Autism and Religion: How Autism Influences Spirituality

Autistic people interpret the world differently, so why wouldn't that affect the way we interpret our spiritual lives as well? In this video, I share observations and connections I've made from my own personal experiences and how I feel they connect to the autistic community.

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I'm Tay, a married mom of 2 who was diagnosed with Autism at 31 years old. This was after YEARS of therapy (and all of the self tests in the world!). My diagnosis has brought up questions, frustration, doubt, but most importantly, a new level of self compassion and understanding.

I'm here to share knowledge, resources, and products that empower other neurodivergents (and their loved ones) to live freely and creatively. I'm not a doctor so please speak with your healthcare providers before implementing any recommendations I make on my channel.

Females are under-diagnosed due to lack of research. Please share any videos that are helpful to you so we can spread awareness and acceptance.

Music by Milky Wayvers ("Mountain")

#autism #autistic #aspergers

[surlespasdondine]

This blew my mind! I always notice that in a comment section, I'm often the one understanding two viewpoints and not judging while other people are fiercely defending their viewpoint. Never would have thought this is linked to autism.

[tallulah]

My personal experience is that I was raised Mormon, and I found that when I was religious, I took it SO much more literally and seriously than the NT people I was raised by and around. I didn't understand that most people were just sort of cherry-picking what they liked and skating by on the rest. I had a lot of cognitive dissonance, too, because what was logical to me didn't line up with what the church told me was capital T truth. Leaving the church made me freer because it removed the cognitive dissonance and made the world make a lot more sense. I do find myself relating to the Tao de Jing, and some of the tenets of Buddhism. I think we are connected in ways we can't perceive, but I don't think there's a human-like magical being that put us here.

[skylinefever]

I was shipped off to Lakeside Christian School for hellfire and brimstone sermons at age 10. It gave me nothing but years of paranoia.
I tried to do what I was supposed to feel "Saved" but it never happened. People treated me like being able to do it was my own fault.
I concluded that I was born without a God circuit in my brain, and that is why not a single day in my life could I ever feel this wonderful experience.
It took 27 years for the paranoia of hellfire and brimstone sermons to go away. Recently psychologists worked on compiling religious trauma syndrome. My only question was where those people were 25 years ago? I needed it back then.

I am convinced many of the happy Christians aren't that much different from the non Christians who can cheer themselves up with "Power of positive thinking" stuff and placebo effect.

[GordonHudson]

I am a Christian and I am autistic. I struggle with church because I feel like an inadequate outsider. I do engage with the online congregation of a local church and that works for me. Going to church tended to make me ill unfortunately.

[maggierestivo]

I was raised Episcopalian (father and maternal grandfather both Episcopal priests), and in my 40's left Christianity and became a pagan, which is what I feel I truly am, and always was. A polytheist. I have never believed in "one truth". I discovered I was autistic (Asperger's) by watching a video by a young woman who was ADD and Asperger's. (I was adopted; learned from my bio half-sister that ADD ran in the family). One of the reasons I became pagan was that I am a Medium, psychic abilities were always present in me, and from what I observed in life, Christianity was not friendly to people who had psychic abilities. Hmm...what else? Oh, yes. I'm bisexual, which is also apparently not uncommon in autistic people. Still learning, in my early 60's. Was never a Mom, though. Liked your video. Thanks for sharing it!

[sissifan]

I see more and more kids diagnosed with autism in recent years, and did some Google search today and found the increase is definitely the trend. It was 1 in 44 children in 2018, and increased to 1 in 36 in 2020. Granted the diagnose is easier and the condition is more well known by the public now than before, but I can’t help to think there’s a deeper underlying reason why we see more autistic people nowadays.

The world we are in right now is filled with confrontation, misunderstanding and diversification, etc.; and it needs more someone who live in the most common households and communities to teach people around them this simple philosophy of we are ONE.

To all the autistic people spreading this beautiful message to the world by just being yourselves, thank you. ❤Your mission is already accomplished by your existence. You are doing your best. ❤

[istarigreenman]

Hi Tay, as a Pagan my Spirituality involves different facets of nature. Thank you for doing a video on an oft ignored subject. Blessings to you.

[CartoonDaily]

Thanks for sharing, Tay. As a Christian and someone on the spectrum and with ADHD, my religious beliefs have been quite helpful in making me more compassionate with not only myself but others who walk a neurodivergent life daily…and neurotypical too of course. lol.

[MrDaydreamer]

"and i really love that the autistic community for me has been a safe place where i feel like i can explore religion and i can explore other ideas and beliefs without this feeling of being wrong or evil for believing something different than someone else"

Its because autism serves as a common identity within the autism community. This tends to smooth over things like religious differences.

[T.T.M.]

