Neurodiversity and spirituality in midlife: self-exploration as part of human evolution
What I currently offer:
Explore my seasonal day retreats in the Peak District | Come to Cornwall with my for The Embodied Queen Retreat (6 nights in Nov) | Visit me in the Peak District for The Wild Connection Retreat (3 nights in June) | Yoga with me (online and IRL) |
Oh, and I launched a podcast about Spirituality
As we women get older, I have found in myself and in others that at around the 40s there seems to be a common experience. Menopause is a window of transformation. We can choose to step through it as a metamorphosis. I do think men have their own version of this too, as their hormones do drop considerably. We used to called it a midlife crisis, and I think there is some truth there that we go, shit, we are half way through if we are lucky, am I doing this life thing right?
We reassess. Even if we aren’t spiritual. We look around and go, huh, is this who I am, is this what I want?
So many of us 40 somethings are being late diagnosed with ADHD and Autism. This is because of cultural reasons such as patriarchy and expectations of how women behave; scientific understanding of neurological ‘disorders’; and so on. But remember, we used to die at this age, so maybe this midlife meltdown and reinvention is part of the human evolution story: we are literally meant to evolve and explore new realities at this point in our lives so that we can leave the world a better, more diverse place with a chance at surviving. To enable the next level of human development and evolution - as we begin to live longer we will require bigger vision to help create a more peaceful and sustainable world. A more diverse vision.
So what does spirituality have to do with this? I keep coming back to this (as my ND brain loves to make links and patterns). What is the spiritual view of ND people? Well, firstly they weren’t recognised for a long time, again this is due to scientific and psychological progress. So, say in the last 100 years we have made this huge progress forward but also it is flawed and so fast moving. The DSM-5 (the US manual for psychological disorders is highly criticised by the ND community and, even though it’s the best we have got, it’s accepted that it can only be taken as part of the story).
Spiritually and religiously are, obviously two different. things. After a quick Google, I found a few things on religion and ND. Here is what the bible says about different brains:
“As believers, we acknowledge that God created each brain uniquely. The Apostle Paul describes this diversity within the body of Christ, emphasizing that each member has a distinct role (1 Cor. 12:12–27). Source.
There is also some interesting views on the disciples out there in the old web, and this one hypothesises that Matthew was Autistic!
Although the Gospels give us relatively little information about who Matthew was or what his personality was like… [we find] Matthew quite distinctive as a person with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome and [he has] a variety of accompanying tics and anxieties. Source.
But spiritually, it may be said that some people view ND folk as coming from a different place in a previous life (as some spiritual people do have re-incarnation as a core belief) to teach us new and better ways of being:
I have always had the sense that children presenting on the Autism spectrum have been sent in to show us a new way of being. That these are especially sensitive and spiritual beings, who have lived many lifetimes and do not fit into our current systems because they know that there is another way to live; one which speaks of greater ease and freedom. Source
I have heard of the idea of Indigo children, which was a kind of paradigm shift in recent years, one attempting to understand kids who were ND; instead of seeing it as a disorder, seeing them as sensitive and gifted.
Could it be that the universe is intentionally creating ND people to help forge forward and evolve humans in a better way? I personally love this idea. I saw it today, again, on this Insta post by the fab account Neuroberrie.
In this excellent article, another author postulates that through the lens of the spiritual idea of reincarnation we can see a possibility where the Autistic person is literally having a tough time in this reincarnation as in previous lifetimes the surroundings were different:
The reincarnation perspective can offer a compassionate and understanding lens to interpret the challenges faced by individuals at different autism levels. This hypothesis suggests that, rather than being defined by their autism level, these individuals are brave souls at varying stages of a spiritual journey, gradually adapting to the profound challenges of a new environment in each reincarnation. Source
To the scientific thinker, these ideas will seem totally way out! I know that. (And, the trouble maker I am - I love it!!) But to my mind, it’s entirely possible. The article above cites several academic books that look at reincarnation from a lens of trying to disprove it, then eventually coming around it is possibility…
I think human evolution depends on scientific thinkers opening their minds to new possibility and new paradigms. And maybe Neurodivergent people have an important place here, in fact, scrap the maybe. They DO.
The future of the planet in terms of sustainability. The end of war. The cures for disease. The end of famine. These are all going to require next level thinking. And I think we can agree that many of these thinkers are going to be ND.
But what has all of this got to do with midlife unmasking?
I think it is becoming a key part of human evolution. We used to die at this age. Now we don’t. So we have to evolve if we are to move the needle forward. The status quo, as humans, is death.
Coming out - whether that’s sexually, spiritually, in your gender, in your neurodiversity. The unmaskers, if you like. These people are leading the way in human evolution. There are going to be people who resist this change, this honest growth of the human condition. But they are holding humanity back. AI, even, is a key part of this growth. (One day I said to my Reiki Master, “AI isn’t spiritual, it isn’t natural. It doesn’t have a frequency... right?!” “Why not? She said. God created it.” Mind. Blown. Guess that’s why she’s a master.). Also - see Deepak Chopra on AI - not read his new book yet but suffice to say he’s basically pro it!
