Hopko’s 34th maxim, ‘Be awake and attentive, fully present where you are’, is not a demand for constant hyper‑focus or sensory openness. For autistic Orthodox Christians, being ‘awake and attentive’ often begins with acknowledging how easily your attention is pulled away – by sensory overload, intrusive thoughts, special interests, or social anxiety – and then choosing one thing, one person, or one task to be with at a time. Fully present may mean focusing on the prayers during Liturgy (perhaps with your eyes shut if you find movement around you distracting); listening as best you can during a conversation; actually tasting what you are eating rather than ruminating over the past or speculating about the future.
Because autistic nervous systems are fragile and easily overwhelmed, this maxim should be kept together with the earlier ones about food, rest, exercise, and managing intrusive thoughts. You are more able to be present after you have eaten, taken a movement break, reduced painful stimuli, or allowed yourself some ‘special interest’ time, than when your body is in constant alarm. Concrete helps might include setting aside tech‑free periods during the day; using simple mindfulness exercises before prayer; giving yourself permission to stim quietly so your brain can stay online; or shrinking ‘fully present’ to short, manageable segments (five attentive minutes of prayer, ten attentive minutes with a person, one task done without multitasking). Lived this way, ‘Be awake and attentive’ becomes not another impossible standard, but a gentle training of your vivid, detail‑rich autistic mind to meet Christ and neighbour here, in this limited moment, rather than only in memory, fantasy, or fear.
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