Animals are alive; they are living beings, same with bugs and insects. What do you think goes through their minds? Especially insects like flies, ants, spiders, etc., especially when they’re so small and can die so easily?
Fruit flies have been studied very thoroughly in this manner. A lot of their brains are hardwired to sensory inputs and motor control, but the interesting thing is that their thoughts aren’t just made up of the connections between nervous tissue; the connective tissue itself is also used to store and modulate information.
What they don’t have is a highly developed cerebral cortex; so while they can feel pain and anxiety and probably anger and frustration, they don’t have much ability to reflect on any of it after the fact.
Animals that can do that include cats, whales, elephants, octopuses, parrots, ravens and jumping spiders.
e0qdk@reddthat.com 5 days ago
I suspect most of them do not have an internal monologue in the same (verbose) sense that humans can have, but the relatively closely related ones (e.g. mammals, probably) likely have similar memory/sensory integration experiences. It’s possible to get your own inner monologue to “shut up” for a bit, and just be and feel and do. You can still remember an experience without talking to yourself about it as well. I suspect that closely related animals’ experience is like that – although differing based on the particular set of senses and drives unique to their species.
The further away you go from that, the less idea I have of what’s going on (besides “state machine” of some sort). I have only the vaguest notion of what it might be like to be a spider, and even less of an idea of what it’s like to be a starfish.
palordrolap@fedia.io 5 days ago
The only way I know how to do this is to go to sleep. This is somewhat impractical except at one specific time, and I need to be tired to do it.
WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 days ago
Meditate, man.
e0qdk@reddthat.com 5 days ago
Hmm. I’m not exactly sure how I got there or what would work for other people, but it can be done.
Maybe try thinking of it like pressing the clutch in a manual drive car? The engine might keep spinning, but if you hold down the clutch and ignore it eventually it’ll run out of gas…
Or maybe think of it like tuning out someone annoying chattering nearby. They might keep talking for a bit but if you ignore them, eventually they’ll get bored and shut up / leave. Even if they come back, just ignore them again if you don’t want to engage.
Or, try focusing on sensory details instead of mental chatter. Really notice what you’re seeing/hearing/feeling without actively describing it or planning anything.
I don’t usually stay in that state all that long, but sometimes it’s nice to just be.