I think only about half the population think this way. Your voice is in your head speaking thoughts kinda like they show in movies. The other half thinks in pictures, shapes, colors, and sounds.
Comment on Why do we have an internal monologue?
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
I am super confused what an internal monologue is as I’m fairly certain I don’t have one.
If I did, I feel like it would annoy the shit out of me.
GlendatheGayWitch@lemmy.world 5 months ago
EddoWagt@feddit.nl 5 months ago
The other half thinks in pictures, shapes, colors, and sounds.
Its definitely not that simple as I definitely have both, I’ve also heard a lot of people say “I’m a visual thinker”, but I’ve absolutely never heard of someone not being one do I’m not sure there is even such a thing as a non visual thinker
FilthyHookerSpit@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Aphantasia
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
This is making me keep thinking of blinking and breathing and it’s weirding me out!
aStonedSanta@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Another fun one is thinking about the size of your tongue. Lol it doesn’t fit in there bro!
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 5 months ago
As someone else mentioned with hearing music, people can also smell smells, taste tastes and conjure up imagery. When they read books the reading turns into a movie like thing or something like that.
It’s all bundled up as visualization.
Some people can’t visualize at all, or can to varying degrees.
When you can’t, it’s called Aphantasia. If you can’t do any visualization at all (maybe some can hear music, but nothing else) that’s called total aphantasia.
The one part that’s still a weird conversation for me is the inner monologue. I can think, I can read words, but it’s not my voice? It’s not my voice like people say they can have a conversation with themselves or pretend to have one with someone else.
So I lean to thinking I don’t have an inner monologue as others would describe and expect, but I still do?
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
I can’t visualize to save my life and it bothers me. It also leads to an insane lack of a sense of direction. A good friend told me to just go the opposite direction of what I feel - and 9/10 that actually works.
When people ask me what someone looks like, I typically devolve to…“umm, a face, a couple arms, some hair”. I know it sounds dumb, but it’s actually impossibly hard for me to describe someone.
I totally get the think/read but not your voice thing, I feel like it isn’t a monologue, it just…is?
Granted I am diagnosed ADHD and partially in the spectrum, so I suppose that may play a part?
NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 5 months ago
ADHD can impare visualization as well, and people with ADHD can also have Aphantasia.
So maybe you have both? The connection between the two isn’t understood yet.
The term Aphantasia is very new. Under 10 years old I think. I learned I had it before the term was officially a thing but there were a few articles about it without a name. I always thought people were just using it as a matter of expression, not something they were actually doing
elscallr@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Can you summon a song in your head? A melody?
It’s that… But it’s your voice. And you employ it to think. It’s how I argue with myself and reason my way through a thing. I’m not sure how I’d get along without it, except every once in a while I get stuck on a problem, so I do something different. Often, the right solution to the thing I wanted to do will pop into my head. Then I need to work backwards how I got there. Both are useful, I prefer the information up front though.
Buffalox@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Don’t you have an inner voice for instance when you read?
I’m not sure I get the monologue part either, because I perceive it more as dialogue, and I always considered that normal. But maybe it’s a matter of perception?AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
I mean…sort of? It doesn’t really have a voice though it’s more like…just an understanding. I don’t know, this entire post has been fascinating.
Sagifurius@lemm.ee 5 months ago
Then how do you pre plan things that you are going to type?
johnlobo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
it is annoying, you know schizophrenia? hearing voices? it is just like that but your voice only, and you heard it in your head but not your ears.
elrik@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Read this sentence one word at a time. As you read it, do you hear the words spoken inside your head?
lingh0e@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
If that doesn’t work, turn on the tv and try to repeat the words you hear immediately after you hear them, but absolutely silently. The goal is to echo the television ij your head.
In between what you hear and what you silently say, your brain repeats the words.
That is your internal monologue.
Now imagine you’re trying to sleep and the asshole part of your brain starts talking about the reality dumb-ass shit you did 25 years ago…
Now imagine that you just got a song stuck in your head. You know the song really well… and you can’t stop repeating the hook in your mind.
It’s your brain silently reading the captions of the narration of the images of your train of thought.
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
Oh, is that all it is? I guess I was reading it to be where I can hear myself talk to myself when reasoning things out or experiencing things.
aStonedSanta@lemm.ee 5 months ago
I can do exactly what you are describing and do constantly and all day. You don’t debate me gongs internally with words? That’s confused my brain. Wonder if it’s an ADHD thing on my end.
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
I don’t debate ongoings internally, but I am formally adult ADHD diagnosed. This entire post/thread is fascinating to me.
johnlobo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
it is not normal? mine fight constantly.
johnlobo@lemmy.world 5 months ago
your inner voices didn’t fight with each other?
AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 5 months ago
No? What is it like?
afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 months ago
Mine do all the time. Thanks to the Internet I now know that this is either uncommon or lots of people are terrified of what people will think about them if they admit it.
elrik@lemmy.world 5 months ago
It’s the same inner voice speaking thoughts instead of words on a page.
GyozaPower@discuss.tchncs.de 5 months ago
Yep, it’s mostly that. Like a movie/show/anime protagonist narrating their reasonings and thoughts to the watchers, except there are no watchers and you are just talking to your inner self.