What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

Welcome to Our Forums. Once you've registered and logged in, you're primed to talk football, among other topics, with the sharpest and most experienced fantasy players on the internet.

The Voice in your Head (1 Viewer)

Getzlaf15 said:
So I have a son that is high functioning aspergers.  

Non-aspergers can focus on the sound and conversation when we talk to someone, even if it's in a crowded bar, restaurant, or sporting event.  Most with aspergers can not.  They hear all the sounds and can't tune out the other noises.   They hear all the other conversations at the same level as the one they are having, which often over loads them and they act out in frustration. 
Click to expand...
I’ve heard this same description for schizophrenics.

 
was just thinking of this today and trying to "pay attention" to what i'm thinking etc.

So I'm at the store in line, getting ready to get in the check out line and realize I forgot milk.

But I said out loud "oh i forgot milk"  then went and got it.

I wasn't very loud but I definitely spoke the words out loud :unsure:

 
  • Smile
Reactions: Ned
i'm absolutely fascinated by this idea that everyone doesn't have an internal dialogue.

in the same way that i was when i heard people saying they see pictures when they think. vivid, full color, specifically detailed images. 

are the people who say they don't have an inner voice the ones that also those that see perfectly clear images when they remember time/place?  is that how your internal voice renders?

so instead of (as i am right now) thinking to myself "i need to check out at noon so i can get to the kid's school for lunch at 12:15, then on the way back stop at the gas station to fill up".  do you just see a picture of the kid's lunchroom and the gas pump and that's how you remember things?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
belljr said:
was just thinking of this today and trying to "pay attention" to what i'm thinking etc.
Click to expand...
I did that the other day during which time I realized that I had to take a leak... I walked into the bathroom with my inner voice saying something along the lines of "dude, seriously, some people don't do this?  How do they think?  I can't imagine another way.  I am going to "pay attention" to what I am thinking".

It was at about that point that I realized I turned on the light, lifted the seat, unsheathed the sword, and kept the stream straight all without even thinking about it. My mind was blown.  

 
Jaysus said:
I did that the other day during which time I realized that I had to take a leak... I walked into the bathroom with my inner voice saying something along the lines of "dude, seriously, some people don't do this?  How do they think?  I can't imagine another way.  I am going to "pay attention" to what I am thinking".

It was at about that point that I realized I turned on the light, lifted the seat, unsheathed the sword, and kept the stream straight all without even thinking about it. My mind was blown.  
Click to expand...
hifive?

 
mr. furley said:
i'm absolutely fascinated by this idea that everyone doesn't have an internal dialogue.

in the same way that i was when i heard people saying they see pictures when they think. vivid, full color, specifically detailed images. 

are the people who say they don't have an inner voice the ones that also those that see perfectly clear images when they remember time/place?  is that how your internal voice renders?

so instead of (as i am right now) thinking to myself "i need to check out at noon so i can get to the kid's school for lunch at 12:15, then on the way back stop at the gas station to fill up".  do you just see a picture of the kid's lunchroom and the gas pump and that's how you remember things?
Click to expand...
I don’t see pictures, and there’s no voices in my head.  But so many Disney and cartoon things are starting to make sense.  Jiminy Cricket for example.  He’s actually a thing???  

I think, and when I think, it’s just like, thinking.  I don’t discuss with myself the thing that I’m thinking.  I just think it.  And there’s no pictures or whatever.  

If I’m hungry, I realize that, then I go inside and look at the snacks and choose one that interests me at the moment.  I don’t have a debate with myself about going inside to get snacks, nor do I see pictures of things, nor do I discuss with the voice in my head, once there, which snack to take.  I just do it.

 
Psychopav said:
Why not?  If I didn't have to slow down for the voice in my head, I would TOTALLY speed read.  You, sir, are an underachiever, by my reckoning.
Click to expand...
I can and choose not to for the most part.  I get much more pleasure from reading if my inner guy reads it to me.

 
IvanKaramazov said:
For me, it's like having a radio station in my head that I can't turn off.  Sometimes -- like when I'm busy with something else -- it gets very quiet.  But when I'm running, or when I wake up at 3:00 a.m. and start thinking about my day, it drowns out everything else.  I've gone of 3+ hour runs with no headphones without getting bored with my internal monologue, especially when I have something on my mind.  My thoughts often take the form of an imaginary conversation where I'm explaining something to a third party, when literally what's taking place is that I'm explaining something to myself.

