Today’s episode explores the profound significance of inanimate objects, specifically plush toys, in the lives of autistic individuals and beyond. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, challenges the dominant cultural narrative that encourages discarding “soft things” as one “grows up,” arguing instead that maintaining attachment to these items fosters a different kind of strength and preserves connection to one’s humanity. Drawing on Iain McGilchrist’s theories of the divided brain, Dr. Hoerricks posits that the right hemisphere’s attention to relationship and wholeness allows for a deeper understanding of matter as consciousness slowed down, imbuing plushies with memory, meaning, and sacredness. Ultimately, she champions the resistance inherent in embracing tenderness and maintaining connections that neurotypical society often dismisses as immature, advocating for a redefinition of maturity that includes holding onto what truly steadies and softens us.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/slowed-down-love-on-plushies-loss
Let me know what you think.
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