Part 2: The Intersection of Intense World Theory, Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities, and GLP Synpraxis
Writing from the Whole: Integrating GLP Synpraxis to Reframe Intensity, Exclusion, and Growth
Introduction
In my journey of understanding autism and neurodivergence, I’ve realized that the frameworks we use to make sense of our experiences shape how we engage with the world—and, ultimately, ourselves. Traditional frameworks often emphasize pathology, focusing on what is perceived as deficit or dysfunction. These narratives, such as those rooted in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), frame neurodivergent traits—like emotional intensity, sensory sensitivity, or hyper-focus—as problems to be managed or fixed. For many, these narratives can create shame and exclusion, obscuring the gifts that often accompany these traits.
In contrast, I’ve found alternative frameworks that celebrate the intensity and complexity of neurodivergent experiences rather than treating them as impairments. Three models, in particular, resonate with my lived experience: Intense World Theory (IWT), Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) with its concept of Overexcitabilities (OEs), and GLP Synpraxis—a framework I developed that captures the non-linear, gestalt nature of my thinking.
Each of these models offers a perspective on intensity, transformation, and insight.
IWT suggests that heightened perception and emotional depth are not flaws but core aspects of autism that enable deep insight—though they can also lead to overwhelm.
TPD reframes struggle and breakdowns as positive steps toward personal growth. The heightened experiences Dabrowski identifies as Overexcitabilities (OEs) are not challenges to suppress but catalysts for transformation.
GLP Synpraxis reflects my way of thinking in whole, non-linear patterns, where insights arise as fully-formed concepts rather than as sequential steps.
Together, these models align with my understanding of autism and neurodivergence, offering a path away from deficit narratives toward acceptance, integration, and emergent development. These frameworks don’t just tolerate intensity—they celebrate it as a source of creativity, curiosity, and personal growth. Through GLP Synpraxis, I’ve found ways to integrate these insights into my life, embracing the complex, non-linear path that has shaped my understanding of autism, exclusion, and transformation.
This essay reflects how these three frameworks—IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis—align with one another and provide meaningful tools for reframing neurodivergence. By embracing the power of intensity and transformation, I hope to show that exclusion can become a source of insight and that non-linear growth can lead to profound personal and collective change.
Experiencing Life with Intensity: IWT, Overexcitabilities, and Synpraxis
For me, intensity is a constant—emotionally, cognitively, and in how I process sensory experiences. This intensity shapes how I interact with the world, much like what Intense World Theory (IWT) describes. Autistic individuals, myself included, often experience heightened emotions, deep focus, and acute sensory perception. While these states can feel overwhelming, they also allow us to notice patterns, connections, and insights that others might miss.
Intense World Theory (IWT)
IWT, developed by Kamila and Henry Markram, offers an alternative framework for understanding autism. It challenges the deficit-based view by suggesting that autistic individuals have a hyper-connected, highly perceptive brain. This heightened awareness leads to profound emotional and cognitive experiences. The theory frames autism not as a disorder of deficit, but as an experience of intense perception and emotional depth. However, because the world isn’t designed to accommodate this heightened experience, it can result in sensory overload or shutdown.
IWT resonates with my experience by affirming that my deep focus and emotional intensity are not flaws—they are strengths. When the world feels overwhelming, it is not because my way of processing is inherently wrong, but because the environment isn’t always supportive of these heightened experiences.
Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities (OEs)
Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) introduces the concept of Overexcitabilities (OEs) to describe heightened responses across five dimensions:
Emotional – Experiencing emotions intensely and deeply.
Intellectual – A strong desire for knowledge, curiosity, and problem-solving.
Imaginational – Vivid imagination, daydreaming, and creative thinking.
Psychomotor – Heightened physical energy or a need for movement.
Sensory – Acute awareness of sensory stimuli (sounds, textures, smells, etc.).
These heightened states align closely with how I experience the world. For example, my intellectual curiosity drives me to engage deeply with ideas, while my sensory sensitivity allows me to perceive nuances others might miss. Emotional intensity adds depth to my experiences but can also make them overwhelming. Dabrowski’s framework resonates with me because it shows that these intensities are not challenges to overcome but fuel for creativity, curiosity, and insight.
