Autism and Spirituality: Psyche, Self and Spirit in People on the Autism Spectrum

by Olga Bogdashina

Olga Bogdashina argues persuasively that, contrary to popular belief, spirituality plays a vital role in the lives of many people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).


Drawing on interdisciplinary research from fields as diverse as psychology, philosophy, anthropology, linguistics, neuroscience and religion, as well as first-hand experiences of people on the spectrum, she shows how people with ASD experience their inner worlds and sense of self, and how this shapes the spiritual dimension of their lives and vice versa. She presents a coherent framework for understanding the routes of spiritual development and 'spiritual giftedness' within this group, offering insights that will inform understanding of how to support and nurture spiritual wellbeing in people with ASDs.


This book gives a voice to both verbal and non-verbal individuals on the autism spectrum whose spiritual experiences, though often unconventional, are meaningful and profound. It is essential reading for all those interested in the spiritual wellbeing of this group, including pastoral carers and counsellors, ministers of religion, spiritual leaders, parents and carers and individuals on the autism spectrum.

Genres: Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Disability, Psychology

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Andrew Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that makes clear the importance for everybody to know something about autism. It isn't just a matter of whether there are any autistic people in your lives; it's a matter of understanding ourselves. Although matters of spirituality are important in this book, many other dimensions of the person are discussed at some length to put spirituality in context. Some of the more exotic aspects of spirituality are surveyed but it turns out to be justified in this book as autistic persons are more susceptible to paranormal experiences than those without autism. The final chapter deals with the moral sense of autistic persons which tends to segue into their religious persuasions. One of the most important things one can learn from this book is that autistic people are, in the main, NOT self-centered. Actually, much of the apparent withdrawal occurs because they are TOO sensitive to the environment including the environment created by surrounding persons.

[Stephen Bedard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is by someone who is neither autistic or religious. But having said that, it is still a meaningful addition to the work of spirituality and autism. She comes at it from a psychological perspective and addresses spirituality in general, rather than Christianity. I found it helpful.

[N.J. Lysk · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an autistic person, I have always been aware I perceive the world differently than most, this book is meticulously researched love letter to neurodivergence and the gifts often missed, while also exploring the human connection to the unseen in general.

[0 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Olga Bogdashina combines intense world theory and autistic self-reports to speculate that "autism" designates a category of individuals who, by virtue of their hyperactive neurobiology, are more prone to mystical and spiritual experiences.

The problem with such an assertion is that it's neither necessary nor sufficient to describe the incredible variety of autistic experiences. Nor can the attribution of spiritual giftedness be uniquley applied to autistic people--spiritual prehension is the oldest explanans for all sorts of statistically non-normative schizotypal behaviors. Moreover, Bogdashina fails to adequately attend to autistic people's ego-dystonic valuations of their own autism. Bogdashina's conception of autistics as misunderstood spiritual savants attributes all of the struggles that autistics face to an uncaring and pathologizing neurotypical society, rather than anything inherent to autism itself. Such an unambiguously positive valuation of autism risks occluding the debilitating, frustrating and disabling aspects of autistic self-experience.