different “types”—thinking, feeling, sensation, intuition—within oneself. I didn’t encounter that goal in the reading of him I’ve done, but it somehow always made sense to me to balance all modes of brain power and behavior as best we can toward a more whole and integrated personhood. I feel strongly that any person who is heavily an analytical thinker and lacking in empathy would benefit greatly from sense memory exercises, i.e., Method acting training.
thanks Kat; I did acting improv for a while, but that was more about overcoming social inhibitions.
Animals are good for empathy too.
J
Improv is great for sharpening reflexes and, yes, social inhibitions. Getting on the stage as a kid is what helped me through a very shy, introverted pre-teen / tween.
And yes, indeed, pets are so important for children to have. They offer key life lessons as well as enhancing empathy.
Jason, I listened to this remarkable podcast last night in bed and just wanted to say that I’ve rarely heard a talk that had quite so profound an effect on me–and I listen to a lot of interviews. It tied in so many areas that I’ve either explored or, at one time or another, have had great relevance to my life, it was uncanny. I had shivers going up my back at certain points. I know that it’s serendipity, or grace even, that was at work, as I’m back in that ‘lets do something about this train wreck’ mode and have started to put a little bit of work into doing so. I’ve always felt like I was an emotional leper and somehow tainted with something and this interview kind of explained why others my find my kind threatening. Strange that I binge watched Bloodline (highly recommended, Ben Mendelsohn as the family scapegoat was outstanding) just a day before hearing this.
Anyhow, I just wanted to commend you for an inspiring interview, you have a talent for it. I’ll fire some spondulics your way when funds allow. I will listen again tonight and write something a bit more in depth. Oh, and before I forget, I hate being asked, ‘how are you?’ even by my friends, let alone the check-out clerk.
Thanks Joe. This is the sort of feedback that a podcaster dreams of. ; )
Jasun
Hi Jasun and Alexandra (I’ll CC this to Alexandra):
I came across Neil Kramer’s excellent work in recent months which eventually, led me to the hugely impressive interview that you recently did with him. In turn, whilst I was in the middle of exploring your other interviews, I came across this extraordinary podcast. It staggers me just how much it links to so many areas of study that have fascinated me for many years. In fact, I’m trying hard not to respond to every single topic you covered with Alexandra Bal!
I’m therefore cutting back to one main area of discussion (Autism, AD/HD and hypersensitivity), to enable me to ask if it would be OK for me to add a link to the interview on my website. Would you or Alexandra mind?
In terms of my background, I only received an AD/HD diagnosis, after a lifetime spent investigating everything I could find for answers. This also led me to develop a passion for uncovering answers to the absurdities of life in general, including the destruction of aboriginal peoples world-wide etc.
I use the site for the Adult AD/HD support group North East that I established 5 years ago, to help people like myself who have struggled with AD/HD since childhood. Although operating from an independent neurodiverity perspective, I do collaborative work with the local regional AD/HD and Autism Services (the two have just been combined) and I’m always trying to get people to look outside of the accursed medical model for support in their lives. In too many cases, people get their meds and that’s about it. The interview with Alexandra could, I am sure, be an invaluable resource for helping folks to take on board the wisdom that you both shared; in effect, opening their minds to new possibilities.
Thank you both again for one of the best interviews I have ever come across.
best wishes
bill
thanks bill; it’s sweet (& quaint) of you to ask if you can link to this! You can link to anything you like and no need to ever ask, not even in the strictest rules of netiquette, so far as I know anyway.
J
Hi Jasun:
Thank you for your very generous and kind response. Alex was fine about creating a link to the extremely useful interview you did with her too. With a bit of luck, I will be uploading it to the Adult AD/HD support group site shortly. I don’t appear to have your abilities to make a website look so professional and stunning! Never mind, I’m sure I’ll embed the correct code in the fullness of time!
Thanks again. You and Alexandra raised so many relevant points raised in terms of AD/HD and Autism that people need to hear about. As an independent grass roots support group, your podcast will prove be useful to stimulate discussions across the area, based on Alex’s brilliant research., especially with folks in the mental health Trust who are now (after a long pilot stage) able to offer a fully commission AD/HD and Autism service across the NE UK region.
best wishes
bill
PS: Well done too for having such an interesting range of guests. I’m gradually working my way through all of your podcasts; and, I’m finding brain cells suddenly waking up, fully refreshed and regenerated which I assumed were long dead due to their previous lack of neural nutrition!
Thanks for that response. Knowing such, a liminalist enters his house (or wherever his hat is) justified.
A truly enlightening and enlightend chat man. I’m glad someone else out there picked up on the fact that animals are indeed conscious beings and are highly intelligent in some ways. I grew up in this current media enviroment always hearing how man is the only being that can think, and half way believing it when I was younger, but also found myself having serious doubts about it in a sort of double-mind breach lol.
My cats know not to jump up on me while I’m eating, and I see them go for it and then immediately put the breaks on when they see what I’m doing. All the proof I need that animals think haha.