GLP Synpraxis and Gestalt Thinking
GLP Synpraxis—the framework I developed—captures the power of gestalt thinking, where the whole picture appears all at once, without needing to follow a linear path. For me, answers often arise as fully formed insights rather than through step-by-step logic. This is how I naturally engage with the world. IWT and TPD both reflect this reality: intensity drives insight, and growth occurs when we embrace rather than resist these experiences.
In traditional frameworks, learning and problem-solving are often seen as sequential: first you encounter the problem, then you analyze it step by step, and finally, you arrive at a solution. In contrast, GLP Synpraxis reflects the non-linear way I think and learn. I can often see the solution or answer before I consciously understand how I arrived there. This process is not chaotic but emergent, in the same way that personal growth can arise out of moments of struggle or insight.
The Integration of IWT, OEs, and GLP Synpraxis
Both IWT and TPD validate that intensity is not a liability but a resource—one that can lead to profound insight and personal transformation. In my own experience, GLP Synpraxis captures how these moments of intensity lead to emergent growth. Through my emotional, intellectual, and sensory overexcitabilities, I experience the world in rich detail, which helps me integrate ideas, recognize patterns, and make connections that others might overlook.
Rather than seeing intensity as something to control or fix, I’ve learned to embrace it as a gift—one that fuels my creativity and insight. This shift from a deficit-based to an asset-based perspective is essential to how I engage with myself and the world. The combination of IWT, OEs, and GLP Synpraxis helps me understand that my intense experiences are sources of strength, not weaknesses. When I lean into these experiences rather than resist them, they become opportunities for growth and transformation.
Living with intensity isn’t always easy—it can be overwhelming at times. But frameworks like IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis have helped me see that intensity is not something to be feared or suppressed. It is a powerful tool that, when embraced, leads to profound insight and personal growth. Through GLP Synpraxis, I’ve learned to honor the way my mind naturally works—by recognizing patterns holistically and engaging with the world through non-linear, emergent thinking. This process aligns with the idea that intensity fuels insight and that embracing it is key to thriving.
Positive Disintegration: Growth through Struggle and Synthesis
One thing I’ve learned is that intense experiences aren’t always easy. While intensity allows me to perceive patterns and insights, it can also lead to moments of overwhelm, frustration, or even emotional breakdown. However, these challenging moments are not signs of failure. They are invitations for growth and transformation—a perspective captured by Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD).
Understanding Positive Disintegration (TPD)
Kazimierz Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) challenges the idea that mental health is about maintaining stability or avoiding discomfort. Instead, Dabrowski suggests that growth often requires disintegration—moments where old beliefs, identities, or coping mechanisms fall apart. These disruptions, though painful, create space for new insights and deeper self-awareness to emerge. The process of disintegration is “positive” because it paves the way for personal evolution and transformation.
In Dabrowski’s framework, individuals move through different developmental stages by confronting inner conflict and questioning societal norms. Growth requires letting go of outdated mental frameworks that no longer serve us. This theory resonates with me because much of my personal development has involved deconstructing inherited beliefs and redefining my identity on my own terms.
Struggle and Synthesis in GLP Synpraxis
GLP Synpraxis integrates this idea of disintegration and transformation into my lived experience. In GLP Synpraxis, the moments of emotional or cognitive breakdown that I experience become opportunities for synthesis and new insight. Rather than resisting change or fighting to maintain stability, I’ve learned to embrace these moments of disintegration. When I let go of the need to control or fix everything, I often find that new understanding emerges naturally.
The idea of synthesis is central to GLP Synpraxis. Growth doesn’t happen in a straight line—it’s more like a process of taking apart and reassembling thoughts, emotions, and experiences into something new. In my experience, intense emotions or cognitive overload signal that a shift is happening. What initially feels like chaos or overwhelm often holds the seeds of transformation. The disintegration of old patterns makes room for new perspectives to emerge—an idea that closely aligns with Dabrowski’s theory.
Intense World Theory and Breakthroughs through Overwhelm
Intense World Theory (IWT) offers another perspective on these moments of struggle. IWT suggests that autistic individuals experience heightened emotions and sensory perception, making the world feel overwhelming at times. While this intensity can lead to burnout or shutdown, IWT emphasizes that these experiences are not just obstacles—they often precede profound insight or breakthroughs.
