#acquired ­savant syndrome

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

A Brain Injury turned him into a Math Genius

Jason Padgett had dropped out of Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, and was a self-described “goof” with zero interest in academics, let alone math. The only time he dealt in numbers was to track the hours until his shift ended at his father’s furniture store, tally up his bar tab, or count bicep curls at the gym.

With his mullet, leather vest open to a bare chest, and skintight pants, he was more like a high-school student stuck in the 1980s — even though it was 2002, and he was a 31-year-old with a daughter. He would race his buddies in a freshly painted red Camaro. His life was one adrenaline rush after another: cliff-jumping, sky-diving, bar-hopping. He was the “life of the party.” The guy who would funnel a beer before going out and would slip a bottle of Southern Comfort in his jacket pocket to avoid paying $6 for mixed drinks.

Party time came to end the night of Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at a karaoke bar near his home. There, two men attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground as the two men punched and kicked him, stopping only when he handed over his worthless jacket. He was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed a bruised kidney. He was released that same night.

The next morning, while running the water in the bathroom, he noticed “lines emanating out perpendicularly from the flow. At first, he was startled, and worried. Days went by, but the visuals remained. Padgett, who had scored relatively high on IQ tests in elementary school but reached only pre-algebra in high school, soon became “obsessed with every shape in my house, from rectangles of the windows to the curvature of a spoon.” When he looked at numbers, colorful shapes superimposed over them. He stopped going to work and began to read anything he could get his hands on about math and physics. He developed a fascination with fractals and pi.

The doctors called what happened to him a “profound concussion.” Little did they know just how profound it was. Padgett is one of only 40 people in the world with “acquired ­savant syndrome,” a condition in which prodigious talents in math, art or music emerge in previously normal individuals following a brain injury or disease.

There were downsides that came along with the new Padgett. Once gregarious and outgoing, he now refused to leave the house. He nailed blankets to the window and refused visitors. He became obsessed with germs and washed his hands until they were red and raw. He couldn’t even hug his own daughter until she washed her hands. He began to fear that this wasn’t a gift at all — that it all was a sign of mental illness.

Padgett reached out to Wisconsin psychiatrist Dr. Darold Treffert, the world-recognized expert on savantism who had studied Kim Peek.  Via e-mail — and later in person — Treffert diagnosed Padgett with acquired savant syndrome, one of only 30 people identified at the time.  Padgett wasn’t alone, and this comforted him. He tore the blankets off the windows and enrolled in a local community college. 

He is now an author, artist and mathematician. 

#Jason Padgett #medical mysteries #medical conditions #acquired ­savant syndrome #unsolved

[dailyunsolvedmysteries-movedd]

A Brain Injury turned him into a Math Genius

Jason Padgett had dropped out of Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, and was a self-described “goof” with zero interest in academics, let alone math. The only time he dealt in numbers was to track the hours until his shift ended at his father’s furniture store, tally up his bar tab, or count bicep curls at the gym.

With his mullet, leather vest open to a bare chest, and skintight pants, he was more like a high-school student stuck in the 1980s — even though it was 2002, and he was a 31-year-old with a daughter. He would race his buddies in a freshly painted red Camaro. His life was one adrenaline rush after another: cliff-jumping, sky-diving, bar-hopping. He was the “life of the party.” The guy who would funnel a beer before going out and would slip a bottle of Southern Comfort in his jacket pocket to avoid paying $6 for mixed drinks.

Party time came to end the night of Friday, Sept. 13, 2002, at a karaoke bar near his home. There, two men attacked him from behind, punching him in the back of the head, knocking him unconscious. He fell to the ground as the two men punched and kicked him, stopping only when he handed over his worthless jacket. He was rushed to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed a bruised kidney. He was released that same night.

The next morning, while running the water in the bathroom, he noticed “lines emanating out perpendicularly from the flow. At first, he was startled, and worried. Days went by, but the visuals remained. Padgett, who had scored relatively high on IQ tests in elementary school but reached only pre-algebra in high school, soon became “obsessed with every shape in my house, from rectangles of the windows to the curvature of a spoon.” When he looked at numbers, colorful shapes superimposed over them. He stopped going to work and began to read anything he could get his hands on about math and physics. He developed a fascination with fractals and pi.