They say we only use a small part of our brains. Well, by unveiling our truth, by exploring paths that are new, is surely the only way to start tapping into what is possible next?
Paradoxically, it’s often by looking back we can see timeless truths that can take us forward.
Through reconnection to the divine, through embodiment and earth based wisdom, we can go inward and find our collective conscious. One that is, despite ALL of our differences, ONE. This is why I love yoga so much. It unites us all. When we chant, or OM, or move as one in a yoga class, we are all one, despite our differences.
Isn’t that wild? That we can be this gender, that sexuality, this neurotype, etc etc, but essentially we are one consciousness. It’s an oxymoron: the more we see how different we are; we can also recognise our sameness - shared truths are what bring us together and make us feel less alone. By allowing people to express, and explore, we can stay connected. When we force people into one mould, one truth, we kill their soul, their uniqueness and that will make people sick. This causes a soul separation and trauma - and through trauma come separation. Show me a war mongering leader who isn’t traumatised!
These are some big ideas, and I only scratch the surface. But I knew there was something there to discuss about this Unmasking experience. BTW I am reading Devon Price Unmasking Autism (funny story: I saw it online and listened to a few of their videos and like them, thinking, oh, I’ll buy that book maybe when I get home. Go to my Kindle, search for it, thinking, huh, maybe I’ll buy now and read it now - I read half of it a few months ago!) Anyway, it’s excellent. Much food for thought in there - about my own story, mainly.
At the current time there is so much agginess over anyone who wants to reassess and then assert their new identity. It really triggers folk! Like, either one way - pro unmasking. Or against - the ‘oh everyone is non-binary, or ADHD, nowadays!’
I do understand the latter to some degree. I myself, have had moments when I had to examine my own prejudice around such things. They are based in fear and nostalgia. Ideas, through rose tinted glasses, that the better days were when boys were boys and girls were girls and everyone was either mentally well or mentally ill. But really, there was a lot of problems in the old days. People who say, but God made you perfectly. Yeah, I agree, he made you perfectly - EXACTLY as you are in this state right now, so go explore what God made! We are souls, travelling in a body. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. These are Earth Suits and made for the journey. We must respect them but we must also have agency over them. The body is our own to care for, nourish, explore. It’s what I believe, anyway. I personally think it’s your job to live as authentically as possible, without harming others. Diversity as a rule is good for society. It’s good in nature. It’s good in evolution.
When we embrace change, and explore who we are, I believe we are moving things forward. We each have our role in that. Whether we are unmasking, or supporting others in their unmasking, we can see it as part of human evolution. When we resist it, or deny others’ experience we are digging our heels in, fighting momentum, pushing back against the search for truth.
Exploration of what’s true, is at the essence of spirituality. And it’s also at the heart of the human experience, whether you are ND or not. It’s not like, oh, we’re ND so we are special. People are just exploring what is true for them. There’s a kind of arrogance and censorship when we say, no, you can’t explore what’s true for you. You are wrong for saying you are this, or that. WTF? When people say that you are experiencing illness or dysphoria, rather than expressing your own experience, that is subjugation, that is shutting the person down.
Whoever you are, I think the greatest thing you can do is express your truth. Can we disagree? YES. And I think it’s important to discuss, and get it wrong, and explore respectfully. As important as it is to say ‘this is me’ I think unpopular or maybe even offensive ideas need to be aired, but - and here is where the difference is - we need to listen to others whose views are different to our own.
As a yoga householder (still figuring out what that means, but I found an excellent article here), I feel like it’s my job to explore yogic spirituality in the real world - and that this be the backdrop to everything: my ND, my parenting, my career etc. A big part of this is non-attachment, known in yoga as Vairaigyha. Staying humble; not seeing material gain as the goal (it can be part of it as we need it to live!) But not the main reason). So I try to stay humble in this journey of exploration. As I explore who I am in this capacity of ND (which is my current focus in my little world, due to my son being diagnosed and now me considering my truth), I also should think: how can I give back? How can I use my experience and skills and spirituality to help move the needle forward? This has got me considering working with kids again. Working with late diagnosed adults. I know there is something here in my work specifically with other ND folk.
For now, I’ll go about my day, I will go do my Asana practice. My Sadhana, which means spiritual practice. This keeps me grounded. By the way, if you sign up to my mailing list you get a few guide to creating a Sadhana.
What do you think about my post today? How do you view Neurodiversity through the lens of Spirituality? What’s the connection? Do you think it has a place in our evolution as a species? Phew, big topic. I’ll write something silly and fun next I think!
What I currently offer:
Explore my seasonal day retreats in the Peak District | Come to Cornwall with my for The Embodied Queen Retreat (6 nights in Nov) | Visit me in the Peak District for The Wild Connection Retreat (3 nights in June) | Yoga with me (online and IRL) |
Oh, and I launched a podcast about Spirituality
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