The Analog-Dominance-Brain Theory of Autism (Summary)

This paper describes mechanism of autism spectrum disorder (Asperger and Kanner type syndrome, ADD, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Tourette syndrome, etc.) by referring to neuroscience, Jungian analytical psychology and computer engineering.

Two Basic Function of Human Brain

In this paper, the function of human brain is explained by two keywords “Digital” and “Analog.” However, the word "digital" and "analog" are not just for the meaning of "discrete" and "continuous" like commonly used.

Here, the word "digital" is used for more fundamental meaning. The origin of "digital" is a Latin word "digitalis" which means finger. And the finger implies a counting method of human. That is to say, the definition of the word "digital" also includes a meaning of the counting method of human. Then, "word" itself is also the counting method of human for counting creations in the universe like the fingers count numbers. In other words, human uses "word" to distinguish the difference between all object and concept in the universe. Prior to that human recognizes objects and concepts which are usually dispersive and abstract, it is needed to be embodied and quantitative. Therefore, “digital processing” means “linguistic processing.” For example, digital computers that are used today run by program language whichever high-level such as C and FORTRAN or low-level such as machine language. More, the language can be theoretically decomposed into binary signal which might be translated as impulse in neuron-circuit. This area may relate to semiotics study.

The word "analog" is also used as more fundamental meaning in this paper. The origin of the word "analog" is "analogy". Analogy means comparing and finding similarities between creations in the universe. If there is a cup of paper, a ceramic teacup and a vase of glass in front of you, you may easily recognize that they are kind of vessel although recent digital computer hardly do it. It means that human uses analogy to recognize objects by finding similarity in terms of abstract concept like “Capacity to contain something.” By contrast, Digital computer should be taught by human about name, material, purpose and category of such object to recognize them. Therefore, if a hemispherical coconut bowl appears in front of you, you may also recognize that it is a kind of vessel even if you have never been taught what the coconut is. This ability of human is incarnated due to analog processing by comparing similarity between present vision of coconut and conceptual past memory which relate to all kind of vessel that have ever seen. This means the analog processor is able to access into unconscious level of past memory.

Here is one more example how the digital and analog processing work differently in human cognition. You would never mention nor even notice how many traffic signal you passed while your daily trip to your office by driving. This is because you don't use digital processor to count the traffic signals unless you intentionally do it, but you use analog processor unconsciously to drive on routine route. Then, if you carefully and intentionally imagine the driving route as if you are experiencing, you could possibly count number of the traffic signals. It means that analog processor is recognizing traffic environment in unconscious level without interpreting to language though the digital processor recognizes only linguistic information according to intention in conscious level. (Note: number is also a kind of language)

These examples imply that human always uses both analog and digital processor cooperatively such like alternateness of recognizing similarity with distinguish differences and referring to past experience unconsciously with “counting” objects consciously. This paper attempt to explain regarding neuro-diversity between people of neuro-typical (NT) and people of autistic spectrum (AS) based on the hypothesis that is named “Cooperative Hybrid Processing Theory of Cognition.” The following schematic diagram shows concept of this theory which explain the function of human brain.

It is assumed that there is neuro-diversity between people of neuron-typical (NT) and people of autistic spectrum (AS). In general, NT is relatively good at communicating by language than AS whereas AS is good at visual or sound recognition than NT. It may suggest that digital processing is dominant in NT and analog processing is dominant in AS. Therefore, this paper attempt to explain the mechanism of autistic traits along a rough hypothesis that AS has “analog-dominant-brain.”

The Analog-Dominance-Brain Theory of Autism

According to the hypothesis, NT process their thoughts mainly in language according to syntax by using digital processor and they use their analog processor auxiliary to recall past memory. AS, by contrast, process their thoughts mainly by using the analog processor which directly drives visual or aural concepts as if the past memory is re-experienced. It is also simply imitated in some　ＧＵＩ　（graphic user interface） systems of recent computer which enable to drag-and-drops icon by mouse pointer, or in CAD (computer aided design) system which directly handles objects.