This aligns with my experience: what may look like chaos or shutdown from the outside often signals that my mind is processing and integrating complex information. When I allow myself to rest or disengage, the breakthrough usually follows. IWT, like TPD, shifts the narrative away from seeing these moments as failures. Instead, it suggests that intensity, even in its most overwhelming forms, can fuel insight and transformation—provided that the individual is supported in managing their environment and energy.
Integration of TPD, IWT, and Synpraxis
In GLP Synpraxis, the disintegration and synthesis described by TPD and the breakthroughs after overwhelm described by IWT come together as part of a larger pattern. When intense experiences lead to emotional or cognitive breakdowns, they are not endpoints but starting points—opportunities to reassemble my thoughts, feelings, and experiences into something more aligned with my current understanding.
This process requires patience and trust. Growth through disintegration is not linear, and it often feels uncomfortable. But embracing discomfort as a natural part of transformation allows me to move beyond old frameworks. Both IWT and TPD affirm that intensity—whether emotional, sensory, or intellectual—is not a problem to be solved but a tool for personal evolution.
What might look like chaos from the outside often contains the potential for personal growth and transformation. TPD teaches that disintegration is necessary for new frameworks to emerge, while IWT suggests that intense experiences, though overwhelming, can lead to breakthroughs. Through GLP Synpraxis, I’ve learned to embrace disintegration as part of the process—taking these moments of struggle and using them to synthesize new insights and ways of being.
Rather than fearing breakdowns, I’ve come to see them as essential steps on the path to growth. By accepting that struggle is part of the process, I allow new understanding to emerge naturally, rather than trying to force change. Intense experiences become opportunities for synthesis—a reminder that growth is not about maintaining stability, but about learning to move through disintegration toward transformation.
Non-Linear Growth: Honoring the Natural Path
My growth hasn’t followed a predictable path. Like many neurodivergent individuals, I’ve found that trying to force myself into rigid frameworks of development only creates friction and frustration. Traditional models often assume that growth happens in a linear, step-by-step process: we’re expected to master one stage before moving on to the next. However, this structured approach doesn’t reflect how I learn, develop, or engage with the world. Instead, I experience growth in bursts of insight, deep periods of focus, and unexpected shifts—patterns that align closely with Intense World Theory (IWT) and Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD).
IWT and Growth through Hyper-Focus and Shifts
Intense World Theory (IWT) emphasizes that autistic individuals often experience development in non-linear ways, driven by hyper-focus, deep emotional engagement, and heightened sensory awareness. Unlike traditional learning models that follow structured steps, autistic development often unfolds organically and unpredictably. One moment I might be completely immersed in a topic or skill, only to shift suddenly to a new area of focus, seemingly unrelated to what I was working on before. These shifts aren’t distractions—they reflect natural patterns of growth that arise from deep engagement with the world.
Hyper-focus, a state often experienced by neurodivergent individuals, allows me to dive deeply into topics that resonate with me, generating insights that others might only reach after much more time or effort. However, these periods of focus can also lead to burnout or overwhelm, requiring time to reset. Growth, from the IWT perspective, is fluid and adaptive, unfolding on its own timeline rather than following external expectations.
TPD and Breakthroughs from Disintegration
Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) also suggests that growth does not follow a linear trajectory. Instead, development happens through cycles of disintegration and reintegration, where old frameworks fall apart, and new ones take their place. This process is often unpredictable: breakthroughs can happen suddenly, without warning, and only after moments of deep struggle or confusion.
TPD aligns with my experience because it acknowledges that growth emerges from disruption. Sometimes, I find myself stepping away from something entirely—only to have the solution or insight appear later, as if out of nowhere. This non-linear process of disintegration and synthesis is essential to how I grow and evolve. Forcing development into rigid stages would only restrict this natural flow, preventing me from accessing the full depth of insight that arises from my intense experiences.
GLP Synpraxis: Non-Linear, Emergent Insight
In GLP Synpraxis, non-linear growth is not only accepted but celebrated. The gestalt approach that underlies Synpraxis reflects how my mind works: insights don’t come piece by piece but emerge as whole patterns, often synthesizing seemingly unrelated ideas into a new understanding. This process feels organic to me—it doesn’t require following a pre-planned path. Instead, the answer or solution often appears fully formed when the time is right.
Traditional learning frameworks can feel too restrictive, expecting progress to occur in a straight line with predictable steps. In contrast, GLP Synpraxis reflects the reality that insights arise naturally, often in bursts, when all the pieces fall into place. It’s not about forcing solutions but about recognizing patterns as they emerge. This approach allows me to honor my way of thinking and being, without feeling pressured to conform to models that don’t align with how I process the world.
