savant

Poltergeists, spiritual and psychical experiences—are these phenomena related to autism?

How would you react if your young child gave you a sudden and startlingly lucid, well-composed lecture on the nature of truth?

People known as “acquired savants” have spectacular abilities that emerge suddenly, usually after a brain injury. In these cases—as well as in the case of child prodigies—the individual “knows things they never learned” (the memorable phrase of savant syndrome expert Dr. Darold Treffert).