Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

theguardian.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

241–250 of 272 posts

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#241

Post by floatingatoll »

telesilla wrote: post #155
floatingatoll wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can barely do this, at a naturally-occurring rate of maybe one image a month or less. But I can pick up music instantly.

Really interesting in this thread about how so many see images or hear voices. I always have strong threads of music, always available at any moment. I bet all musicians have this. I used to wish when I was a child that I could jack my brain to a stereo system for instant playback and bypass the effort of writing things down.

This reminded me of a spiral/helix of fifths music theory poster I had twenty years ago. I can't find it now, but in my research, this came up:

Music Through Computation, Carl McTague, 2003 International Mathematica Symposium https://www.mctague.org/carl/music/computer/talks/music-talk...

And it does indeed have a nice picture for "Helix of Fifths" that is a dry black and white sketch of what was on that poster.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#242

Post by distances »

gala8y wrote: post #238
distances wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The concept as described in the article is totally foreign to me. Would there be some upside of trying to awaken some additional inner voice? Is that even possible? I can easily speak in my mind, but it's just me, and I'm in total control. There are no other personas. I of course sometimes get spontaneous thoughts, sometimes even very unwanted ones, but they are my thoughts and I can easily dismiss them. I don't do d…

I would be very careful talking about personas, masks (this brings needless conversations). The most gentle way of describing it all is to talk about energies. You can be in a child-like playful energy, you can be in a 'focused on the task at hand, not minding emotions/people at all' energy. You can be in a (much discussed here) critical, judgmental energy directed towards you or others. You may or may not have acces…

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, sounds intriguing.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#243

Post by gala8y »

sammalloy wrote: post #145
titusjohnson wrote: post #19

The broadcaster Jenni Murray lives in author Hannah Begbie’s brain. Well, not Murray exactly, but a facsimile of Murray, with the same kind but quizzical voice, and a scarf flung loosely over her shoulder. “My inner voice is a duologue, like I am in a constant state of interviewing myself,” says Begbie, who is 44 and lives in London. “The interviewing always happens in a plush radio studio,” she says. “There’s nice r…

> The very first thing I think of when reading this article is that everyone interviewed except Hopkins is having near-constant auditory hallucinations. Agreed. The closest I’ve come to this kind of thing is when I take more than 400 mg of caffeine in a single day (I’m genetically sensitive to caffeine). If I do that, then yes, my inner voice will become quite strange.

My reaction to caffeine is very strong. Can you tell me anything more about genetic sensitivity to caffeine? Did you have it tested/determined?

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#244

Post by telesilla »

floatingatoll wrote: post #241
telesilla wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really interesting in this thread about how so many see images or hear voices. I always have strong threads of music, always available at any moment. I bet all musicians have this. I used to wish when I was a child that I could jack my brain to a stereo system for instant playback and bypass the effort of writing things down.

This reminded me of a spiral/helix of fifths music theory poster I had twenty years ago. I can't find it now, but in my research, this came up: Music Through Computation , Carl McTague, 2003 International Mathematica Symposium https://www.mctague.org/carl/music/computer/talks/music-talk... And it does indeed have a nice picture for "Helix of Fifths" that is a dry black and white sketch of what was on that poster.

Ouch my poor brain went into shock reading that! I'd done all I could to forget schenkerian analysis and now it's all flooding back. Aside from that, nice intro to helical harmony.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#245

Post by sammalloy »

gala8y wrote: post #243
sammalloy wrote: post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The very first thing I think of when reading this article is that everyone interviewed except Hopkins is having near-constant auditory hallucinations. Agreed. The closest I’ve come to this kind of thing is when I take more than 400 mg of caffeine in a single day (I’m genetically sensitive to caffeine). If I do that, then yes, my inner voice will become quite strange.

My reaction to caffeine is very strong. Can you tell me anything more about genetic sensitivity to caffeine? Did you have it tested/determined?

