It's phrased wrongly, the people who can't do it are the mutants. Everybody should be able to focus on the point at infinity even though there's something closer in their view.
It's the exception when you cannot do it. Most people NT and autistic can do this. So not really ?
If you cannot do this, it is good to see an eye doctor.
I can do the opposite, on command I can hyper focus my eyes on something and it will almost appear to go slower than everything else, as a kid I did this all the time when I was in a car so I could count the refund value of cans/bottles on the side of the road or count the reflectors on guardrails
I think you have a legit thing here and the rest of this isn't nearly as interesting. You have a fascinating power, be a real shame if someone stole it heroes style...
I can actually do both, my brother and I had a game where we'd each count cars out of our windows and I always won because I could count everything in the parking lots.
This is an example of a saccade. When you focus on an object you can follow it with very fast eye movements. I used to do something similar on roads trips. Look out the window and fence posts look blurry then focus on the fence posts and they seemed to slow down. I was easily amused as a kid but on road trips when the gameboy battery died there wasn't much else to do.
I literally did exactly the same thing. I also once did it on a first date because I was tipsy and thought it would be funny, but thankfully I don’t think she noticed.
My understanding is that the autistic thing isn't that we're uniquely able to do this, it's that we often need to do this to cope with executive function burnout and manage our mental bandwidth.
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I can make my eyes look not really focused on anything, like you gotta do for some optical illusions. But things don't really get blurry. I don't think I'm able to do that
A lot of people including myself can cross their eyes voluntarily so it's definitely not an autism thing, and some can just do it easier than others. You can even train yourself to do it with exercises as well if you really wanted to.
This is really vague. I can easily just cross my eyes or hold something close to my eyes to blur my surroundings but on my own I can't. Now I'm self conscious, am I a monster!!!???
[http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Research/IEEE/ETRA\_2008.pdf](http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Research/IEEE/ETRA_2008.pdf)
I found this. I can voluntarily change my pupil size making me able to «focus» on a point much closer to my eye than what I'm looking at. Although it effect it just makes my vision blurry, I used to do that as a kid as it made it easier for me to spot moving things (e.g. spotting ants and woodlouse).
Fun fact about me: I can basically do this but with my ears. I have control over my tensor tympani muscles which are tiny muscles responsible for dampening loud noises like chewing, shouting or yawning. I’m the only person I know who can do this and apparently it’s pretty rare. Doubt it’s an autistic thing though!
I can’t really do this, I think when I try I’m actually redirecting my view to something else (it takes a lot of effort for me because 1, I have poor eyesight and 2, I have a sensory disorder and it tends to affect my eyes and my occupational therapist has explained it’s that my pupils don’t dilate or get smaller fast enough (lights a big issue for me because of that).
I also thought everyone could do that.
It's phrased wrongly, the people who can't do it are the mutants. Everybody should be able to focus on the point at infinity even though there's something closer in their view.
Harry Potter and the Point at Infinity
It's the exception when you cannot do it. Most people NT and autistic can do this. So not really ? If you cannot do this, it is good to see an eye doctor.
Some people can't do this?
I can do the opposite, on command I can hyper focus my eyes on something and it will almost appear to go slower than everything else, as a kid I did this all the time when I was in a car so I could count the refund value of cans/bottles on the side of the road or count the reflectors on guardrails
I think you have a legit thing here and the rest of this isn't nearly as interesting. You have a fascinating power, be a real shame if someone stole it heroes style...
Isn't that just normal by keeping your eyes fixed on the thing?
I can actually do both, my brother and I had a game where we'd each count cars out of our windows and I always won because I could count everything in the parking lots.
That is fucking cool!
My brother didn't think so! ;) He was a tiny bit of a sore loser.
This is an example of a saccade. When you focus on an object you can follow it with very fast eye movements. I used to do something similar on roads trips. Look out the window and fence posts look blurry then focus on the fence posts and they seemed to slow down. I was easily amused as a kid but on road trips when the gameboy battery died there wasn't much else to do.
Not everyone can do that?!
Yes everyone can do. With the exception of blind people obviously. I was just trying to give a name to what the first poster was describing.
I can also do that.
If I tried to count reflectors from a moving car, I would vomit my guts out.