The doctors called what happened to him a “profound concussion.” Little did they know just how profound it was. Padgett is one of only 40 people in the world with “acquired ­savant syndrome,” a condition in which prodigious talents in math, art or music emerge in previously normal individuals following a brain injury or disease.

There were downsides that came along with the new Padgett. Once gregarious and outgoing, he now refused to leave the house. He nailed blankets to the window and refused visitors. He became obsessed with germs and washed his hands until they were red and raw. He couldn’t even hug his own daughter until she washed her hands. He began to fear that this wasn’t a gift at all — that it all was a sign of mental illness.

Padgett reached out to Wisconsin psychiatrist Dr. Darold Treffert, the world-recognized expert on savantism who had studied Kim Peek.  Via e-mail — and later in person — Treffert diagnosed Padgett with acquired savant syndrome, one of only 30 people identified at the time.  Padgett wasn’t alone, and this comforted him. He tore the blankets off the windows and enrolled in a local community college. 

He is now an author, artist and mathematician. 

#Jason Padgett #medical mysteries #medical conditions #acquired ­savant syndrome #unsolved

[jess-themess05]

Idea 16: Vanessa knows how to sew

You know, at this point my nickname should be Afton. Cause I always come back!

 

… 

*cough*

 uh moving swiftly on

 

This new idea/concept is probably my longest yet, I couldn't help but do my usual thing of trying to explain everything. I will also say that this one might not be “as good” as my other ideas so be warned. With that out of the way, grab yourself a snack/drink and strap in!

Once again, we must set the scene. Life has returned to normal for our faz fam, or at least as normal as it can be for a family consisting of mostly robots. Silver Parasol was able to find an abandoned restaurant and purchase it to give the bots a place to live. It took a bit to get used to its smaller area ( It is about the size of your average chucky cheese) but animatronics have acclimated well. The restaurant still has a lot of the same activities as the pizza plex once did, they are just a lot smaller. In some cases, such as with Monty's golf course and Roxy’s raceway, they’ve been replaced with miniature versions like mini golf and RC car racing respectively. There are a few new activities as well though such as “Chica’s cooking class'' and “Painting with Sun and Moon”. Roxy and Monty also hold “weekly challenges” and I will let you figure out what that means. (Some of you came up with some really clever ideas the last time I did this :) )

 

As for our human friends, they are doing quite well! Gregory has been doing well at school and has gotten his own little group of friends. He has developed a reputation at the school for being the kind of kid who causes trouble. Not anything bad of course, he still gets amazing grades but has from time to time crested harmless pranks that everyone finds quite amusing. Vanessa has being doing good as well. She got a promotion at work due to how high quality her work has been and she has gone on several more successful dates with Luis and are "officially" a couple. (Everyone is happy for her, though Gregory still takes some slight joy at how flustered Vanessa gets whenever he asks about their dates. Once a gremlin always a gremlin)

 

Now, something that is important to mention is how Vanessa has been dealing with the memories of being under mind control. It isn’t just her memories; these also include all of Vanny’s memories. (While under mind control Vanessa didn’t see everything that Vanny saw or did. Vanny would only have her be aware of what was going on when SHE wanted Vanessa to see something, which normally meant murders ). Allow me to attempt and explain.

(if you don’t want to read all this, scroll until you see the asterisk*) 

When Vanessa was first freed she tried to just not think about her memories of that time and tried to live in the present. This proved to be a bad idea since the events of idea 10 kept happening. What I mean by this is that Vanessa would see something in the present that felt vaguely familiar, such as a child alone in the pizzaplex, and it would trigger one of Vanny’s memories. From there, Vanessa would be forced to watch the memory play out, which usually consisted of a child being murdered. Then she would come out of the memory in the midst of a panic attack. After a few months of this, she realized that this wasn’t the way to go about this. So, after the events of idea 12, she decides to try dealing with these bad memories in a different way. Her new method is to, just, think about them. Get used to the fact that they exist so she doesn't get overwhelmed by them when she sees something familiar. They are still bad, and she will never not feel guilty about the actions that take place in them, but it does help reduce the amount of pain that they cause to a point that she can live with them.

