Mantus

I am trying to break a rather annoying habit of sub-vocalization while reading (voicing the words in my head). Then a though occurred to me: I seem to vocalize my thoughts as well. This got me wondering if it would be possible to think without sub-vocalizing my thoughts.

I would like to hear about what’s going on in the heads of other people.

Cheers.

World's King

Even when by myself I voice my opinion.

It gets me into trouble alot and people look at me weird.

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Mephisto2

I find I sometimes talk to myself. Sounds strange, but it's not that bad!

Usually when I'm alone in the house.

Actually, maybe it IS a bit strange...


Mr Mephisto

kel

Only when I am programming.
I curse and yell too.

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"It better be funny"

lordjeebus

I don't talk to myself the way most people do.

I have the unconscious thing I do that I never notice but people point it out to me. Sometimes, when I say something, I quietly repeat the last 3 or 4 words of what I just said. I have no idea what causes this.

Example "I don't know if I can make it, I have a lot of work to do today...work to do today "

I am never aware of the repeated portion. My girlfriend monitors me on this and has found that it generally only happens when I'm sleep deprived or stressed. It's not that common but sometimes it creeps people out so I try to stay well-rested and relaxed.

taliendo

I talk to myself all the time, even when there are lots of other people around. Its the only sure fire way I know that I can keep my mind on a single strain of thought.

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Tiger69z

Yea..i only talk to myself when i stock shoes where i work...

Hehe, it helps straighten out my thoughts

SiN

i *never* have done it whilst reading...

but in general, yeah, i'm oft muttering to myself.

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juanvaldes

no.

cheerios

chat w/ myself AND others in my head and outloud all the time. gets me in trouble when I think I talked with someon about something and it turns out i was just thinking about talking to someone about something. *blush*

Amarth

That's what a lot of monks spend their whole lives trying to achieve. It's easier to eat cupcakes. *Yummmmmmmmm, cupcakes*

prosequence

Inside thought person.... seeing as most people are allergic to honesty.

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And now here I stand because of you, Mister Anderson, because of you I'm no longer an agent of the system, because of you I've changed...

Kaos

I listen to the voices in my head and often find myself vocalizing my thoughts

feelgood

I think I have a pair of green little men inside my head talking to each other all the time. I talk to myself all the time as well...

shh...did you hear that?!

SHIT! They're coming!

*sound of running followed by MIB running*

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Looking out the window, that's an act of war. Staring at my shoes, that's an act of war. Committing an act of war? Oh you better believe that's an act of war

Anomaly_

I mostly don't vocalize my thoughts. Sometimes I think aloud when doing group projects because it is often helpful. However, one weird thing I noticed I do is think in my head with someone else's voice. This is probably because I'm so monotone that even my own thoughts wouldn't be convincing otherwise.

ARTelevision

No. I don't do that. My thoughts are unrelated to my physical body - except in their hormonal, electro-chemical operation.

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MSD

I don't usually do it, although there are some exceptions.

On a few occasoins, however, people have been looking at me, heard me say something out loud, yet not seen my mouth open. After the third time, some have concluded that I'm literally thinking too loudly.

ubertuber

I don't think out loud, but my thoughts are words. I think in complete sentences, sometime even paragraphs... That isn't to say that I visualize letters and words, but I just pace things in my head that way. No visualization, just words. More than once this has made me think about the ways that language limits our thoughts... But then, not everyone thinks in language.

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Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam

DokuPuffs

Actually I've heard of this. I think I read somewhere that it's a disorder of some sort! Nothing serious, just kind of annoying! I remember I used to do it when I was younger. Went away as I got older, though. I'd look it up if I wasn't so damn tired! Maybe tomorrow


Anyway back to topic! I talk to myself a lot when I am alone. Sometimes even around other people without knowing it! Usually I will have a discussion back and forth with myself. Nothing like schizophrenia, but just like working through stuff with my own mind. Weighing my options! Not sure if it's strange, just how my mind works!

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Wtf ever.

Destrox

I actually usually talk to my self, but that option wasnt there.

Soooo I picked the first one.

And why do you make it sound like a bad thing? Completly natural, least I hope so

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You bore me.... next.

raeanna74

Usually no I don't put the thoughts in my head into words. The times that I do I'm either very angry about something or extremely tired. I also do it when I come to a final answer about something that I've been contemplating for a while. Once I reach that final answer I will put it into words in my head and sometimes vocally if no ones around. It prepares me to share it with someone when I want to do that.

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My Karma just ran over your Dogma.

Cervantes

I have a constant ongoing discussion with myself going in my head, it always stays in my head.

I experience it harder to think clearly if I speak out my thoughts.. don't know why.

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sailor

I do it if I am reading something technical. I do it a lot with physics when I am thinking through something, a lot with my computer work, and a LOT in math class. It used to be a running joke to imitate me in math class mumbling to myself as I worked.

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amonkie

I'm usually thinking so much that it's hard to sleep, but I think as if there's a person in my head that I'm talking to. Mostly, it's one sided conversations. I don't really say what I'm thinking aloud, but it can converse an actual conversation when I'm not paying as much attention to it because I should.

