“Does having no inner monologue or voice limit you cognitively, or does/could it make things clearer (Can we define things without words?)?”

I like the proposal by Oakley and Halligan in Chasing the Rainbow: The Non-conscious Nature of Being that the inner monologue is not fundamental to being human.

They propose that human cognition is a largely private process that we don’t consciously make happen or control with our conscious thoughts. One of the functions of our cognition is to share a summary of our cognition with all the humans around us, including ourselves. They call the summary of our cognition the “personal narrative”, and they call sharing “broadcasting”. All of this, including broadcasting the narrative, is what makes us human, and it is enough to understand human individuals and society.

Incidentally, we “hear the words” of our personal narrative. The narrative has already been incorporated by our central cognition by this time, so the these words aren’t really critical to our survival or self understanding. We have mistakenly elevated the importance of these words into the position of being “who we are:”, when they are really just a side effect of being human.

Buddhism also suggests that these words are not central to who we are. It seems entirely possible that some people don’t get to hear this inner monologue like most of us do. According to the O&H proposal, that is not a true deficit, just another way of being human that doesn’t affect survival. The Buddha agrees.

We all do. Our brain is always active, 24/7, and even when we are reading, writing, or listening, we are “talking” to ourselves.

But some people are able to develop such peace of mind, that the monologues are not there all the time. These individuals can sustain long periods of time where they only observe without commentary. That implies staying “in the present moment” completely, like in total “mindfulness” or as I prefer to call it, awarefulness.

Awarefulness is a state of complete awareness where the brain is active but in alpha waves (not too slow but not too fast), which creates enough space to assimilate everything around without interfering with thoughts or judgments. When someone practices this constantly, then the brain uses the extra energy that would be used by the chatter, to become creative, generate solutions, or to enjoy everything as is.

When we are idle, the Default Mode Network (DMN) gets activated. The DMN is present in the absence of tasks. Functions of a self-referential nature.

The DMN is centrally located in the brain, it is a hub of regulatory function, consisting primarily of the prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and the inferior parietal lobe.

It’s believed that the DMN is the home of the “ego,” or the part of our brain responsible for judgement, tolerance, reality testing, identity, and a sense of self. It also lights up during daydreams, magical thinking, self-reflection, and receiving “likes.”

It’s functions are:

•Self Reflection/introspection

•Autobiographical memory

•Perceiving the perspectives of others

•Experiencing having an embodied sense of self-existing in space

•Continued experiencing of self across time & into the future

If we believe in the DMN, then, when we are idle, we go into self-reflection, rumination, planning, or assessing how we are perceived. That means that when idle, we are having an inner monologue by design.

Yes, if you are meaning that words must be involved. There are ways to think that don’t involve words. For adults who usually do use internal words but who have done math, you might try to notice your internal thinking about the math; for me, it is more conceptual, sort of like the roots of ideas that words rely upon.

I’m autistic (diagnosed in my 50s) and did math for my undergraduate work; I like spatial thinking, maps, etc. While I can think in words, I don’t really do much processing in those words, it’s more like icing on a cake.

I often feel like I am translating from my native inner language when I verbalize/listen to words in conversation; my verbal comprehension is a bit slow. Some autistics don’t speak verbally at all. My reading, on the other hand, is very fast — that’s how I get through most learning situations. I wish I’d had captioning technology as a kid!!!

While we autistics might have a different balance of internal experience than non-autistics, we are human!

The lack of need for words for my own thought is one reason why I am very accepting of the nonhuman animal cognitive abilities scientists find; some people seem to want there to be a very hard line between humans and nonhumans! Jane Goodall is a favorite researcher of mine… :-)

Take out a piece of paper and write down your thoughts about your self. How do you feel about yourself? What would you say about your life to someone who asked you? What are your dreams for the future? Describe how you make decisions.

Your ability to step back,think about your self and then put words to it would be one way of accessing your inner monologue which is the internal conversation we have with ourselves about ourselves.

People who may be very extroverted do not have the same type of relationship with themselves as introverts because they are processing and revealing their inner thoughts and feelings as they speak. Introverts on the other hand must think about what they are going to say first before speaking. This is related to but not exactly the same as one's inner monologue.

Another way to discover your inner monologue would be to ask yourself,”who am I with when I'm alone all by myself?”

You might answer, “well nobody it's just me”.

Then ask,”how do you know its just you?”

Answer,” because no one else is here but me that how I know I'm alone.”

Ok. You have just experienced an inner monologue.

By learning how to be present in your life. Lots of us have a tendency to be in our heads too much. There are lots of exercises such as meditation or yoga that are designed to help you be more present.

It takes time and practice but if you regularly pull yourself back into the here and now, the inner monologue will have less and less space to fill. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, just that you are doing it mindfully.

If you aren’t doing much, you also have to change that situation, and become more engaged in your life. This includes interactions with people.

Next time you engage with someone, try to shift your focus to them. Look at them, listen to them, empathize with them, don’t think about you, what you are going to say, how you are coming across, etc.

If you are washing dishes, focus on the activity itself. The water on the plates, the soap, the texture, etc. Almost anything can be a meditative experience if you put yourself into it fully.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with having an inner monologue. We all have one (hopefully). That voice or voices are a part of you. You just want to filter out excessively negative voices, or voices that get in the way of you being present in your life, and achieving your potential.

I communicate through the heart - and the heart = LOVE - so - neutral and nice.