 

Through this methodic remembering Vanessa discovers that she also has access to Vanny’s memories that, other than having very bad implications, aren't really that bad. One of these series of memories is of Vanny creating that suit she wore  (btw it has long since been burned, it was one of the first things that the Faz fam did together after “that night”) As such one of the skills Vanessa now has is sewing. She had known Vanny could sow for a while now, she had found a sewing kit in her room after she was freed and easily figured out the connection. Up until now though Vanessa herself hadn't attempted to use it since she didn't remember how to. Even though she now knows how to sew, she hasn’t used this skill for 2 main reasons. Firstly, it reminds her of Vanny, though this reasoning has been getting a lot less strong as time goes on; and secondly, she hasn’t had much of a reason to use this skill at all… until now.

 

*TLDR Vanessa basically got Acquired Savant Syndrome , without the necessary physical head trauma.

 

The situation arises on a normal day while Gregory was at school hanging out with his friends. They decide to challenge him to a contest during recess, who can climb a tree to a certain branch the fastest. Gregory, being… well Gregory, immediately accepts (it would seem Roxy and Monty have been rubbing off on him) and is off to the tallest tree in the yard before they even decide on a prize. He climbs the tree and reaches the lowest main branch in around 15 seconds, much to the amazement of the children in the yard. 

 

However, in their collective excitement, the children failed to notice that the branch  Gregory is standing on has rotten and died. So after a few seconds, it breaks under the load  and Gregory begins falling to the ground. Thankfully his shirt manages to catch one of the smaller branches, slowing his fall but ripping his shirt in the process. He lands on the ground and, aside from some small cuts and bruises, is completely fine. The same cannot be said for his shirt though, the branch has made a tear from the bottom to the arm sleeve.

 

It should be stated that this particular shirt means a lot to him, it is one of the last possessions that he has from his old life, the one where his mother was still alive. The reason he knows this goes back several months, back to just a few days after “that night.” One of the first things that Vanessa and Gregory had done together was try and find his old house. They had done this to see if anything was still there and, if there was, take it back to Vanessa’s apartment so that Gregory would feel more “at home”.  

 

The 2 of them had found that the house had been claimed by the city since the owner, Gregory’s mother, had been found dead and she had had no living adult relatives. All of the possessions that were inside the house had been sold or given to charity in accordance with Utah state law . In a nutshell, all Gregory has from his old life are memories and the clothes he was wearing. It might seem kind of silly to a stranger, but the Faz fam knows how important it is to him. Besides, people tend to form emotional attachment to inanimate objects in real life (especially after traumatic events), so I think this might be plausible.

 

 Anyways, after picking himself off of the ground and reassuring the others that he is all fine, Gregory looks down at his special shirt and realizes that it is ruined and he thinks that Vanessa will likely have to throw it away. He really doesn’t want this to happen due to how much the shirt means to him, so he decides to try and repair it. After recess ends he grabs some duct tape, goes into a bathroom and tapes up the shirt. He hopes that the temporary repair will fool Vanessa long enough for him to try and find a more permanent fix for his shirt.

 

Vanessa isn’t home yet as she had to work late that day. (The company is planning on pushing out a new DLC that is based on the new restaurant the PizzaPlex animatronics now occupy as a way to advertise the place. So everyone is working a bit harder to get the update ready for release.) Gregory is about to take advantage of this and toss his ruined shirt into his room and put on a new one when he notices Freddy watching him, in his plush form. Freddy asks what he is doing, which means that Gregory has to explain the situation to him. He is just finishing up his explanation when he hears the door unlock, Vanessa has already returned from work. 

 

She enters and is in the middle of asking how his day was when she turns to look at him. She stops speaking, seeing him covered in scrapes and bruises and wearing a torn shirt. Vanessa, trying to remain calm and not get TOO worried, asks what happened to him. Before Gregory can even attempt to craft a response that downplays what actually happened, Freddy answers with “Gregory fell from a tree!” in a tone of voice that sounds like he is discussing the weather.

 

For several seconds nothing happens, then Vanessa fully processes what Freddy has just told her and launches into “doting parent” mode. She kneels down to Gregory and starts checking him over whilst asking him multiple questions about his well being. Gregory manages to calm Vanessa down after reassuring her that he is fine. Now a lot calmer, Vanessa notices that his shirt is ripped and the duct tape on it, prompting her to ask him what he planned to do with it. Gregory defeatedly tells her that he was going to try and fix it.