I'm with IS in the sense that I think it's bizarre and uncanny that other people don't have this experience.
Click to expand...
Heck, my wife get perturbed at me when I react to an internal conversation.  "What are you smiling at?  Why are you frowning and shaking your head?  etc." 

These discussions bubble to surface way too often.  

 
Now, sometimes I have little blue men and little orange men in my head, holding signs and cheering or not, depending on the situation.

The men look like limber little meeples, like from the game Carcassonne, except with faces and leather helmets in the color of their skin.  And I am a Bears fan.

In my defense.

:unsure:  

I'm pretty sure @Z-Man would approve...

 
Otis said:
I don’t see pictures, and there’s no voices in my head.  But so many Disney and cartoon things are starting to make sense.  Jiminy Cricket for example.  He’s actually a thing???  

I think, and when I think, it’s just like, thinking.  I don’t discuss with myself the thing that I’m thinking.  I just think it.  And there’s no pictures or whatever.  

If I’m hungry, I realize that, then I go inside and look at the snacks and choose one that interests me at the moment.  I don’t have a debate with myself about going inside to get snacks, nor do I see pictures of things, nor do I discuss with the voice in my head, once there, which snack to take.  I just do it.
Click to expand...
so you just rise from the couch, walk to the fridge, open the door and grab the thing you imagined?

you don't open the door and think "oh, ####, we have sumo fruit?  that sounds better than strawberries.. maybe i should save those strawberries for the kids."?

 
  • Smile
Reactions: Ned
Psychopav said:
Now, sometimes I have little blue men and little orange men in my head, holding signs and cheering or not, depending on the situation.

The men look like limber little meeples, like from the game Carcassonne, except with faces and leather helmets in the color of their skin.  And I am a Bears fan.

In my defense.

:unsure:  

I'm pretty sure @Z-Man would approve...
Click to expand...
pretty sure that's The Great Gazoo, guy

 
mr. furley said:
so you just rise from the couch, walk to the fridge, open the door and grab the thing you imagined?

you don't open the door and think "oh, ####, we have sumo fruit?  that sounds better than strawberries.. maybe i should save those strawberries for the kids."?
Click to expand...
wtf no

Yes, I just have a sensation recognizing that I'm hungry and want to go get food -- so I get up and go get food.  Maybe this is why I'm overweight...

And no I don't have a discussion in my head like you described, I don't hear those words.  I look around at sumo fruit, kind of shrug like "meh," then I see the cookies, and I grab one, and I put it in my mouth.

If this is what's happening for people in every interaction they encounter on a daily basis, it explains SO MUCH.  Like trying to get around people walking in NYC, good lord, people are slow at nearly everything they do, but I never appreciated it's likely because they're having deep conversations about every thought that occurs to them.

 
so you're saying your brain doesn't really consider anything? you operate purely on animal instinct?  :coffee:  

you don't stop to consider if one of your kids likes the strawberries.. or might want the citrus?

you just get up, lumber over to the fridge with an empty head and thoughtlessly jam food in your maw? 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Does this internal monologue concept have any relation to how we experience dreams?

Many years ago my sister told me that when she dreams, she doesn't "see" anything, she just "knows" what's happening in her dreams based on feelings.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? This blew my mind. Still does.

When I dream I experience sight, sound, and touch every time. Smell and taste aren't common at all but can occasionally occur if pertinent to a particular dream situation. As an added note... even in dreams I have an internal monologue that other people in the dreams can't hear and aren't aware of.

What about everyone else... How do you experience your dreams?

 
mr. furley said:
so you're saying your brain doesn't really consider anything? you operate purely on animal instinct?  :coffee:  

you don't stop to consider if one of your kids likes the strawberries.. or might want the citrus?

you just get up, lumber over to the fridge with an empty head and thoughtlessly jam food in your maw? 
Click to expand...
I mean, I consider things, but it’s not a discussion.  It’s kind of like a computer just doing its thing and then you know the answer.  It’s not instinctive, but it’s faster than hearing in my head a discussion about it first.

 
Otis said:
I mean, I consider things, but it’s not a discussion.  It’s kind of like a computer just doing its thing and then you know the answer.  It’s not instinctive, but it’s faster than hearing in my head a discussion about it first.
Click to expand...
Weird.  You just described instinct and then said it’s not instinctive.

 
-arcK- said:
Does this internal monologue concept have any relation to how we experience dreams?

Many years ago my sister told me that when she dreams, she doesn't "see" anything, she just "knows" what's happening in her dreams based on feelings.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? This blew my mind. Still does.

