30-Month Synthesis
The evolution from confusion to clarity. Pre-theory to integration.
The Three Phases
Phase 1: Pre-Discovery (2023)
September 2023: Created dark room metaphor October 2023: Conceived prosthetic concept November 2023: Articulated "unbroken focus" November 2023: Documented medication effects
Pattern: Describing monotropic experience without vocabulary. Seeking solutions.
Phase 2: Optimization (2024)
Mid-2024: Flow state breakthrough — single-session completion July 2025: Recognized object permanence challenge
Pattern: Learning to work WITH monotropic attention, not against it.
Phase 3: Discovery & Integration (2025)
October 22, 2025: First encounter with term "monotropism" December 2025: Building prosthetic in response
Pattern: Theory validates experience. Prosthetic implements solution.
The Arc
2023-09 │ Dark room metaphor
2023-10 │ Prosthetic concept
2023-11 │ "Unbroken focus" articulated
│
2024-06 │ Flow state breakthrough
│
2025-07 │ Object permanence recognized
2025-10 │ ═══ DISCOVERY ═══
2025-12 │ Prosthetic built
Why This Matters
For Monotropism Theory
1. Pre-theory articulation validates theory
I described "unbroken focus" (Nov 2023) 23 months before learning Murray called it "attention tunnelling" (1992).
No contamination from academic framing. Independent validation.
2. Longitudinal documentation
30 months continuous. Pre-discovery → Discovery → Integration.
Shows how theory recognition transforms self-understanding.
3. Ecological validity
Not lab conditions. Real-world. Natural problem-solving context. Authentic articulation.
For Neurodivergent Experience
1. Prosthetic as case study
Concept → Implementation documented. Built in direct response to monotropic challenges.
2. Medication effects
Ritalin as polytropic simulator. "Unbelievable" to see multiple things. Social improvement via attention shift.
3. Strength-based reframing
"80% of my time are super valuable hyperfocused moments."
Disability emerges from environment mismatch, not cognition.
Unique Contributions
What N=1 data provides that academic studies cannot:
Natural articulation — Self-generated descriptions in own words, before knowing terminology.
Temporal depth — 30 months continuous, high-frequency documentation.
Pre-post discovery — Before/after encountering formal framework.
Solution development — Prosthetic from concept to implementation, fully documented.
Contextual richness — Natural problem-solving, real-world contexts.
Limitations
Single subject — Cannot generalize to all monotropic individuals.
Self-selected context — AI conversations, not all life contexts.
Sampling bias — Toward problems/challenges being discussed.
The Bottom Line
Independent description that maps perfectly to academic theory.
30 months before I knew the word, I was describing monotropism in my own words.
That's the evidence.
→ Quote Archive | The Discovery Arc