 

Vanessa remains silent, thinking. She knows how much this shirt means to him, and doesn’t want to get rid of it or have it not be wearable anymore. She wonders if she might be able to fix it herself, and then remembers that sewing kit and the memories of Vanny making the suit. Vanessa realizes that she might be able to solve this problem. So she asks Gregory if she can try and sew up the shirt for him. Gregory, who was expecting Vanessa to tell him to throw it away, is caught a bit off guard before saying yes.

 

So Vanessa takes the shirt to her room, opens the sewing kit and grabs some blue thread. She hesitates before picking up the actual needle, some of that old fear still lingering despite it being over 7 months since “that night”. Vanessa takes a deep breath and starts fixing the shirt. To her surprise she finds it to be quite easy, like riding a bike after a long break. Within an hour (idk how long this would really take lol) she has already patched up the tear and the shirt looks good as new.

 

She goes over to Gregory’s room and finds him having a conversation with Freddy about discretion “You can’t just bluntly tell people that someone fell out of a tree! You have to give them some sort of warning!” Vanessa gets their attention and shows them the patched shirt. Gregory takes his shirt, looks it over and places it on the bed. He then gives Vanessa a big ol hug while graciously thanking her for fixing it. She tells him that it was no problem, and then asks him how he even climbed the tree in the first place. 

 

That is where I will leave it, I hope you enjoyed this long boi. Again, I admit that this might not be as good as my other ideas, but I really just felt the need to write this one as it has been on my mind for a long time now.

-except with afton people don’t dread your existence!! and also you’re not a lame killer furry :)

i

i don’t think anyway

hi hi :D welcome back!! it is certainly a very long boi and i love it. some more backstory and the present events!!!

ok first thing, i had no idea acquired savant syndrome was a thing. w h a t. you’re sending me cool ideas and making me learn at the same time??? you sneaky mother fucker >:0 that’s so COOL

yknow, vanny being knowledgeable on sewing makes a lot of sense! for one, her actual costume has comically large stitches most likely for fashion purposes, but also... i can’t imagine killing rambunctious children is gonna make for an easy job. most likely ending up with resistance, futile resistance but still a struggle i assume! so repairing said costume is gonna come in handy, bonus points cause it’ll just make more cool patterns on your furry suit! yippee!!

also i really like the idea of vanessa just needing to face her problems head on sometimes, never really good to bottle it up and ignore it huh? with her situation constantly avoiding triggering situations (ex. needing to help a lost child, using a knife, you get the point) once you are unable to avoid the situation it will be much more stressful, so dealing with these in a more controlled environment, and not when you are freaking out, can certainly help!

again i have to point out i just. love how you provide resources for certain things, like here you linked an article about acquired savant syndrome, and also a form about utah state law?? once again, dedication.

i think this prompt is super sweet :] the only thing gregory has of his past life is the literal shirt on his back, and finds comfort in the familiarity of it, so when it rips it’s especially heart breaking. also i still love the idea of freddy basically becoming a fred bear plush that’s- that’s amazing i love it. just this stupid little plush with the deep voice of mister freddy fazbear himself

anyways. vanessa going full doting parents mode is fantastic and i dearly hope to see more of that, especially if freddy is going to be so apathetic about when gregory is harmed in anyway. “Hello Vanessa! How are you? Gregory is in a neck brace and his kneecaps are shattered :)” THATS NOT HOW YOU TELL SOMEONE BAD NEWS. YOU ARE MADE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. THOUGH NOT ENOUGH INTELLIGENCE APPARENTLY. he’s so stupid love that for him.

i’m getting distracted, despite vanessa’s hesitation she still offers to fix his shirt due to his sentimentality with it, like the girl boss she is, especially since she’s dealing with *having to act similarly to your alternative stabby personality* but also dealing with a sharp object, sure it’s not a knife but i could still imagine that being triggering! very proud of her for facing her fears once again, you go bestie, and she gets a hug and a positive reaction from gregory :D that’s a win in my book (maybe going through the traumatic event in the first place and having to heal over said trauma isn’t good but yknow we’re looking at the positives)

thank you once again for sending your thoughts this way!! i look forward to hearing from you again :]

#wake up besties new promt just dropped #halogenrobotics #i wanted to abbreviate acquired savant syndrome #but that would just be A.S.S. #shawty got ASS without the brain trauma #good for her

[boredwithmythoughts]

The simplest cure for imposture syndrome I found for the work place (or anything that someone sees you as an expert in really) is to talk to the average person (or the new guy at work) about what it is you feel like an imposture about.