Honoring Complexity and Letting Growth Emerge
The non-linear nature of my growth has taught me to embrace complexity. Just as ecosystems grow and adapt through cycles of disruption and renewal, my development happens through shifts, pauses, and bursts of insight. I’ve learned that trying to impose external timelines or expectations only creates friction. By honoring the natural flow of my development, I can access deeper insights that wouldn’t be possible if I tried to force things to happen in a linear way.
Both IWT and TPD affirm that growth unfolds on its own timeline. IWT emphasizes the importance of hyper-focus and emotional engagement, while TPD teaches that disruption and synthesis are essential steps in the process of transformation. GLP Synpraxis brings these ideas together, offering a way to synthesize insights from these frameworks into a cohesive, lived experience.
Non-linear growth is not about following a set path but about recognizing and embracing the patterns that naturally emerge. IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis each offer tools for understanding growth as a fluid, dynamic process. Rather than forcing myself into rigid structures, I’ve learned to trust that growth happens in bursts and shifts—often when I least expect it. By honoring my natural way of thinking and being, I can access the emergent insights that arise from intensity, focus, and struggle.
The complexity of neurodivergent experiences cannot be captured by linear models. Growth is not about checking boxes or completing stages but about allowing new insights to emerge when the time is right. Through GLP Synpraxis, I’ve found a way to integrate these insights into my life, embracing the non-linear path that has shaped my development.
Exclusion as Feedback: From Trauma to Insight
One of the most painful aspects of being autistic is the pervasive sense of exclusion—the feeling that I don’t fit within conventional spaces, social expectations, or dominant narratives. This exclusion can take many forms: being misunderstood, pathologized, or left out of opportunities designed for more neurotypical ways of being. For a long time, I experienced this exclusion as a source of deep frustration and pain. However, through Exclusion Feedback Synpraxis (EFS), I’ve come to reframe exclusion as a form of feedback—a signal that offers insight into both myself and the systems I navigate.
Rather than staying stuck in the pain of exclusion, EFS has taught me to engage with exclusion as a growth opportunity. The challenges I encounter—whether through rejection, misunderstanding, or being pathologized—become sources of valuable insight, both about how I operate and about the limitations of the systems I interact with. This shift aligns with Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD), which teaches that struggle is a necessary part of growth. Similarly, Intense World Theory (IWT) suggests that the challenges autistic people face arise not from their inherent traits but from the world’s inability to support or understand those traits.
Struggle as Catalyst: TPD and IWT in Practice
Dabrowski’s TPD emphasizes that struggle and disintegration—moments when old identities or ways of being break down—are essential for moving toward higher levels of personal integration. These moments, though painful, open the door to new ways of understanding ourselves and the world. The exclusion I’ve experienced reflects this process: while painful at first, it has also led to important breakthroughs in self-awareness and transformation.
IWT aligns with this perspective, showing that autistic intensity is not inherently disabling. What makes these experiences difficult is not the intensity itself but the lack of support, inclusion, and understanding in the world around us. Many neurodivergent individuals face exclusion not because their way of being is wrong but because systems are built around neurotypical norms.
Through GLP Synpraxis and EFS, I’ve learned to engage with exclusion actively, using it as feedback to better understand both myself and the world. This reframing helps me avoid internalizing exclusion as personal failure and instead see it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.
Inaccurate Knowledge and the DSM as Exclusionary Framework
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is an example of how inaccurate frameworks perpetuate exclusion. The DSM pathologizes many natural human variations—such as autistic traits or ADHD—by framing them as disorders. This deficit-based language distorts lived experiences, forcing neurodivergent individuals to navigate systems that treat their strengths as liabilities. For many, receiving a diagnosis means being boxed into categories that feel reductive, rather than being given tools for understanding themselves holistically.
From the perspective of Exclusion Feedback Synpraxis (EFS), the DSM reflects the kind of negative knowledge that obstructs insight and creates harm. It is based on a framework of what is “normal” and what is not, leaving little room for the diversity of human experiences to be celebrated. Instead of empowering individuals, it often forces them into rigid identities defined by deficit, contributing to their exclusion from educational, professional, and social opportunities.