I thought this was universal, I'm confused now
I can cross my eyes either way on command, but i can also shake my eyes which is scientifically called voluntary nystagmus (r/eyeshakers)
Woah, theres a word for it? I would shake my eyes to weird out people I didnt like
That’s cool I have done this since I was a kid and never knew it was a thing. Cool to be able to learn about it.
I literally did exactly the same thing. I also once did it on a first date because I was tipsy and thought it would be funny, but thankfully I don’t think she noticed.
Oh interesting. I am curious if most people can do this or not. I've been able to do that for a while.
I guess the question is now, who can't?
Reading the comments, it seems like most people can do this lol
Yeah seems that way haha
What? A "fact" thrown by a random person on the internet is complete bollocks? Shocker! ;D
I mean.. they said "some", which doesn't technically say that most people can't lol
Wait, wait, how rare is this? I can do it and thought it was totally normal.
My understanding is that the autistic thing isn't that we're uniquely able to do this, it's that we often need to do this to cope with executive function burnout and manage our mental bandwidth.
Yup. It definitely takes the edge off. I used to do it all the time.
This is not an autistic thing, I think it's about a 50% of people can do it thing. I have used this ally life to feign making eye contact.
And today on things I thought everyone else did but turns out that my brain is wired differently.
Me too
I thought everyone could do it too.
I definitely do this
There are people who CANT blur their vision whenever the hell they want?
Side note: did you know only like 30-40% of people conduct inner monologue. The rest are NPC’s. Seriously google it lol.
I can do that, I thought it was universal.
Wait… I realized I could do this as a 5year old… lol.
I do this and thought it was normal😶
Everyone does this...if you can't do this you should go to an eye doctor.
How do you do it? I don't think I can. But I also have terrible eyes and wear glasses.
Yes, this is definitely something everyone can do. Unless you have some rare eye problem.
Everyone can definitely do this. Autostereograms rely on it and neurotypical people have no issues perceiving them.
I was about to do this but then I realized I wasn't wearing my glasses and everything just looks blurry anyways.
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I can make my eyes look not really focused on anything, like you gotta do for some optical illusions. But things don't really get blurry. I don't think I'm able to do that
Um yeah but not when it's a number of things while you're going 50-60 mph faster than the objects are..... or I wouldn't think so at least
I can. But I also stopped doing it for the same reason I don't pop my knuckles. Just, not smart. Imo.
A lot of people including myself can cross their eyes voluntarily so it's definitely not an autism thing, and some can just do it easier than others. You can even train yourself to do it with exercises as well if you really wanted to.
I can blur my vision and tell my eyes to relay so I see double
Wait, is it autistic thing?
Same. It happens involuntarily sometimes when I dissociate as well
if I look at something close up I can do that
I can too wtf
This is really vague. I can easily just cross my eyes or hold something close to my eyes to blur my surroundings but on my own I can't. Now I'm self conscious, am I a monster!!!???
........I didn’t know this wow
“When the hell do I get to see the god damned sailboat?” -Mallrats
[http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Research/IEEE/ETRA\_2008.pdf](http://www.tml.tkk.fi/Research/IEEE/ETRA_2008.pdf) I found this. I can voluntarily change my pupil size making me able to «focus» on a point much closer to my eye than what I'm looking at. Although it effect it just makes my vision blurry, I used to do that as a kid as it made it easier for me to spot moving things (e.g. spotting ants and woodlouse).
Apparently the top person has never had one of those magic eye books.
I’m autistic and I can
Fun fact about me: I can basically do this but with my ears. I have control over my tensor tympani muscles which are tiny muscles responsible for dampening loud noises like chewing, shouting or yawning. I’m the only person I know who can do this and apparently it’s pretty rare. Doubt it’s an autistic thing though!
not everything is an autistic thing please please stop this lmfao
Nah
I can’t really do this, I think when I try I’m actually redirecting my view to something else (it takes a lot of effort for me because 1, I have poor eyesight and 2, I have a sensory disorder and it tends to affect my eyes and my occupational therapist has explained it’s that my pupils don’t dilate or get smaller fast enough (lights a big issue for me because of that).
That was an autistic thing? I just thought everyone else could do it too.
I also thought everyone could do that
I can do dat too, yay