When I dream I experience sight, sound, and touch every time. Smell and taste aren't common at all but can occasionally occur if pertinent to a particular dream situation. As an added note... even in dreams I have an internal monologue that other people in the dreams can't hear and aren't aware of.

What about everyone else... How do you experience your dreams?
Click to expand...
Usually when I'm sleeping.

 
jonessed said:
Weird.  You just described instinct and then said it’s not instinctive.
Click to expand...
It’s not either instinct or hearing a voice in my head discussing the pros and cons.  I’m pretty sure my brain is having that sort of debate, but just not out loud.  Kind of like the same way you can read and understand the information without speaking the words?  (I think someone in here said they hear a reading voice in their head reading all the words; that’s also confusing to me, I just look at the words and “get it.”  Like the same way I see a green light and understand that means I can go?)

 
Otis said:
  Like trying to get around people walking in NYC, good lord, people are slow at nearly everything they do, but I never appreciated it's likely because they're having deep conversations about every thought that occurs to them.
Click to expand...
If people are walking slowly in front of you and there's no way to get around them, don't you ever think to yourself "C'mon people, GTFO of my way" 

 
Otis said:
I mean, I consider things, but it’s not a discussion.  It’s kind of like a computer just doing its thing and then you know the answer.  It’s not instinctive, but it’s faster than hearing in my head a discussion about it first.
Click to expand...
FYI, the voice in my head is WAY faster than talking to someone.  It takes longer to form words out loud than inside my head.

 
-arcK- said:
Does this internal monologue concept have any relation to how we experience dreams?

Many years ago my sister told me that when she dreams, she doesn't "see" anything, she just "knows" what's happening in her dreams based on feelings.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!? This blew my mind. Still does.

When I dream I experience sight, sound, and touch every time. Smell and taste aren't common at all but can occasionally occur if pertinent to a particular dream situation. As an added note... even in dreams I have an internal monologue that other people in the dreams can't hear and aren't aware of.

What about everyone else... How do you experience your dreams?
Click to expand...
This was my big question for the day.  Do the people without a voice in their heads have dreams where the people in them "talk"?  Or is it like a silent movie?

 
Otis said:
It’s not either instinct or hearing a voice in my head discussing the pros and cons.  I’m pretty sure my brain is having that sort of debate, but just not out loud.  Kind of like the same way you can read and understand the information without speaking the words?  (I think someone in here said they hear a reading voice in their head reading all the words; that’s also confusing to me, I just look at the words and “get it.”  Like the same way I see a green light and understand that means I can go?)
Click to expand...
I do the green light thing.  I just think it through when I'm doing something.

How do you plan a trip?  I don't see how you can just feel your way around buying tickets and booking a hotel.  Or packing, for that matter.  I sometimes play the thing out in my head like a movie and pack the things I see.  Is it like that?

 
jamny said:
If people are walking slowly in front of you and there's no way to get around them, don't you ever think to yourself "C'mon people, GTFO of my way" 
Click to expand...
Sometimes I would just feel frustration.  Sometimes I might think to myself "####."  Sometimes I even say it out loud in an exasperated breath as I walk around those people.  At no time do I hear a voice in my head saying any of these things.

 
Mrs. Rannous said:
I do the green light thing.  I just think it through when I'm doing something.

How do you plan a trip?  I don't see how you can just feel your way around buying tickets and booking a hotel.  Or packing, for that matter.  I sometimes play the thing out in my head like a movie and pack the things I see.  Is it like that?
Click to expand...
WTF.  No, I don't see any movie.  I just pack.  I think to myself "shirts.," and I pack those.  Then I grab pants.  Then all the other stuff.  Sometimes I look around my closet and see something like a hoodie and think, without hearing a voice or saying it to myself, something like the notion of "that may come in handy."  There are no words associated with it, but that concept comes into my head, and so I grab that thing.

There have been times once I'm looking over the packed luggage where I'll talk out loud to myself almost like a checklist "ok, pants, shirts, underwear, socks.... CONTACTS!" as I realize I need to pack contacts and then I'll go grab those.  But that's out loud, and very intentional.  I'm not hearing any voices in my head.

 
Otis said:
Sometimes I would just feel frustration.  Sometimes I might think to myself "####."  Sometimes I even say it out loud in an exasperated breath as I walk around those people.  At no time do I hear a voice in my head saying any of these things.
Click to expand...
Sounds like "hearing" a voice in your head to me.  You do realize we're not talking about anything different than this, just in complete sentences, right?  We don't actually hear voices.