Because hoooohboy, realizing your passive experience is a kicker when you explain why something should be done that you think is common knowledge and everyone looks at you with that blank yet panicked look in their eyes with the thought floating behind them going "how do you KNOW all of this?" And it's like... I thought this was basic knowledge ? But apparently I'm actually knowledgeable at my job?

#could also be im an idiot savant in some matters #or could be people are just stupid and lack common sense #ive impostered this syndrome for the last time #also turns out competency is passively acquired much like acceptance of my presence around others

[it-is-only-a-novel]

Neurodivergent: a list

A list of those who are included under the "neurodivergent" label.

Applied Neurodiversity

Dyscalculia

Dysgraphia

Dyslexia

Dysnomia

Dyspraxia

Dissociative disorders

Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DpDr)

Dissociative amnesia

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

Other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD)

Unspecified dissociative disorder

Eating disorders:

Anorexia nervosa

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)

Binge-eating disorder

Bullimia nervosa

Pica

Mental illnesses:

Anxiety

Delusional disorder

Depression

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Personality Disorders:

Cluster A:

Paranoid personality disorder

Schizoid personality disorder

Schizotypal personality disorder

Cluster B:

Antisocial personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Histrionic personality disorder (HPD)

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)

Cluster C:

Avoidant personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Other:

Personality change due to another medical condition

Personality disorder not otherwise specified (PD-NOS)

personality disorder trait specified (PD-TS)

Tic disorder

Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder

Tourette syndrome

Transient tic disorder

other

Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI)

Angelmans Syndrome

Auditory processing disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Body integrity identity disorder (BIID)

Bipolar disorder

Depersonalization-derealization disorder (DPDR)

Down syndrome

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)

Fragile X syndrome

Hyperlexia

Intellectual disability

Irlen Syndrome

Meares-Irlen Syndrome

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Obsessive love disorder (OLD)

Pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS)

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS)

Prosopagnosia

Savant Syndrome

Schizophrenia

Synesthesia

Williams Syndrome/Williams Beuren Syndrome

This is by no means a full list.

If you: see that I'm missing something, or

want me to rephrase something, or

have a resource to share, or

have a suggestion for organizing the list

please let me know in the comments/rebloggs.

I'm autistic and I love making lists. I also hope it may help spread awareness about neurodivergent people!

I am not an expert. But I do believe that we should be careful to include people in the neurodivergent umbrella. We are stronger together.

Updated: 9/2/24

#neurodivergent #personality disorder #npd #bpd #hpd #autism #adhd #intellectual disability #down syndrome #schizophrenia #schizoid #depression #anxiety #ptsd #cptcd #dysgraphia #dysnomia #dyscalculia #dyslexia #paranoid personality disorder #Antisocial personality disorder #ocd #abi #biid #did #bipolar disorder #tourette syndrome

[trickster-spirit]