Yes, but only on 23andMe. I’ve also known I had an issue with it most of my life.

https://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/caffeine-consumption

People who don’t have this sensitivity can drink coffee at any time. I can only drink early in the morning, and if I have it after noon, I’ll never get to bed.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#246

Post by vikaveri »

corobo wrote: post #209

My internal monologue is more like a board meeting "I" can veto everything but there are other threads relating to specific things. Anxiety has always had a prominent seat at the table but recently we brought in consultants to see if we can dislodge all of the old guard. We got rid of depression's seat last year They don't have a physical form or anything like that. Purely held within imagination as a way to quickly…

I don't have an internal monologue, but I do have that board meeting. Kinda makes me think of that Pixar movie, Inside Out. The whole 'board' doesn't meet all the time, mostly it's very quiet and I get an impression or two, a feeling really, here and there, but when I'm excited or enthusiastic about something, engaged in the moment and I'm presented with a problem to solve, it feels like most of the time a solution just comes to me. Like the board meeting had gone over all the possible options, decided on the best course of action rejecting improbable or difficult solutions, gathered up a dossier with executive summary, schedules, workload estimates, problem analysis, risk analysis, the works, all the details I need to implement the solution to a problem and hands the dossier to me, wordlessly saying "Here's our recommendation". And a lot of the time I just know I have the solution, how to get from A to B without consciously knowing all the steps in between, but knowing all the steps have been figured out and it's in the "dossier". I just need to do it, put it in words and explain to others.

Interestingly enough, I haven't been diagnosed with ADHD, at least not yet, but after discussions with professionals, it seems probable that I may have it, to some degree anyhow

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#247

Post by floor2 »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #133
floatingatoll wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know, man. I work with my brain as best I can. Some pages of books are an entire page of "glance, glance, okay, that's all meaningless" next-page. But I also remember books as intensely as TV or in-person experiences, if not moreso. If I'm trying to figure out whether what I've just written will make any sense to other human beings, sometimes I'll say a fragment of it out loud to hear the emotion and make sur…

Have you been tested for dyslexia or other disabilities?

Seconding this. This description sounds like severe dyslexia to me, and the good news is there are a lot of resources and therapies out there which might be able to greatly improve your quality of life if you choose to seek them out.

Definitely worth speaking with an appropriate medical professional for diagnosis.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#248

Post by floatingatoll »

telesilla wrote: post #244
floatingatoll wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reminded me of a spiral/helix of fifths music theory poster I had twenty years ago. I can't find it now, but in my research, this came up: Music Through Computation , Carl McTague, 2003 International Mathematica Symposium https://www.mctague.org/carl/music/computer/talks/music-talk... And it does indeed have a nice picture for "Helix of Fifths" that is a dry black and white sketch of what was on that poster.

Ouch my poor brain went into shock reading that! I'd done all I could to forget schenkerian analysis and now it's all flooding back. Aside from that, nice intro to helical harmony.

I'm sorry / cheers :)

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#249

Post by afpx »

Jensson wrote: post #174
stavros wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The voice doesn't think, the voice just narrates the thought. It's optional filler.

I guess that makes sense. But it seems like many thinks that the voice is their thinking rather than just a narrator? Like, I have heard that people can't imagine solving a math problem without thinking in words.

I'm pretty new to doing proofs, and I constantly think in words while doing them. Are you saying that there may be a point when I won't think like that? That would be amazing.

Re: People who have unusual, or non-existent, inner voices

#250

Post by HKH2 »

throw0101a wrote: post #239
johnchristopher wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do envy you I think. I am always there except when daydreaming or in the zone (reading, mind wandering, etc.). Then again what would I think what is "me" if I didn't have that constant 'observation of the world (outer and inner)' ? Maybe I don't have inner dialogue but anxiety is eating my mind (anxiety as in: being aware of the world all the time, observing it all the time) and it gives an illusion of monologue/be…

One disadvantage is a general lack of small talk ability: someone says something, and I'm like "…".

Your description above is very similar to how I would describe things, yet I have no problem with small talk.
Post reply on HN