Savant Syndrome
QUESTION: Masters, I am curious about a condition called “savant syndrome” in which someone mentally challenged in most respects has an outstanding ability in one area, such as music, visual art, or arithmetic. The physical causes of this phenomenon seem as yet unknown and can be left to scientific research, but what is its spiritual significance? ~Sonia, USA
ANSWER: The physical cause is the soul’s intention to have a particular experience and to have it unhindered by daily life. For this reason, it blocks the entirety of the conscious brain from learning to deal with anything other than the chosen subject matter.
The spiritual journey is never that simple. A savant may be in agreement with a whole series of other souls who wish to go through life lessons with them. The parents, for instance, might feel guilt that their child was created this way genetically or through something they did during gestation. Then there is their stuggle whether to deal with the situation themselves or send the child off to a “home” to be with others who are similar, and not become a burden in their life.
The professionsals who come into contact with each savant learn from the way the child deals with life and their specialty. Therapists, teachers, medical personnel, and caregivers can all be intricately involved with the daily life of these special people. People on the street also have experiences concerning how they respond, what they think, or their ability to face the situation at all.
Then there is the soul itself. The soul has the opportunity to include any or all of its life lessons in a single lifetime. It can be as simple as wanting to be basically dependent on others while still being able to explore an interesting subject. Or it may include issues of self-confidence, self-worth, abuse, anger, lack of love, or anything else. Again, all these options are brought about by the soul’s freedom of choice.