the theory of consciousness as an evolved sensory experience

current model: previously nonexistent senses, and thus sensory experiences, evolutionary appeared at finite points within earth's finite history. the arrival of new senses, sight for instance, constituted a paradigm shift in the way that life forms interacted with the environment and each other. alternative theory of human consciousness: perhaps such things that make humans an "intelligent" species (i.e. consciousness, symbolism, language, etc.) are simply a sense that has appeared from the sensory organ of our brain and nervous system. perhaps we evolved to sense a sort of inherent force within the universe, and that in perceiving, we became inextricably linked with it. could it be that conscious is the sense of the universal one, the singular energy that flows through, between, from, and into all things? Brahma? YHWH? whatever name the religions of the world have deemed fit to dub the universal consciousness of Jung? perhaps our individuality is not due to any inherent purpose of our soul, but rather stems from our sensory organ's individuality, and our life from the perspective of a living mortal being in a state of physical isolation in relation to other beings. this theory being true would go a long way toward solving particular puzzles surrounding consciousness. for instance, the phenomenon of acquired savant syndrome, where a person sustains a severe head injury, and seemingly develops a mastery of a skill overnight. perhaps the sensory organ being disrupted changes its perception of the sense of consciousness. if this is the case, it would mean that our experience of consciousness is somewhat illusory, but also concretely real. we can measure the amount of thoughts we have, we can measure the time that we experience anxiety. consciousness is measurable, and therefore within the realm of reality as science sees it. however its nature and relation to reality has remained unexplained. should consciousness prove to be a sensory adaptation allowing us to experience a universal energy, it should be the case that the sensory organ (our brain), and thus our access to the observable reality of consciousness will continue to develop even further as we continue to evolve. when eyes first evolved, they were rudimentary, simply a way to tell light from dark, with little distinction between what that means. as they developed further, soon the ability to distinguish shapes appeared, and so on, then color could be sensed and other stranger spectra. are we simply witnessing the beginning of this sense of consciousness' evolutionary path? consider our rapid and all-encompassing shift to civilization (not going to put a date to that, because i am personally no longer firmly persuaded on the certainty of any date about the actual epoch of civilization's arrival). what happened to human consciousness when writing appeared? an explosion of symbolism, languages, arts, sciences, mathematics. all of these function from a single process available to us from the sense of consciousness. symbolism. what other things consciousness may produce for our sensory experience is difficult to say with any degree of credibility. to speculate would be as fruitful as imagining a new color. yet, if consciousness is a sense, it stands to reason that it may (and more than likely will) continue to evolve, and in a dizzying array of varieties as well.

#trickster-spirit #just trying to solve consciousness #don't mind me #original philosophy #philosophy #theory #theories #spirituality #consciousness #hypothesis #i have a hypothesis #my hypothesis

[spayki]

Savant syndrome is a condition in which an individual with a developmental disorder has exceptional intellectual gifts in one or more specific areas like, enhanced memory. Often, these individuals are on the autism spectrum. The condition can be congenital, or can be acquired later in childhood, or even in adults. Typically, a particular skill occurs singularly in each person with savant syndrome. However, in some instances multiple skills occur in the same person. Regardless of the type of skill, it is always combined with exceptional memory.

[thorkidumpster]

every time i hear about acquired savant syndrome, they’re always like mAbYe ThErE’s GeNiUs In Us AlL and i’m left thinking. what’s my hidden genius? other people get cool shit like musical/mathematical talent or an ability to create amazing art. but knowing my luck i’d be over in the corner like I CAN TELL A CAT’S BREED FROM A SINGLE STRAND OF FUR

[zerogate]

Treffert theorizes that savant abilities arise from a process he calls the three Rs: recruitment, rewiring and release. Damage occurs within the cortex of one brain hemisphere, either congenitally or through trauma, causing the recruitment of undamaged areas to compensate. Rewiring occurs, and the dormant ability in the newly wired area is released. Support for this theory comes from individuals with acquired savant syndrome, people who suddenly manifest extraordinary abilities after a traumatic injury or a catastrophic medical event such as a stroke.

One example of such an individual is Jason Padgett, who was attacked and mugged while out with friends. He sustained a blow to the back of his head causing damage to the right hemisphere, which profoundly altered how his brain worked. As the left hemisphere rewired to compensate, the algebra dropout could now understand math and physics and was able to see mathematical geometric patterns in everything he observed (another form of synesthesia). This case, and others like it, reveals far greater plasticity of the adult brain in its ability to heal and rewire itself than initially thought.

-- Christian Smith, The Scientist and the Psychic

#quotes

[toastkingofbread]

Im the part of acquired savant syndrome they dont tell you about

[pointreyesjournal]

The Amnesiac : ep21

Drawing From Serotonergic Hyperactivity

We’re all gathered around the coffee table, Henrik, Emma, River, Me and Doctor David Hoover, Department Chair, UC Berkeley College of Psychology and resident expert in the illicit distribution of psilocybin mushrooms.

“There’s some debate amongst the academic community about acquired savant syndrome and the use of psilocybin mushrooms” says Dr. Hoover. “I’d point to Serotonergic Hyperactivity as a potential factor in acquired drug-induced synesthesia.”

“What does that mean doc?”

“It means the synesthesia you experienced was chemically identical to a traumatic brain injury. Following a brain injury the dead brain cells are flooded with serotonin, which can cause the acquired savant syndrome you experienced.”

“So it’s true about drugs killing brain cells?”

