Not everyone has an internal monologue • Hacker News Board

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#731

Post by keymone » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:36 AM UTC

not_kurt_godel wrote: post #712

keymone wrote: post #706

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is, but it helps. A nice way I found to detach myself from racing thoughts is through these steps: - count - count some physiological process within you (breathing or heartbeat) - recognize that you can count it without thinking numbers - recognize that same “emptiness” can continue for a while even after you stop following the physiological process - rinse and repeat until you can drop into that “emptiness” and s…

This sounds like a nice form of meditation, but: > count it without thinking numbers ...what? Are you telling me you can do this for some arbitrary period of time and then tell me the number of breaths you took, if asked? I find that really difficult to believe...

no, i count to four or ten and reset

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#732

Post by feanaro » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:37 AM UTC

rapnie wrote: post #323

feanaro wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you differentiate between the dreams being detailed and the dreamers simply being convinced of the dreams being detailed? It's certainly my impression that my dreams are extremely visually detailed, to the point that I'm often able to read things in dreams (and remember it later).

This is interesting. I hear from others that their dreams are very mundane, i.e. very similar to real life. Mine are very crazy, absurd adventures. Very fun and mind-blowing to remember them when waking up, so I am training my dream recall. In my dreams familiar people from all stages in my life meet together. I always thought I dreamt them in great detail, but I have now learnt that only their 'essence' is there. Ju…

> But the best way for me to know I'm in a dream is when I am reading some text. Texts are inconsistent and when I reread a sentence it might be completely changed.

This is exactly what happened to me just last night. I was able to read a page from a book, which was visually perfect, as if I was reading a real book. However, once I read it and diverted my gaze, then looked back to it, some of the words had changed (not all). This made me realize I was in a dream.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#733

Post by swinglock » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:41 AM UTC

fomojola wrote: post #640

Very interesting: this is one possible explanation for all the times I've heard someone say something that doesn't make sense to me, and I go "Can you hear yourself right now? How did that sound to you when you thought about saying it". And I guess the answer is no: they can't. This might genuinely be the first time they've heard those words uttered.

Sorry for the unsolicited feedback and I know that it was an example, but to me saying that in particular is quite rude.

If you did not understand what your peer said you would likely get a better response if you said you did not understand and try to ask a question to have it phrased in another way.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#734

Post by kthartic » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:43 AM UTC

keymone wrote: post #731

not_kurt_godel wrote: post #712

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sounds like a nice form of meditation, but: > count it without thinking numbers ...what? Are you telling me you can do this for some arbitrary period of time and then tell me the number of breaths you took, if asked? I find that really difficult to believe...

no, i count to four or ten and reset

so you are thinking numbers then?

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#735

Post by keymone » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

kthartic wrote: post #734

keymone wrote: post #731

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no, i count to four or ten and reset

so you are thinking numbers then?

you don't think "one" every time you do something once. just like that you can train to not think "one-two" and not to think "one-two three-four" and so on. gets harder the larger the number, but it's a matter of practice.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#736

Post by 867-5309 » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:46 AM UTC

interesting stuff. my internal monologue is encoded into a pseudo-language to the point that were I ever to speak aloud, it would seem mostly unintelligible. this stems from a secret language a few friends and I had at school, to communicate silly phrases without other pupils or teachers eavesdropping, and has undergone evolution in terms of vocabulary and complexity since then, at least for my internal self. sometimes it freaks me out, but it does make coping with the inbuilt prejudices easier. I am quite fearful of something like dementia causing a leak in the hull..

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#737

Post by kaetemi » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:48 AM UTC

not_kurt_godel wrote: post #712

keymone wrote: post #706

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is, but it helps. A nice way I found to detach myself from racing thoughts is through these steps: - count - count some physiological process within you (breathing or heartbeat) - recognize that you can count it without thinking numbers - recognize that same “emptiness” can continue for a while even after you stop following the physiological process - rinse and repeat until you can drop into that “emptiness” and s…

This sounds like a nice form of meditation, but: > count it without thinking numbers ...what? Are you telling me you can do this for some arbitrary period of time and then tell me the number of breaths you took, if asked? I find that really difficult to believe...

Count like rhythmic tapping.

Same way you can tap your finger four times without counting, and you can do four taps four times without counting those.

Maybe more a musical skill.

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#738

Post by mapleboi » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:50 AM UTC

does it make sense if sometimes i'm "talking" inside in my head and other times i am just doing things "silently", like understanding stuff without any voice in my head??

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#739

Post by extro » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:54 AM UTC

I discuss topics in my head with my friends, whom i know well, so i can predict their opinion about different topics. I can differenciate between the topics what i discussed irl and what in "virtual", so i never mention this to the real person, because they obviously wouldn't be able to remember to our discussion.

My theory: Lets assume, the irl counterpart also have internal monologue (AFAIK majority have). What if he/she also can hear the same dialogue, so it is kind of telepathy, but we never realized because we never mention this discussions? I definetely have to test it with suggestion to the "virtual" person to drop everything and calling me right now. If that works that would be nice.

Other theory: According to my research the majority have internal monologue. What if the ones, who dont have internal monologue have different DNA, for example neanderthaler or something different?

Re: Not everyone has an internal monologue

#740

Post by kaetemi » Fri, Jan 31, 2020, 9:58 AM UTC

I think without explicit sentences, usually, in abstract thoughts. It's just faster, I suppose? The words kind of flow out as an internal monologue-ish thing in semi-structured overlapping sentences more as a side effect. Doing full monologue is too slow for actual thinking. (I can visualize it as written words as well, why not...) The monologue seems more as a way of preparing for communication, than for inner thoughts.