Today’s episode argues that gestalt processing is a broad cognitive experience rather than a trait exclusive to autism or language development. This “whole-first” way of knowing prioritises immediate meaning over individual details, allowing gestalt processors who may be farmers or mechanics to perceive systems as a single entity. The author of the source essay and poem, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, introduces the concept of gestalt time, where planning flows backward from a future goal rather than forward through linear steps. This mental state, she describes as meaning-time, allows a project to feel finished before the physical labor has even commenced. Ultimately, she suggests that what onlookers might perceive as stillness or inactivity is actually a profound form of internal preparation. Through this lens, hyperfocus is reframed as a natural alignment with one's environment rather than a lack of self-regulation.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/executive-functioning-gestalt-time
Let me know what you think.
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