“No. You see, that’s the beauty of this whole experiment. Psilocybin induces the synesthesia without the cell death by dumping serotonin into your healthy brain. It was - relatively speaking - harmless.”

“I don’t think harmless is exactly the right term” River chimes in. Dr. Hoover doesn’t know about the purple butt plug incident, therefore isn’t able to contextualize the comment so he just responds to her in a scholarly way. “You’re exactly right River, any treatment modality runs the risk of side effects or comorbidity, but these risks are statistically insignificant.”

Clearly, he nor anyone else in the group has any idea what happened physically between us last night, so River smartly just lets his comment pass and moves onto the more pressing question. What do the pictures mean?

The Drawings

#1

The front side of the first drawing features River sitting nude with legs crossed in the lotus position. Hair covers her breasts, and Dave Jr., my dead potted fern is between her legs obstructing the view of her private parts. The back side shows River, head to toe, walking toward me with a creek underfoot through a narrow, vertical-walled canyon, heavily vegetated with ferns. She’s dressed in jeans, big waffle stomper hiking boots with red laces and a cozy looking off-white sweater.

#2

The front side of the second drawing features River standing in my living room wearing one of my old red flannel shirts and no pants. The back side is, oddly, a bearded man, possibly Henrik, wearing the same old red flannel shirt and standing next to a big blue dog.

#3

The front side of the third drawing is a close up portrait of River’s face, hair parted slightly to the side. It is very flattering, in bright pastel colors and highlighting her bright blue eyes. The back side is the same portrait, but dark brown as if River was a statue carved out of wood. Her eyes are cold and lifeless. It is haunting, bordering on disturbing.

#4

The front side of the fourth drawing leaves nothing to the imagination anatomically. It is a graphic close-up sketch of River’s private parts. The back side looks like an ocean of water pouring into a hole. Like someone pouring the entire ocean into someone’s anus.

#5

The front side of the fifth drawing features River laying nude on my wood floor, surrounded by a rainbow of cartoonishly drawn flowers. Those same cartoonishly drawn flowers are still decorating my floor, there is a blank space the shape of a chalk body outline where River’s body once laid. On the back side, River is laying, once again in her big off-white sweater, in a field of perfectly drawn tulips in a rainbow of vivid colors.

#6

The final image features another close-up of River’s face, but this time hidden behind a silver camera. Henrik immediately recognizes it as a Leica M camera, but is unable to distinguish the exact model or vintage. Unlike the other images, the back side is seemingly independent from the front side, this time showing the main street of a fairytale Bavarian village.

—

“Clearly River is an allegory, emblematic of something or somewhere, I’m just not sure what that something or somewhere is. Does anyone recognize these locations?” says Henrik. The only person who recognizes a location is Dr. Hoover. “The back side of print #4, that looks like Thor’s Well. I’m certain of it. But I don’t recognize anything else, and they don’t seem to have any commonality beyond River’s presence.”

I drew the images, and even after extensive review, I can’t make sense of where, why or how these images are related to each other, nor can I discern any meaning. The drugs were supposed to eliminate my amnesia not exacerbate it. But I find myself staring at a bunch of images that aren’t bringing me any closer to solving the mystery of my disappearance. Worse is that Dr. Hoover is a annoyed that we burned through about a month’s worth of his stash in a single evening, and have really nothing to show for it.

“Guys, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think I’ve been to any of these places. Thor’s Well is the screensaver on every Amazon Fire Stick and it’s the background image of 90% of those shitty Chromebooks. That Bavarian village proves it. I didn’t magically disappear for a month to Europe. These are just places I’ve seen on the internet. I doubt they’re real memories.”

I can see that Henrik is really trying to solve the puzzle. His head is tilted to the side slightly and he’s chewing on his bottom lip. Then I see his eyes light up. “Floody, where did you say your phone was?” he queries.

“It’s gone missing.”

“Is it an iPhone? Do you use iCloud?” Henrik asks.

“Yes.”

“Floody, use the Find My Phone locator from your iCloud account!”

“You can do that?”

“Yes, of course. Fetch your laptop!”

I put my laptop on the kitchen bar near the espresso machine and let Henrik drive. He opens the web browser, then navigates to iCloud, and clicks to find my devices.

“Floody, your phone is in Yachats Oregon. You were in Yachats Oregon! Do you know what else is in Yachats Oregon?”