The analog processor is able to access into the main memory, though digital processor can't do so, because major part of experience is not described as language which digital processor recognizes. Therefore, AS has good memory sometimes unless he/she has trauma which obscures the past memory. This phenomenon is often observed in Autistic savant.

This characteristic difference causes some talents and difficulties. The writing and reading ability is one of them. NT is good at recognizing and expressing in language because language is kind of digital code, and it is directly handled by digital processor. Comparing with the tree, the word represents a leaf, and the trunk represents a concept. In case of English, the alphabet is considered to be digital code of base-26 system. AS, by contrast, is good at visual or sound cognition because this natural information is directly handled by analog processor.

The oversensitive and attention-deficit are also caused by analog cognition. About the audition, for example, NT, who recognizes the word as word, is able to disregard meaningless sound. However, AS recognizes the word as sound, so he/she can't disregard meaningless sound, because he/she expect the possibility that every sound could be phoneme of word. Accordingly, such meaningless input from the sensory organ would jam other meaningful information in consciousness where thinking is processed. It is same mechanism of what analog record player and digital compact disk differ in terms of noise reduction.

The difference between NT and AS is considered to be just difference of digital dominance and analog dominance. NT is able to establish social relation by communicating in language because they process their thoughts in language, but AS is able to discover new theory from natural law because they process their thought directly in concept or object image. Consequently, NT is particular about language and depends on books or textbook to learn knowledge, whereas AS is particular about objects, especially complex functional object, to understand the natural world. The difference is whether which speaking objects or functional objects are interesting for each.

The word "Autism" is no longer appropriate, so NT should be called "digital thinker" and AS should be called "analogic thinker" or something else.

Cognition Process

As shown in above picture, humans perceive the real world in the brain by using the analogy of neurotransmitter. Human perceives it as qualia. Then the analog processor reads out past memory and compares with perceived real world. Analogic thinker (AS) can recognize the real world at this moment. Ones the analog processor compares the perceived information with recalled information and recognizes the similarities between them, the perceived information will be sent to the digital processor. Digital thinker (NT) is just able to recognize at this moment. By following and by repeating this process human recognizes the outside real world.

The human brain could be thought as a quantum computer which is incarnated by various chemical substance called "neurotransmitter". And it emulates analog and digital processor.

Comprehension Process

On one hand, some people need to read operating manual for driving brand-new car, but on the other hand, some people learn by themselves how to use every function of same brand-new car. Some adults have to go to school frequently to learn how to use personal computer while their child learns automatically how to play computer games. What is the difference between them? People who are able to suppose the function like such systems are thinking analogically. They can suppose the internal structure of systems by using the analogy of abstract visual image created by neurotransmitter in their brain. By repeating many simulations in its brain, humans comprehend about functional object such computer system.

Mind Mirroring Theory of Personality Comprehension

Human’s personality is also considered as the most complicated system.
Most of autistic people are suffering from various secondary disorder like depression, personality disorder, phobia, etc. that are curable by appropriate treatment. The difficulty of having eye contact, which is the symbolic trait of autistic people, is also caused by the communicative disorder.

Why do autistic people tend to have such difficulty of personal relations? Because they can feel other person's negative emotion like desire of harm, abuse, inappropriate sexual desire etc. very sensitively. This is also caused by analogical thinking. Such autistic people are able to suppose other's personality structure, which is also the system created by human, by using analogical thinking. It is incarnated by mirror-neuron where function of mind is supposed. The analog dominance AS can analyze it precisely though the digital dominance NT can't do so well. The digital dominance NT adopts the word and surface expression of others rather than other's internal personality structure which is projected into their mirror-neuron.

Of course, having both positive and negative emotion at once is very natural as humans mind movement. The man, for example, sometimes has such opposite emotion like dearness and sexual abusive desire simultaneously when he stares females, and it is quite natural. For AS, however, once they feel such negative emotion from other's personality, they could confuse and could start to refuse seeing other's eyes. They couldn’t judge which verbal or non-verbal information should be adopted to recognize other’s mind. This is the cause of the communicative disorder.