Could this maybe be just people misunderstanding what the interior monologuers are trying to explain?

 
Psychopav said:
Sounds like "hearing" a voice in your head to me.  You do realize we're not talking about anything different than this, just in complete sentences, right?  We don't actually hear voices.

Could this maybe be just people misunderstanding what the interior monologuers are trying to explain?
Click to expand...
I don't know, from the earlier pages people seem to be saying they actually "hear voices."  

 
Psychopav said:
Sounds like "hearing" a voice in your head to me.  You do realize we're not talking about anything different than this, just in complete sentences, right?  We don't actually hear voices.

Could this maybe be just people misunderstanding what the interior monologuers are trying to explain?
Click to expand...
Exactly. How could you think to yourself "####" without it being a voice, most likely your own.

How about this @Otis. When you think of a famous line in a movie, can you hear it in that actors voice?

 
jamny said:
Exactly. How could you think to yourself "####" without it being a voice, most likely your own.

How about this @Otis. When you think of a famous line in a movie, can you hear it in that actors voice?
Click to expand...
Sure. I just did “I must break you” in my head. I mean, I couldn’t really “hear” the voice but I imagined and remembered that part of the movie. 

 
But this imagining a movie part seems really different from people hearing in their heads stuff like “man I would kill for a burrito tonight. I wonder if they’re still open. I could drive there. Hmmm.”

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Psychopav said:
Sounds like "hearing" a voice in your head to me.  You do realize we're not talking about anything different than this, just in complete sentences, right?  We don't actually hear voices.

Could this maybe be just people misunderstanding what the interior monologuers are trying to explain?
Click to expand...
People have stated they hear their own voice...

I may think ####stick but ####stick just pops into my brain

 
Otis said:
It’s not either instinct or hearing a voice in my head discussing the pros and cons.  I’m pretty sure my brain is having that sort of debate, but just not out loud.  Kind of like the same way you can read and understand the information without speaking the words?  (I think someone in here said they hear a reading voice in their head reading all the words; that’s also confusing to me, I just look at the words and “get it.”  Like the same way I see a green light and understand that means I can go?)
Click to expand...
I read like that as well, but I see letters in my head before I type them.  I also hear the voice.  Not all the time, but I do have “inner conversations”.  

The instinct thing was a bit tongue in cheek.  It’s all a bit odd to think about.

 
Otis said:
But this imagining a movie part seems really different from people hearing in their heads stuff like “man I would kill for a burrito tonight. I wonder if they’re still open. I could drive there. Hmmm.”
Click to expand...
Nope, sounds like you misunderstand what we're saying.

It's not the hearing, it's the talking to yourself without speaking.  In full sentences, and imagining future conversations etc.

 
I’ve gotta admit — I’m totally with Otis in (1) the way he sees things, and (2) the disbelief about these internal “conversations” some of you have — had absolutely no idea that’s the way it works for some people. 

 
Seems like people are changing the "voice" thing 

Many people have stated they hear there own voice when reading etc. Even posted a joke clip that everyone agreed with.

Now people are changing into inner dialogue.

If I go to the fridge I don't have an inner debate on what to eat, I'm sure my brain is having it but I just decide.

If I think of something I said earlier there is no voice.

The words just pop into my head.

If I'm deciding between 2 things to buy I'm not internally have conscious discussions of +/- to which to buy.  I know it happens but it "just happens"

 
jamny said:
If you thought of something you said to someone earlier today, who's voice would it be?
Click to expand...
There would be no voice. I would think about the general concept or memory of what was said at that moment. I wouldn’t be pressing the play button on a Sony Walkman. 

 
And to add I can sit here and force myself to have an inner discussion, but it's still "silent"

I can consciously "talk to myself" but it's not my normal/natural day to day

 
Otis said:
Sometimes I would just feel frustration.  Sometimes I might think to myself "####."  Sometimes I even say it out loud in an exasperated breath as I walk around those people.  At no time do I hear a voice in my head saying any of these things.
Click to expand...
What's the difference between thinking "####" and hearing it in your head?

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Willie Neslon
  • Poll
Does anyone else hate Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band?
2 3
Replies
121
Views
3K
fatness
fatness
Willie Neslon
What is something about life in 2024 that would completely astonish someone living in 1974?
2 3 4
Replies
150
Views
2K
The Z Machine
The Z Machine
belljr
Normal aging brain function or something more?
Replies
46
Views
1K
popeye
popeye

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Top