I have done a little bit of research into the indigo child phenomenon and I am convinced that children who are labelled as such are the product of
misdiagnosis of conventional conditions or over-exuberant parents. Many sites that claim to have information regarding indigo children make the claim
that individuals diagnosed with ADHD or ADD are in fact wrongly diagnosed indigo children. I believe that the reverse is in fact true, that children
labelled as indigo children are actually suffering from a broad range of socio-behavioural conditions, including ADHD, ADD, Autism and Asperger's
Syndrome.
The problem with quantifying the existence of indigo children lies in the vague descriptions of their natures, as well as the similarity of many
features of indigo children with the aforementioned conditions. One site, for example, states that indigo children possess eyes that are "large,
penetrating and wise beyond their years" (
Source). This is a somewhat vague descriptor, though, and
might conceivably describe many children. They are also described as "happy, delightful and forgiving"
(
Source). Again, I propose that this description could apply to all children who, in their innocence,
often seem delightful, happy and forgiving. The problem with such descriptions is that they are vague, imprecise and ultimately unverifiable.
Behavioural characteristics of indigo children are more quantifiable and identifiable, however. Some of these characteristics include, but are not
limited to: a strong sense of self, difficulty with authoritarian rules and structures, exhibit powerful creativity, are often impatient, have either
very strong empathy or lack empathy entirely, feel uncomfortable in social situations unless they are with "others of their kind" and possess
psychic abilities. For a more comprehensive list regarding the characteristics of indigo children check out this site by
Metagifted Education and
The Indigo Children Website.
The problem with these characteristics is that a number of them are defining characteristics of socio-behavioural conditions such as Autism and
Asperger's Syndrome. Symptoms for these conditions typically include a lack of empathy, an inability to function in social situations, a heightened
sense of creativity, a demonstrated lack of response to typical teaching methods and the creation of imaginary friends. For more information
concerning autism, check out
The Autism Society of America.
Wikipedia also has a decent article on autism. Strong emotional responses, intense concentration, an
aversion to authority and heightened creativity are often reported in cases of Asperger's Syndrome. For more information on this condition, check out
The Asperger's Disorder Homepage and of course
Wikipedia. Each of these symptoms has been cited as evidence of a child being an indigo.
When combined with the features of ADD and ADHD, including anti-authoritarian behaviour and a lack of patience with structure and conformity, we can
determine that nearly all of the chracteristics of indigo children are encompassed by a combination of known socio-behavioural conditions. For more
information on ADHD and ADD,
Wikipedia has an excellent article, or there is
CHADD (Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
I said 'nearly' because a key aspect of the indigo children phenomenon centres on their psychic or metaphysical abilities. Indigo children are
sometimes cited as possessing telepathic or heightened empathic abilities, as well as possessing the dubious ability to "raise the vibration of our
planet" (
Source). It is interesting to note that these abilities are
very rarely specifically stated as such. Generally speaking, the 'otherworldliness' of indigo children is perceived as something vague, some sense
that the child is somehow different or special. It is interesting to note that most accounts of indigo children derive from families who adhere to New
Age beliefs (
Source). In such a context, it is conceivable that parents might
attribute paranormal abilities or behaviours to their children, as a result of either an overexuberance of parental pride or, more likely, a refusal
to acknowledge that their child may simply be exhibiting signs of autism or some other socio-behavioural condition. These conditions are heavily
stigmatised, with sufferers often facing a number of misconceptions or stereotypes. Is it not natural for parents, when confronted with the
possibility that their child faces such challenges in their future, to deny the possibility and instead claim that your child is not 'damaged' or
wrong somehow, but rather special, a new step in human evolution? Furthermore, it is possible that, when taken in a New Age context, a child's simple
imaginary friend might conceivably be interpreted as a spirit guide or an angelic messenger that speaks only to that particular child.
Mental illnesses are still a subject for fear and, for many, revulsion. I believe that the parents of indigo children, who often pursue a New Age,
spiritual worldview, may have given rise to the indigo child phenomenon by refusing to acknowledge the symptoms and signs of known socio-behavioural
conditions that stem from neuro-biological disorders.
These are not simply academic observations on my part, having lived myself with Asperger's Syndrome all of my 25 years. I grew up in a very small
town in the Australian bush, where mental illness is not readily understood or accepted. It would have been nice to have believed myself to be somehow
special, above other, normal people. But doing so detracts from the seriousness of recognised conditions. The indigo children phenomenon, whilst not a
Satanic conspiracy, may prove detrimental to some children who are denied adequate treatment for exisiting conditions because they are misdiagnosed as
the next aspect of human evolution.
[edit on 1/9/05 by Jeremiah25]