The problem is we don't have any certain method to distinguish the secondarily disorder though the only sane autistic people must be selected by sample screening for testing. Otherwise, researchers may confuse innate autistic traits with acquired secondary disorder.

The traits that are often observed and categorized as autistic symptom are not always innate autistic trait. The innate autistic factor is considered to be just only analogical thinking. If some trait, that is even looked to be caused by digital thinking, are observed, they could be brought by over-adaptation. Autistic people of nowadays are usually under social repression which require them to adapt to digital oriented society. It is represented by the word "normalization". Because the digital oriented society requires only visible short term result, compels that everything are standardized and refuse diversity and any exception. It is convenient only for establishment side. But analog property of human should be protected and promoted as one of human’s talent because it is essential factor for human being to live with humanity. In other words, analog property is the source of human functions.

Function of Mind

Subliminal Personality Theory of Autistic Trait (Submarine Theory)

Please see the above picture. This is the view of consciousness to explain human personality. In the consciousness, the concept that is described by language is easy to perceive because such concept is recognized by both analog and digital processor. On the other hand, the concept that is not described as language is only handled by analog processor; therefore, it will sink into the depth of consciousness. The storage domain where concepts are sinking is, so-called, unconsciousness or subconscious.

Humans originally acquire his/ her personality by imitating a part of other's personality. That is to say, human captures other's fractional personality as a concept of person. Carl Gustav Jung called it Persona as functional complex. The digital dominance NT in average can't recognize differences and origin of each Persona, The most of analog dominance AS, however by its good memory, is able to distinguish each individual Persona more specifically and is able to feel profoundly their origin from when or whom they were acquired from.

Usually just one Persona is not enough to perform as human effectually, so various Persona are collected from numerous person and are integrated into one personality. This is likened to a fleet as a psychological model.

Human acquires Persona by watching other's behavior and hearing other's voice; however, these contain both verbal and none-verbal information. In the consciousness, verbal information is floating because it is handled by digital processor, and none-verbal information is sinking because it is handled by analog processor. Therefore, some part of other's personality that is described by language is acquired as floating concept "Persona", but other none-verbal part is acquired as sinking concept "Schatten".

Schatten, which is usually unrecognized by consciousness, often represents the negative side of personality like desire of harm, sexual desire, bad habit etc.. Those negative concepts and behaviors are generally not described by language, so they sink by themselves as function of Schatten. Recognition of Schatten would therefore be harder if its personality is placed under high social repression. In such circumstances, Schatten will be denied and be sunk into the subconscious.

In case of NT, the ego is mainly presided by Personas located on consciousness. However in case of AS, the ego is mainly presided by Schatten located in subconscious. Therefore, AS's thinking process is usually not expressed by verbal report. In the picture, AS's flagship (the centre of ego) is drawn as submarine under the water, so it is able to surface only when the consciousness is calm.

While the ego is repressed by social demand, Schatten would have to dive into subconscious. Although such circumstance won't be any significant problem for NT; however, it would be critical problem for AS because he/she can't recognise his/her original volition and have to pretend as digital thinker. Asperger type AS, who is relatively balanced than Kannar type AS, seems to be able to respond against social demand, but it is still hard to adapt to digital oriented society.

Nature of Autism

Why do you believe there are “Standard brain” and “Irregular brain”? The definition of standard is created only by human because all man-made systems (like education system, medical system, economy system, community, society, country, science, language, civilization, etc.) have tendency to require unitary property for their object, and this tendency would omit minor exception like industrial products. Human, however, is not such industrial product like computer, rather it is one of natural life. The variation of cognitive tendency could also be considered as an natural phenomena. It would be said that cognitive tendency also spread to the pattern of bell-curve, shown in above chart, as well as other natural phenomena.

Comparing with NT, AS is just analog dominance. Males have a tendency of analogical thinking versus female; therefore, the number of males in AS is 4 or 5 times large.

As pursuing precision and efficiency of social system, there won’t be any margin where humans are able to live with humanity. What the diagnosis criteria makes us is to divide us and to convert our humanity to inorganic digital signal. Autism is originally one of several human characteristics like human race. If the society continues to eject analog dominance people, mankind will kill it self.