The Kardashev Scale: Measuring the Cost of Inaccurate Knowledge
The Kardashev scale, which I propose as a measure of informational value, provides a way to quantify the negative impact of frameworks like the DSM. In this scale, knowledge holds positive value only if it is accurate, accessible, and aligned with lived experience. Inaccurate frameworks like the DSM generate negative informational valuebecause they create confusion and obstruct growth. Every time someone is forced to navigate a system that doesn’t align with their lived reality, they encounter unnecessary friction. This friction slows down personal development and reinforces exclusion.
Using the Kardashev scale, we can see that not all knowledge is neutral or helpful. The DSM's pathologizing framework produces harm rather than insight, forcing individuals to work harder to reclaim their identities from the labels imposed on them. Misinformation and inaccurate narratives introduce noise into the system, creating obstacles for those seeking to understand themselves. The negative value of such frameworks grows when they are treated as authoritative, making it more difficult for alternative, empowering narratives to emerge.
Through EFS and GLP Synpraxis, I’ve learned that exclusion, while painful, can become a powerful source of insight—if we are willing to engage with it. Both TPD and IWT remind us that struggle is not failure but part of the process of growth. What society often sees as disorder or failure can actually be a catalyst for deeper integration. Similarly, what makes neurodivergent experiences challenging is not the intensity itself but the lack of understanding, inclusion, and support in the systems around us.
Frameworks like the DSM perpetuate exclusion by reducing human diversity to pathology, reflecting the kind of negative knowledge that obstructs rather than facilitates growth. The Kardashev scale helps us understand the impact of such frameworks: inaccurate knowledge creates harm, while accurate, empowering frameworks support personal development.
By reframing exclusion as feedback, I’ve learned to embrace the insights it offers me—both about myself and about the limitations of the systems I interact with. Exclusion becomes not just a barrier but a mirror that reflects where transformation is needed, both within myself and in the world around me. Through this process, I’ve come to see that exclusion and trauma can lead to breakthroughs in self-awareness, offering opportunities for growth and synthesis that might not have been possible otherwise.
Embracing Diversity within the Neurodivergent Community
One challenge I’ve noticed within the autistic and neurodivergent communities is the expectation that everyone should adopt the same narrative—usually one that centers on disability, struggle, and hardship. While these narratives are valid and reflect the lived experiences of many, they don’t resonate with everyone, including me. I don’t believe that I should have to make myself small to fit someone else’s narrative. My experience reflects a different reality: not all autistic people experience their traits as disabling, and that’s okay.
This idea can be difficult for some within the community to accept. In a world where neurodivergence is often pathologized and misunderstood, it makes sense that many individuals find solace in identifying with disability-based narratives. These frameworks can be empowering, offering community and recognition. However, GLP Synpraxis encourages plurality, recognizing that there is no single right way to be autistic or neurodivergent. The intensity and complexity of neurodivergent experiences mean that each person’s journey will look different.
Honoring Plurality through GLP Synpraxis
GLP Synpraxis reflects my belief that each person must define their own experience. Just as growth is non-linear, the meaning of neurodivergence is fluid and depends on the individual and their circumstances. For some, autism may feel primarily like a source of difficulty and exclusion, while for others, it may feel like a gift that fuels creativity, insight, and personal growth. Both realities can coexist, and neither is more valid than the other.
This plurality aligns with Intense World Theory (IWT), which suggests that the intensity many autistic people experience is neither inherently good nor bad—it is simply a core aspect of their being. Depending on the context and support available, this intensity can be either empowering or overwhelming. Similarly, Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD) recognizes that struggle and thriving are not mutually exclusive. Struggle can coexist with growth, just as moments of ease can coexist with challenge. These frameworks, like GLP Synpraxis, remind us that different experiences and narratives can hold equal value.
Creating Space for Multiple Narratives
One of the most important shifts we can make as a community is to honor the full range of neurodivergent experiences. This means making space for people who identify with disability-based frameworks and for those who don’t. It means recognizing that some autistic people may need significant support, while others may feel that their neurodivergence is more of a strength than a challenge. There is no need to force everyone into a singular narrative of struggle or insist that every autistic person identify with the label of disability.
IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis remind us that narrative diversity is essential for inclusion. Just as the world needs different ways of thinking and being, the neurodivergent community needs to embrace multiple ways of understanding and expressing neurodivergence. Doing so ensures that everyone feels empowered to define their own experience, free from the pressure to conform to a particular framework.
