Tzav Letzav

tzav letzav, kav lakav, ze’er sham, ze’er sham ... Kabbalah & Telepathy

The autistic spectrum is biologically related to the schizophrenic spectrum. In other words, those with diagnosed autism also tend to have family members somewhere in the family tree with some form of diagnosed schizophrenia [1]. Though autism and schizophrenia are biologically linked, they are not the same thing. Moreover, those with autism generally do not tend to also have schizophrenia, either psychotic or non-psychotic. This suggests that despite the probable genotypic link between the two (autism and schizophrenia), phenotypic expression (if it is expressed at all) is predominantly driven toward one over the other, where phenotypic expression of one attenuates phenotypic expression of the other.

I have autistic features to my personality; I have some form of high-functioning autism. I have a (maternal) first cousin who has schizophrenia and 2 distant (paternal) cousins who have schizophrenia as well. My cousins have all had "psychotic" experiences; i.e., "altered wakeful states of frightening visual awareness". I haven't ever, except maybe once when I was a small child. Importantly, this I think, supports the idea that the genetic path both autism and schizophrenia share is directed toward one or the other phenotypic expression.

The only psychotic-like "vision" I had as a child (at about 3-4 years of age [2], I'd estimate) involved my parents and my brother. I "turned away" in my mind [3] (and literally physically as well) from the vision, clinging to "my connection" and real remembrance of that Divine to guard me from something "not quite right" in my mind, literally (with my mind and mouth [4]) "speaking" it away (as I did somewhat similarly as an adult in this "angel of death" experience of sleep paralysis). In some way, I think I discerned that the vision was "not real" and rejected that kind of "altered state" of consciousness. Perhaps, for me at least, this childhood experience was the pivotal point where my fate became to develop autistic tendencies as opposed to psychotic schizophrenia. Interestingly, only early infantile autism is associated with rare psychotic or near-psychotic (but not schizophrenic) hallucinations [1]. Hallucinations tend to be rare among the population on the autistic spectrum.

I think the interconnection of autism and schizophrenia makes accurate recognition and diagnosis more challenging for those working in the psychiatric field. It also makes misdiagnosis more likely to occur.

Kabbalistically, regarding autism, it has been written:

"During the period of gestation, as various higher vehicles of psyche and spirit are gradually brought into alignment with the body, the consciousness of the person about to be incarnated hovers about the embryo. At first the relationship is quite flexible, which is one reason why miscarriages can occur almost without noticing. Later as the psyche begins to fuse into the physical organism, the bond grows stronger. Some people dimly recall this period and many, under hypnosis, remember quite clearly floating around in their mother, fully aware of their own and her feelings about the coming birth. Most people are pleased to make the association; but others, it has been noted, would rather not and retreat. This can lead to spontaneous abortions or Down's syndrome children, who in wishing to remain discarnate, retard the normal process of gestation at the genetic level. The same may be said for autistic children, who almost complete the process, but who have not quite come into full incarnation." [5]

From this we can see, that autism results from a (ס) supported desire not to "fall (נ) completely" into incarnation. In other words, an autistic person (נס) is betwixt two worlds - both in this lowest world and yet, out of this lowest world at the same time. in velt ouis velt

references & footnotes:

[1] Loners, The Life Path Of Unusual Children, Sula Wolff

[2] the age that this visual hallucination occurred in my life (and how I learned to crawl) supports the idea that my personality peculiarities are of an autistic nature, as the "onset" of autism generally occurs around or before age 3

[3] Kabbalah & Telepathy, see tzav letzav - the ability to set a boundary and to act on reality through thoughts

[4] medaberet, a speaking spirit

[5] Psychology and Kabbalah, Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi

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