Neurodiversity, Autism, Awe, and Religious Experience (with Jonathan Machnee)

Read the full transcript here. What does “neurodivergent” actually mean, and has the term become too broad to be useful? Why might people grouped under the same neurodivergent umbrella have conflicting needs? Is autism really a single spectrum, or would it make more sense to speak of multiple “autisms”? Why are autistic people somewhat less likely to be religious than their non-autistic peers? What is the “cognitive dissonance pressure cooker,” and why might it contribute to religious deconversion? Why do some autistic Christians migrate from evangelical churches toward highly ritualized traditions? Why do autistic communities develop distinctive linguistic norms, and what happens when non-autistic people begin adopting them? Why are excessive caveating, specificity, rigidity, and moral certainty sometimes associated with autistic communication? What is the “broader autism phenotype,” and could it help explain why autistic traits cluster in fields like engineering and technology? When are traits associated with autism genuinely advantageous, and when do the same traits become disabling? Is ADHD or autism really a “superpower,” or does that framing obscure important weaknesses and support needs? Do autistic people actually lack empathy, and what is the difference between cognitive and affective empathy? Jonathan Machnee is a former U.S. Army military intelligence officer, an autistic adult, and the writer of Dispatches from the Autism Wars on Substack. Links: John's Twitter Staff Spencer Greenberg — Host + Director Ryan Kessler — Producer + Technical Lead WeAmplify — Transcriptionists Igor Scaldini — Marketing Consultant Music Broke for Free Josh Woodward Lee Rosevere Quiet Music for Tiny Robots wowamusic zapsplat.com Affiliates Clearer Thinking GuidedTrack Mind Ease Positly UpLift [Read more]