I was taken to church and dropped off as a child because my mom felt it was good for me. I went to church with my paternal grandparents whenever we visited them. I didn’t ask many questions, just went and listened. I could see that the people in my grandparents church seemed different but that was as far as my childhood journey went. As a person in my 20’s, I was unsatisfied with my life in general. I had a friend who constantly asked me to go to church and I finally did . I felt that same thing I had when going to my grandparents church as a child but this time not just that they seemed different but that I wanted to feel that as well. I have been a Christian for almost 40 years . It has helped me with the struggles in life and in being more accepting of myself and others. I went to church for years but more recently have had anxiety issues around it due to my autism so I watch various services on YouTube instead.

[leigholding]

A lady at church was recently out of mental health facility and coming off her meds. She was weeping on the floor alot. Then they had an healing meeting and she went up.... they tried casting a demon out of her she was moaning alot and leaning back but not whaling about or anything demonic. She went back to her seat after, but then she put her head down hand covered her hands over her face. Like something was wrong. She then stood up and walked away the turned around and dive bombed the ground backwards on purpose smacked her head against the ground. We were all in shock. The people asked why are you deliberately trying to hurt yourself, she said because God told me to do it. Like w.t.h dude, No don't think it's demons, I think she's going through an identity crisis. Doesn't know who she is.. and skitsaphrena has attached itself to this underlying disorder. Like a personality disorder. Disassociative identity disorder and depression. But the church doesn't know mental health only demon deliverance. Man, it's upsetting to see people get spirituality abuse on top of already unintergrated trauma

[Episcopalianacolyte]

My church has many Autistc children and adults. Even my pastor is on the spectrum. GOD is awesome.

[remygallardo]

My mother is Catholic and on the spectrum as well. She took me to church and vacation bible school but never insisted that I follow any of the teachings. She even offered to get me any religious book I wanted so I could inform myself and choose. In the end I chose none but I do love the research of different ideologies. I recognize their use as social and cultural tools and systems and communities which can, in the right situation, provide healthy routines and training for autistic individuals. It can just as easily be negative, there are plenty of horror stories out there, but I don't hold those situations as justification for the annihilation of the entire faith. At any rate I maintain I'm a religion unto myself. No text has ever matched my personal beliefs and morals and I'm fine with that. Especially because so many of them have so many parallels across the world. I'm fine with who I am and what I believe in and I wish that same peace of mind for everyone no matter how they get to it.

[NeurodiverJENNt]

The feels on always being an outside observer ❤️❤️🤗🤗

[MattStrom]

Thank you so much for indulging my video request! Usually on YouTube it feels like I'm talking to no one when I leave comments on videos (just feeding the engagement algorithm). So it feels really special to know that someone is actually listening on the other side. You handled the topic graciously.

In my previous comment, I mentioned how religion has always felt like a cerebral experience for me, rather than an emotional one. But it sounds like for you at least, you can/do experience spirituality on a more emotional plane. Is that fair to say? Obviously autism is a spectrum, but I'm trying to discover if there are similarities with how others engage with religion and spirituality.

[asphaltandtacos]

I am in the spectrum and religion has been a challenging topic. As of now I am agnostic although I pray on a somewhat inconsistent basis. When depression hits I get angry at God. Having autism coupled with bipolar has made me question the Christian faith. I have heard two preachers clearly state that anxiety, depression and mental health issues are the result of sin. They further stated that people with any of the previously mentioned conditions need God in their life and that medication is not the answer. Church leaders and Christians (in general) need to understand that mental health issues are a disease of the brain. There are people that believe that autism is the result of sin. I wish church leaders and their members would think before they speak. I really want to tell these people that God allowed these things in my life. I am really starting to think that the Bible is nothing more than a work of fiction and that the church is an institution that forces indoctrination on society as a means of control which influences how we think, act and behave.

[henriettaabeyta]

Even with Autistic issues I'm tolerant, do what you like. believe what you want to. It's the violence of the world I can't stand. But in my spirituality results I can't give up helping nature either. It was at age 5 I understood guardian angel explanation, and then with stuff like fairies, deities, animals, and elves I easily understand the similarities. I don't have a hard time visualizing self contact being common in the brain.

[passaggioalivello]

Hi Tay, thank you for this video. This is my experience with religion. I grew up in a very religious country. I was discriminated against because I'm autistic, but being an unbaptized atheist caused me troubles since elementary school. Teachers encourage my schoolmates to be mean and also violent to "correct" me. That's why I felt uncomfortable among religious people for a very long time. People like me are very uncommon here, I met just one unbaptized person in my whole life. Nowadays I'm still an atheist and I believe in science, but I respect every faith.

[whitneymason]

I think you discussed this topic very respectfully. I think regardless of whether we're believers or not we are autistic people who should accept and lift each other up. ❤

[tt-homestead]

I am a Christian and nero divergent I just wish that people of different beliefs could get along and agree to disagree without hate . I feel like so much media poses as an us against them additude. And I just think that we can all have respect for each other , And kindness to each other .