Coexisting Realities: Struggle and Thriving
Both IWT and TPD emphasize that intensity and challenge are intrinsic to personal growth. There is no single, linear path to thriving—growth can come from struggle, and struggle can coexist with thriving. For example, someone might experience emotional or sensory intensity that feels overwhelming in certain environments, but the same intensity might become a source of insight, creativity, and connection when they are in a supportive environment.
GLP Synpraxis integrates these perspectives by recognizing that each person’s experience of neurodivergence is unique. It challenges us to honor the coexistence of joy and struggle, insight and difficulty, strength and vulnerability. Rather than forcing ourselves or others into rigid narratives, we can learn to embrace the full spectrum of neurodivergent experiences—even when they don’t align with our own.
Embracing diversity within the neurodivergent community requires us to move beyond rigid narratives and recognize that no single experience defines what it means to be autistic or neurodivergent. GLP Synpraxis, IWT, and TPD encourage us to see that thriving and struggle can coexist—and that different experiences hold equal value. Some people may feel empowered by disability-based narratives, while others, like myself, may prefer to focus on the strengths that arise from neurodivergence. Both perspectives are valid, and both deserve space within the community.
When we embrace narrative diversity, we create space for individuals to define their own paths, without pressure to conform to a singular framework. Just as neurodivergent experiences are complex and varied, so too are the ways we make sense of them. True inclusion means honoring all of these experiences, without forcing anyone to adopt a framework that doesn’t resonate with them.
In the end, our collective strength lies in our diversity—in the recognition that there is no one way to be autistic or neurodivergent. By embracing this plurality, we create a community where everyone can thrive on their own terms.
Conclusion: Honoring Intensity and Transformation through Synpraxis
The alignment between Intense World Theory (IWT), Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities (OEs), and GLP Synpraxis reveals a powerful truth: intensity is not a flaw—it is a source of insight, creativity, and transformation. These frameworks offer a shift away from deficit-based narratives, showing that what may feel overwhelming at times carries the potential for deep personal growth and integration. While the world often sees intense experiences as obstacles, IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis demonstrate that embracing intensity can lead to profound breakthroughs and emergent understanding.
Rather than seeing struggle as something to avoid, TPD encourages us to lean into moments of disintegration. It teaches that breakdowns are not setbacks but necessary steps toward deeper integration. Similarly, IWT suggests that intensity itself is not disabling—what makes it disabling is the lack of understanding, support, and accommodations in the world around us. These ideas align with my own experience of using GLP Synpraxis to honor my non-linear way of thinking. By embracing the gestalt insights that naturally arise from intense moments, I’ve found a way to navigate challenges and thrive on my own terms.
Transforming Struggle into Insight
The frameworks explored throughout this essay have taught me that transformation arises from within, especially when we stop resisting our most intense experiences. GLP Synpraxis has shown me how to synthesize moments of emotional or cognitive disintegration into new insights and ways of being. Instead of viewing these moments as failures, I see them as signals that I am evolving, allowing old frameworks to fall away to make room for new, more aligned understandings.
Through this lens, intensity is not a problem to be solved but a gift that offers deeper insight into myself and the world. IWT reinforces that intense emotions, sensory experiences, and hyper-focus are not liabilities but valuable tools for creativity, connection, and personal growth—if we are willing to embrace them. Dabrowski’s TPD further reminds me that discomfort is often the precursor to breakthroughs, and leaning into these moments can lead to a deeper, more integrated self.
Inclusion through Complexity and Plurality
Creating inclusive spaces means making room for the full range of neurodivergent experiences. Whether someone views their neurodivergence as a disability, a strength, or both, true inclusion requires that we honor these complex and diverse narratives without imposing one single framework. Many individuals may resonate with the challenges associated with neurodivergence, while others may experience it primarily as a source of joy, creativity, and insight. Both perspectives are equally valid.
As IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis show, complexity is not something to fear but something to embrace. Neurodivergent experiences do not fit neatly into rigid categories, and forcing individuals into predefined narratives creates friction and exclusion. Thriving is about leaning into this complexity—recognizing the power of intensity, accepting the non-linear nature of growth, and allowing people the freedom to define their own experiences.