“Why do I feel like you’re about to say Thor’s Well?”

#amnesiac #pacific grove #first person narrative #romance novels #lighthouse boulevard #thors well

[theaspieworld]

🌟✨💡 Here are five common myths about Asperger's Syndrome! 💡✨🌟 🚫❌ Myth 1: Asperger's Syndrome is just a label for shy or socially awkward individuals. ❌🚫 Asperger's Syndrome, now classified under Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is more than just shyness or social awkwardness. It's a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social interaction, communication, and behavior patterns. Let's break this misconception! 👥❤️ Myth 2: People with Asperger's Syndrome lack empathy. ❌🧠🤝 Actually, individuals with Asperger's can experience and express empathy. However, their difficulties in understanding social cues might make their empathic responses seem different. Let's promote understanding and empathy for all! 🌟🌠 Myth 3: All individuals with Asperger's Syndrome have savant-like abilities. 🎵📚 While some individuals may have exceptional skills in specific areas, not everyone with Asperger's possesses savant-like abilities. Let's embrace the unique strengths and talents of individuals with Asperger's without imposing stereotypes. 🕒⏳ Myth 4: Asperger's Syndrome is a childhood disorder that disappears with age. ❌🌱🌳 Asperger's Syndrome is a lifelong condition. While individuals can develop coping mechanisms and acquire social skills, the core characteristics persist into adulthood. Let's support individuals with Asperger's in their journey to lead fulfilling lives. ⚧️💜 Myth 5: Only males can have Asperger's Syndrome. ❌🚹🚺 Asperger's Syndrome occurs in both males and females, although historical biases and diagnostic criteria have led to underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis in girls and women. Let's challenge gender stereotypes and ensure accurate understanding and support for all. #DiverseSpectrum #AutismAwareness #AspergersMythsBusted #EmbraceTheDifferences #AutismAcceptance #AspergersUnveiled

#IFTTT #Instagram

[oracleofmadness]

Mike Brink is one of the rare people who, after suffering a brain injury, develops Acquired Savant Syndrome. Basically, he's a bit of a genius. Especially when it comes to solving and creating puzzles.

When Mike Brink meets Jess Price, a convicted murderer, he finds the strangest and most difficult puzzle yet.

This book is a bit mind-boggling, with religious and scientific additions to the plot. Plus, I will never forget these creepy dolls!!! I really enjoyed this one and had a lot of fun just looking at these puzzles.

Out June 13, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

#book #bookish #books #bookworm #book review #currently reading #read #bookblogger #reading #thrilling #thrillers #mystery and suspense #mystery books #The Puzzle Master #Danielle Trussoni #netgalley

[mouthofthelion]

Is Acquired Savant Syndrome Proof That We're All Geniuses? | Gaia

https://www.gaia.com/article/acquired-savant-syndrome

[poggersbathwater]

Been doing some late night scrolling on YouTube shorts and I get a short about Acquired Savant Syndrome, a rare syndrome where someone becomes very intelligent after a brain injury, stroke, or even surgery. And, as a Danganronpa fan, it reminds me of Miu Iruma's backstory (she got into a bad car accident, went into a coma, and had surgery. Which, after said surgery, she gained a bunch of ideas for inventions* that she didn't have and she became very intelligent). I did some more digging, and the realization hit. Miu may have Acquired Savant Syndrome. While a lot of cases involve more musical effects (ex: Derek Amato, one of the few people to have this syndrome, gained a lot of musical talent after getting a head injury at the shallow end of a pool), cases of people gaining intelligence when it comes to mathematics has been reported.

While I'm not exactly sure if my theory is correct, let alone accurate, I've done a bit of research and I have stuff that can back up my theory. Honestly, some doctors don't even believe this syndrome exists, so take all this with a GIANT bag of salt. I'm literally just a middle schooler that unintentionally fell down a rabbit hole, I'm not a doctor or a professional.

I'm not sure if this theory is original or not, or if it's canon or not. I don't exactly keep track of this fandom anyway.

*the screenshot below further connects this specific part of her story

#miu iruma #danganronpa #this is so dumb #what am i doing here

[wimpydave]

What is Acquired Savant Syndrome? | STUFF THEY DON'T WANT YOU TO KNOW

#youtube