Asperger's Syndrome
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Hi Brian
Last night I watched part II of Martin Scorsese's documentary on Bob
Dylan: No Direction Home. I must say that it was well done. Scorsese did
an excellent job. Then main point that emerged from the documentary was
that Dylan was/is an artist who simply wanted/wants to write and sing
songs and above all, do it his way. When Dylan went electric, he risked it
all but emerged larger than life. Moreover, very candid interviews with
the present day Dylan seemed to suggest that he never had a political
agenda. Interviews with Joan Baez corroborated Dylan's apolitical
statements. I would have to say that your busking allows you the same
freedom that Dylan enjoys. Of course, if Dylan had been a lesser talent
and not believed in himself, he would have failed. I was also intrigued by
Dylan's answer to a question of what his art was all about. He simply
replied that he is merely trying to find his way home. I guess we are all
just trying to just find our way home.
Hi Mead! I'll have a think about that light issue. But now, I have a question for your professional judgement:
Having watched that documentary, do you think Bob Dylan is mildly autistic?
In essence, I'm chewing on Asperger's Syndrone. My daughter has been diagnosed as having this (though personally, and privately, I kinda mistrust these sort of boxes and prefer private personality study). I suspect, however, that if a box could be laid my way? I may also fall somewhat into Aspergers.
Looking at that film, I could see Bob was entirely comfortable communicating via the channel his autism enthused him toward. But he seemed to embrace messages from the outside world only if he could apply them to his autistic world. He seemed to understand why the words were put into his songs and poetry, but he did not see any need to explain why he put them there.
Beyond the channel of his autism, I do not think he even KNEW why he put those words there.
I found the way to my daughter's mind was through the toy cars that she loved. She just loves cars - and sees them as people in a way more real than people. In fact, the way in which I introduced the outside world to her was by relating it to the world she and I built with her toy cars. ( In fact, I suspect we both preferred to create our own world quite divorced from the outside world.)
If she were ever to become famous as a singer (or whatever) and was faced by the kind of press meetings (and questions) that Bob uncomfortably faced, I think she would re-act with the same genuine confusion over trying to answer questions. Because it seemed Bob could not make the connection that the issues aroused by the questions had anything to do with his songs and the playing of music. He wrote a song and moved on, seeing little need to explain meanings.... possibly because he couldn't. Everything he had wanted to say was in the song and belonged harmonically within the channelled world his autism accepted.
Neither his modern day comments, nor his press and radio responses from the 60's, seemed contrived in any shape or form. He seemed genuinely confused by what he was being asked.
The years have given him an improved form of expression outside of his autistic world.
I share his view on art and creativity, in that spending months trying to perfect a song and package it neatly is anathema. Could have written a few songs in that time - and some of these would excite a greater personal interest. All of the transformations of Bob over the years in his style, genre and presentation fitted neatly into his own imagined world. He could not explain how they would fit into other people's worlds.
He did not see there was a reason to do this anyway.
He looked at the outside world with his art - and took a 'photograph' of it. But he could not easily explain why there was a bird in the picture flying in the distance, even though he was aware of it as he took the photograph. He could see where it fitted in the picture and the soul within recognised its crucial relevance to the picture as a whole. For him, that was enough.
He could not articulate the relevance of that bird to those outside his world - or even (possibly) to those inside his world.
Autism would render him as a loner, an outsider. There will always be parts of him the world will never see, nor understand.
So, back to the question:
Do you think Bob Dylan is mildly autistic?
Brian,
I finally have time to answer you question on Dylan. First, we must
examine the criteria for a diagnosis of autism:
1) Impaired reciprocal social interaction relative to developmental level.
2) Impaired verbal and nonverbal communication relative to developmental
level.
3) Abnormally intense and narrow interests.
These individuals often exhibit little eye contact, usually have problems
dealing with social situations, and very often exhibit an obsession with a
certain subject matter like puzzles or numbers. [or writing ten thousand
page journals-just a joke, Brian]!
Studies indicate that a number of artists and mathematicians exhibit
symptoms of autism or in some cases they are autistic.
Focusing in on Dylan. Dylan was a master writer of poems/songs and
apparently interested in little else. Through his gift of verse/song he
was able to create his own abstract world. Which I am sure was very
comforting for him. When you apply the above criteria to Dylan, he was/is
obviously autistic. Otherwise, he would not have created his beautiful and
haunting songs. I can imagine a world without Mr. Tambourine Man, Chimes
Of Freedom, and Like A Rolling Stone but it would be a far less beautiful
world. Think of all the beauty Dylan and his autistic world has given us.
My undergraduate degree was in mathematics and I found it to be very
comforting. Solving a problem or proving a theorem is much like writing
a haiku or a song. One can have order and beauty in an abstract world
which is not subject to the denigration of reality. Anytime , I
experienced a setback, I could always retreat to the safety of the world
of mathematics.
I hope that I have answered your question on Dylan. I am posting the first
two chapters of [Autism : Explaining the Enigma] by Uta Frith, one of the
world's foremost experts on autism. By the way, she is Professor of
Cognitive Development at The Institute of Neuroscience at University
College, London. If you like her writing, check the book out or buy a
copy. I am also posting a copy of {Autism in Mathematicians} by Ioan
James from The Mathematical Intelligencer 2003.
"It seems that for success in science or art a dash of autism is
essential."-Hans Asperger.
How can Asperger's Syndrome affect people?
Society expects us to focus on its formula for fulfilling expectations in life. An AS focuses in a linear and intense manner and will have difficulty mustering attention beyond that focus.
This can lead to trauma whenever society demands an AS treads too many paths beyond their focus:
15 YEAR OLD RACHEL DESCRIBES HER PROBLEMS AT SCHOOL AND CONSEQUENT PROBLEMS AT HOME
What can be done to counter this and extract the immense value that this group of people can offer society?
Well, let us link back to Rachel and read what she has to say:
RACHEL LOOKS AT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP HER?
In essence, an AS needs a gateway and a guide whenever they are required to venture into territory that is not only beyond their focus, but hitherto unnoticed as a facet or subject of life.
Of course, life experience will eventually mean they will navigate successfully enough beyond their focus without a guide, but it may be done through a biting reluctance and a very real inner terror. The guide has the effect of dispelling the terror and turning the reluctance into purpose and confidence.
The other vital ingredient is a friend who shares interests that can be found within the range of an AS individual's focus. More often, this friend would be likely to have interests that can take the AS beyond the border into new territory.
Mild Autism is becoming an essential part of the modern psyche as the media shouts and barrages us with information, while shopsigns, roadsigns, posters, callcentres, junkmail and whatever battle for our attention. 99.9% of the bombardment is trivial or irrelevant. Asperger's syndrome is a blessing to the world. It promises the production of the most essential element of a progressive society: the individual.
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