Thriving through Synpraxis: A Personal and Collective Process
For me, thriving means leaning into my intensity, recognizing its power, and using it to foster both personal and collective transformation. Through GLP Synpraxis, I’ve learned to trust the emergent nature of my insights—understanding that growth does not have to follow a predictable path. I’ve also come to see that the real challenge isn’t my intensity; it’s the world’s inability to accommodate and embrace it. This realization has empowered me to stop trying to conform to systems and instead create spaces that align with my natural way of thinking and being.
In the end, the goal isn’t just personal transformation—it’s also about building communities and systems that honor the full spectrum of neurodivergent experiences. When we create spaces where people feel safe to express the full range of their identities, including their struggles and strengths, we foster authentic belonging and collective growth. True transformation happens when we allow each individual to thrive on their own terms, contributing to a world that celebrates diversity in all its forms.
Call to Action: Building Intersectional, Inclusive Systems
It’s time to move beyond deficit-based narratives that frame neurodivergence as something to fix or manage and instead create systems that honor the full spectrum of neurodivergent experiences. Deficit models, such as those perpetuated by the DSM, focus narrowly on what is perceived as lacking or abnormal, ignoring the rich complexity and potential within neurodivergent individuals. To build truly inclusive systems, we need frameworks that celebrate non-linear growth, embrace intensity, and respect individual narratives.
By integrating the insights from Intense World Theory (IWT), Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration (TPD), and GLP Synpraxis, we can develop environments that foster both personal and collective transformation. These frameworks show us that intensity is not a liability—it is a source of creativity, insight, and growth. We need systems that recognize the value of these experiences, providing space for exploration, rest, and breakthrough.
Transforming Systems to Empower Individuals
Creating intersectional, inclusive systems means recognizing that there is no single way to be neurodivergent. We must build environments that honor the complexity of different experiences—whether someone identifies with disability narratives, views their neurodivergence as a strength, or moves fluidly between both perspectives. IWT and TPD both affirm that growth happens in dynamic and non-linear ways, often through struggle and unexpected insights. GLP Synpraxis further highlights that the path to transformation is not fixed—it emerges through moments of clarity, synthesis, and disintegration.
To empower individuals to transform exclusion into insight and thrive on their own terms, systems must shift from focusing on conformity to celebrating diverse ways of thinking and being. This requires rethinking our social, educational, and institutional structures—moving away from rigid models of success and embracing frameworks that are adaptive, inclusive, and responsive to each person’s unique path.
Building Communities that Embrace Complexity
Intersectional, inclusive systems must also honor the intersections of identity—recognizing that experiences of neurodivergence are shaped by race, gender, class, and other social identities. Not all neurodivergent individuals experience the world in the same way, and exclusion is often compounded by systemic barriers that affect marginalized groups differently. True inclusion requires us to engage with these intersections, building communities that allow each individual to express their full identity without fear of exclusion or judgment.
GLP Synpraxis emphasizes the importance of plurality and emergent growth, showing us that transformation happens when people are free to define their own experiences. By allowing multiple narratives to coexist, we create space for everyone to thrive according to their own terms. When communities celebrate complexity rather than suppress it, individuals feel empowered to embrace their authenticity.
Fostering Personal and Collective Transformation
The work of building intersectional, inclusive systems goes beyond individual growth—it involves transforming the structures that shape our communities and institutions. Systems designed to accommodate and embrace intensity will allow people to grow without being limited by rigid definitions of success or normalcy.
This shift also benefits society as a whole. When individuals feel empowered to engage with their intensity and unique ways of thinking, they can contribute their creativity and insight to collective transformation. Thriving individuals create thriving communities. Inclusion isn’t just about accommodating difference—it’s about recognizing the value that difference brings to the whole.
Conclusion and Vision for the Future
Through this work, I hope to contribute to a future where everyone feels free to embrace their authenticity—without being forced into limiting narratives. When we honor intensity as a source of strength, we create space for emergent growth, both within ourselves and within our communities. Systems that foster non-linear development and embrace complexity will empower individuals to transform exclusion into insight and live authentically on their own terms.
This future is possible if we commit to rethinking how we design our communities and institutions. By integrating the principles of IWT, TPD, and GLP Synpraxis, we can co-create spaces where diversity, complexity, and transformation are celebrated. Together, we can build a world that recognizes the power of neurodivergent experiences and allows each person to thrive as their fullest self—contributing to a more inclusive, creative, and interconnected world.