As an autistic person, one of my experiences is that I can get sucked into an almost "compulsive" kind of spiral, deep diving and learning more about a specific topic. For me, it's often topic that help me understand myself or the world around me, and even sometimes to help solve my own physical ailments or mental struggles. A good way I can describe it is like my brain was pre-programmed with its own agenda of what it must solve for this world and it cannot rest or focus on anything else but that one topic until it feels understood or the loop feels closed. I couldn't focus on anything else if I tried because my brain starts to get jumbled and confused with competing thoughts all at once unless I engage them further. It's regulating in its own kind of way.