Inner monologue

An English teacher, a journalist, an English graduate working in communications and a politics graduate writing and coordinating for an M.P.

My family is a bunch of verbal scriptarians! Two of them ‘leak’ they are so driven by the voices running constantly in their heads. I escape into someone else’s voice by reading.

The monkey in my brain works overtime especially at night, drives me mad, I'm always arguing with it.. Dreams are another thing! Overactive imagination going on!!

My husband laughs at me because if I need to explain to someone how to get to a place, I have to do it by seeing a series of pictures of the route in my head. I do it for myself too, maps and road signs do nothing for me at all.
However I can't 'see' people in my head even if I know in words how they look.

I had never hiven it any thought until my niece posted a link about it on FB a couple of days ago saying how surprised she was that not everyone has inner coversations. I have had them since I was a child and wonder what can be in a person's mind if they don't. I cannot imagine my mind being blank and I am sure I couldnt meditate with a blank mind. Sometimes I have asked my DH what was he thinking and his reply has been not a thing but other times he has said he was thinking x or y. I often practice what I am going to say in Portuguese in my inner monologue.

I too have constant verbalisation going on in my head. I often think how strange it must be for creatures, to not be able to think in words, only in feelings. In fact, I suppose that they don't 'think' as we know it. The thought of not being able to think in words is actually quite scary.

Me too! Thank goodness it isnt only me, I talk to myself all of the time, running through different scenarios etc.Certain people I’d love to meet to give them a piece of my mind, I’ve rehearsed the conversations often enough , I’ll be word perfect!
Sometimes talking to myself out loud, DH asks me what I said and I tell him I’m just singing.....
On a more serious note though, GD has OCD and is unable to stop thoughts running around her head and is having counselling, she thinks that her ‘bad’ thoughts mean that she is a bad person, hopefully a Counsellors advice will help her, she doesn’t seem to listen to us.

Love M0nica’s comment as I can so relate, always talking to myself inside my bonce and I rehearse what I would/will say when I will meet a particular person, if I ever do, in the future (very long story)

I use both types of thinking, but mainly visual/pictures/diagrams. I remember a lot of things in cartoon form.

My late husband couldn't understand it, convinced that we remember and learn in words!

I don't have conversations in my head, though, and there's no anxious inner voice to annoy me, thank Heavens!

I wonder if it affects anything, like are people who think in images really artistic?

I looked into it more, some people think only in words, some in ords and images and some only in images. I am words and images, I find it fascinating. Except when I think something through and only blurt out the conclusion or plan out a message and forget to send it, then its annoying lol

Put it the other way. I have tried many times NOT to think (in words) and failed. I've believed for years that it's impossible - unless, maybe, those who meditate can somehow do it.

Trying to add in Rosina's message here to comment on but not sure how to do it!
Rosina mentioned about Dominic Lawson and his article about not having a 'minds eye'. I too have this and didn't know until I was talking to my husband a few years ago. I thought he had a special power as he could 'see' people in his mind even those long gone. It was when I spoke to others that I realised I was the odd one out. Like Dominic I can describe what others look like but not 'see' them. This applies to everyone, even those I have know all my life and I can't bring to mind how my mum or dad looked. I can look at someone and close my eyes and not be able to picture them. Rosina thought that maybe Dominic doesn't dream. In my case I do and what I dream is a bit like how I remember events. It is a bit like seeing through a mist but not quite as positive as that. You have a feeling, for example if thinking about an event you have been to you can remember who was in each seat but can't get any details of how they or the room looked. Dreams are like that. I could dream about a purple coat that someone is wearing but not 'see' the coat properly. Hope that explains it. Interestingly one of my children is the same as me but two are not.

@Rosina

I read that earlier today and was surprised as I could not imagine not having an inner monologue/mind's eye. Mine is constant and I'm sure adds to my difficulty getting to sleep and my indecision at times.
Thinking about it now, I think my late DH did not have this as he hated being on his own and had to have something to occupy him such as watching a film.

I definitely have an inner monologue, is this why I and many others write? I have an imagination which is creative and I would hate to live without sewing or books.

I definitely have an inner monologue. I talk to myself on my mind all the time. I don't see things though, it's just words

Yesterday I had an appointment I’d paid £35 for and at the last minute couldn’t find the necessary document. I turned everything upside down and felt I was about to cry. I texted my hubby , what a stupid waste of £35. Then I got the thought ‘look in that cupboard’. What for, I thought, I already did. ‘Look again’. So I did and there was the document ! Is that me or an angel? I sometimes think not all my thoughts are mine but then I am quite telepathic.

I have lots of things go through my mind and I think about them. I might say them in my mind but am not sure if that is an inner monologue?

I have inner speech which I use, amongst other things, when thinking about actions that I may wish to take, how I understand what has happened etc.

Some professional training courses increase the use of peoples inner thinking processes by keeping reflective journals etc. This is not a continuous stream of inner speech, just available when required.

I have met one or two people who do not have this ability for inner speech. The advantage seemed to me to be that they were unable to worry and so did not experience anxiety.

I have a monologue going on in my head just about constantly. That doesn't exactly help me to get to sleep at night, either!

Sometimes (only occasionally, thank goodness), the content of these thoughts appalls me, and I pull myself up, thinking what a truly awful person I must be for these thoughts even to enter my head, however fleetingly.

Like Welshwife's husband, I often wake up exhausted from all the racing around I do in my dreams!

All I can say is that I must have a hollow head . hahahaha.

Empty----that'll be right. Unless I have the power to delete ?

Like henetha I too have an inner dialogue - for much of the time,especially when I'm on my own. It's like a 'better,wiser' self advising/encouraging/suggesting.

Yes - I do have these inner monologues work things through in my head. I now often compose sentences I might need to say in French - that is useful because if there is a word or phrase I don’t know I look it up.

I have a very vivid minds eye too. What about dreaming OH often wakes up saying how tired he is because he has been chasing someone all night or doing jobs etc.

During the day I have conversations in my head most of the time. At night I wake myself up having conversations with people in my dreams but out loud. I wake and am astonished to find myself in bed and talking to nobody.

My inner monologue starts from the moment I wake to the moment I go to sleep. I'm surprised I can get a word in edge ways !

I often hear myself talking in the supermarket and if I explain to my fellow shoppers they usually say they do it too.