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happymaan

I've been doing it more lately....like saying one or two words outload. Oddly enough, many times I'll find that I speak outload when I remember something particually embarresing. It's pretty hard to control but I'm working on stopping it because I do it in public sometimes.

Mr. Spacemonkey

Well, I usually will voice thoughts in my head. As for talking to myself aloud . . . well sometimes I do that to. Hmmm. Kind of odd actually.

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bermuDa

Sometimes I do, but more often than not it's silent contemplation.

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Yakk

I sometimes have monologues. Literally just talking to myself.

Sometimes, I have dialogs. Often, the person I'm talking to is a model of another person I know. I rarely self identify with both sides of an internal dialog.

I sometimes speak in a non-verbal language. This happens when I'm thinking about math or computer science alot.

I sometimes think in shapes and flows. This happens alot when I'm doing mathematical analysis, or graph theory proofs.

I sometimes think in motion. The distinction between this and the last is subtle. When I'm thinking about how to do something physical, or thinking about how to do something in a game, or the like.

When reading, I don't think about how to pronounce words. The evidence I have of this is that there are words I can read and spell, but when I attempted to pronounce them, I was unable to even give a guess. Other times I'll be able to generate a completely wrong pronounciation. This gives me problems sometimes: I will have issues remembering which character has which name in a novel.

I have been known to speak aloud, I think quiety, when thinking to myself in a queit area. But I'm not certain. =)

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Last edited by JHVH : 10-29-4004 BC at 09:00 PM. Reason: Time for a rest.

MacGnG

now more than b4 do i talk to myself in my head, it gets kind of annoying but i am learning to do it less frequently.

i think the words as i read as well.

Holo

I have mastered the art of soliloquy. Sometimes my thoughts are too big not to let out of my head. I also hear a voice in my head reading when I read things. If alone I'll even start a coversation with myself...It's a lot easier to figure things out If I allow myself to respond as if I'm talking to another person tho it's just me the whole time.

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I happen to like the words "fuck", "cock", "pussy", "tits", "cunt", "twat", "shit" and even "bitch". As long as I am not using them to describe you, don't go telling me whether or not I can/should use them...that is, if you want me to continue refraining from using them to describe you. ~Prince

Lasereth

I misunderstood the title -- I thought it meant do you talk out loud about what you're thinking accidently. I don't do that, but I do put voices to what I'm reading about. I do it sometimes when I think as well, but it's usually just my voice.

-Lasereth

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hobo

I think a lot without saying anything. At times though, I feel I just need to release something and I say it to a wall or something, essentially talking to myself because hearing my thoughts somehow comforts me.

punx1325

I generally keep my mouth shut. I say my thoughts in my head to cool me down or make me feel better. But if something needs to be said I will say it.

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Supple Cow

I wonder if this has to do with the fact that you need to remember whatever it is that you just said, and you're too tired to keep track of it the way you usually do when you're well-rested and relaxed. I remember reading somewhere that when we say our problems or feelings out loud (in your example: the feeling of dread about work that we have to do), it translates them from the right brain to the left brain, which is more equipped to solve problems. That's supposed to be why psychotherapy works--it forces us to use the logical part of our brain to synthesize emotional issues. Maybe you repeat the end of your sentences when you're tired and stressed because you're subconsciously afraid to forget what you just said.

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GakFace

I don't talk to myself!.. I'm merely thinking outloud!

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HFrankenstein

I've never had much inner monologue, unless I'm writing. Any other task, programming, drawing, what have you, and my thoughts are pretty much nonverbal.

I think I read somewhere that most people are like this, anyway. I'm kinda disappointed by how normal I am... :P

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queedo

sonetimes I think outlound, but most of the time I don't

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Mantus

I am sorry guys, I should have put more “thought” into wording my question.

What I was curious about was whether it’s possible to think without actually hearing your own thoughts in your head.

I was not talking about thinking out loud (as in muttering out loud or somthing).

I personally can’t think about anything without first hearing the words of the thought in my head.

The whole process is a bit odd.

- I think of a subject that needs to be processed.
- The though gets translated into words.
- The words get translated back into thought and interpreted.
- The thought is then processed and I have a response.
- The response gets translated into words.
- The words get translated into though again and interpreted.
- And the process starts all over.

So as you can see, it’s a bit odd that I need to hear my own thoughts as words in order to comprehend them, since the original though comes before the words. On one hand I can see that it slows down my thinking. But on the other hand it allows me to audit my thought process as it happens. It would be nice to be able to think both ways though.

I am going to start by learning to read without sub-vocalizing. Then I hope I will be able to work on my thought process.

Thanks for the responses by the way.

asudevil83

sometimes i find myself just thinking out something for a little while, and all of the sudden realize that i might have been thinking outloud. its kinda embarrasing, but i dont really give a shit.

phaedrus

I wasn't even aware people could think without voicing their thoughts in their heads.... I've a question for those who do, how do you know what your thoughts are? What form do your thoughts take if not words? Do you think in images, impressions?