Sometimes - my parents also tune in - and then it can be even funny - but nvm - should you now call me a nutcase :)

Happy Travels!

Umm, here we go with mine.

The answer is No. Would you like a caveat? Ok..

Look at wonder. Wonder is thought byway of Internal monologue. This not a singular monologue or thought to a specific person. It is monologue for the masses. So I wonder why or how or when or if? I am alone much of the time and yet I question. I often run the question, and how exactly is that? The words are a prompt for me and they lurk behind, inside of internal monologues , which apparently I have, nonstop.

I don’t believe I have answered a question without one. So, is monologue, I think therefore I am? This is no enigma. Perhaps a personal conundrum? Churchill had a thought..

** Disclaimer: I write in bold face type because I have Multiple Sclerosis . Poor eyesight as a result of Optic Neuritis.** It is for medical reasons. If my need for bold print bothers you in any way, I suggest that you do not respond to my posts.

Intelligence is not book learnt or course derived. It is intrinsic, individual, unique and self empowering, based on entirety, rather than limiting particulars or specifics. Intelligence turbo charges education, trumps or triumphs over common knowledge, keeping vitality, curiosity and possibility open for the making. So if happiness, love, and the soul are innate, so too is intelligence, but we so bagger, debate and categorize, thereby diminishing or exaggerating everything, don’t we?

As surely as we have a pulse, a heart beat, we have an internal monologue, nothing shocking or far fetched there, but oh the insidious, non stop cacophony that drowns it out. Absolutely no question “intelligent people make better use of their internal monologue.” Unfortunately, circumstances do conspire to interfere, and there is only so much anyone, gifted, intelligent or privileged can realize, that’s were serendipity, fate, karma, timing, luck…alter the equation that is never set.

People describe the experience both ways. What is “actually” going on is impossible to say because the experience is subjective. There is no objective way to get inside anyone else’s head and determine how anyone else experiences their experience.

This leads to the question of whether it even matters what is objectively happening. It does seem to matter what words people use. If you describe it as hearing actual voices outside your head when no one is there, you face a higher risk of being labeled as schizophrenic than if you describe it as a soundless internal “thought” that expresses itself using words. Hearing “voices” when no one is there to speak is often labeled as “psychotic” whereas thinking thoughts is considered normal.

I think that it is likely that all these different ways of describing experience are referring to pretty much similar experiences. The problems occur in how people react to their experience — both the individual having the experience and the others who are told about the experience.

It does seem to matter to people whether the “voices” without apparent source they hear are located inside or outside their heads. I think the location of the voice says more about how they feel about what the voice says than about how much of a problem it is.

Unfortunately, there is nothing other than opinion to be said about this. There is no objective way to find out what is happening. More unfortunately, a lot of so-called “experts,” aka “psychiatrists,” tell people this is a bad or wrong or dysfunctional experience, and a lot of people believe that. I don’t think these “experts” are right, but since I’m not an expert, my opinion doesn’t carry much weight with others.

And this gets to the heart of the matter: whose opinion carries the most weight. This discussion is about the power to influence people, not about objective reality. Psychiatry is a proxy battle over whose opinion is more valuable. It is not objective at all, although they use every trick they can think of to persuade people that objectivity is involved. And since what psychiatrists say fits in with most people’s prejudices, most people are happy to have their prejudices confirmed by “experts.” It validates their prejudices and makes people feel comfortable. And that’s what psychiatry is all about: making society feel comfortable.

The answer to this question is indeterminable right now. Until we can find a way to correlate the electro-chemical activity of neurons with specific thoughts, we won’t be able to make any determinations about how other people experience their thoughts. I think we will never be able to objectively determine how people experience thoughts. So I think the answer to this question depends on what you want to think. I suggest your thoughts be guided by compassion and kindness for others. But that’s just my prejudice.

The recognition of thought is automatic and spontaneous. If consciousness/true nature/You were not present there would be no way for things to be heard, seen, tasted, felt, smelled and thoughts or emotions experienced.

All of those things arise and dissolve again; they arise from pure consciousness, do their little dance, and then dissolve again without any actual static and real ‘personal me’ present at all. What is believed to be a separate and distinct ‘me’ is nothing more than mind-stuff operating at a subconscious level. When investigated carefully no ‘me’ will ever be found.

The true ‘witness’ and knower of every event in life is impersonal consciousness, and that’s what you truly are.

Hi there, The thing about our thoughts is that they seem to control us and that’s why we can’t think clearly. I would ask you to ask yourself questions: for example, if you feel you’ve screwed up for some reason and your thoughts are harsh, you criticize yourself for either doing or not doing something - ask yourself if those thoughts are telling you the truth. For example, was it really so bad that you made a mistake and why do you think that is. Remember - you are not a bad person, you made a mistake so treat yourself kindly and show yourself some compassion. It’s not being controlling and being mad at yourself that you’ll make things better. By asking ourselves questions, we slow down the stress level caused by cortisol which heightens all of the fight or flight responses in our body. Our heart rate elevates and so does our blood pressure, the blood in our veins pump faster and goes to the brain and can cause confusion. So if you are aware of this in advance, you can also practice breathing exercises while you go through these moments of introspection. Take 3 deep long breaths in - count to 3 and then let them out slowly and repeat until you feel calmer. Once you’re calmer you can think more clearly and, it will also help you to make decisions that under stress you may not be able to achieve. That inner monologue takes time and practice in order for you to learn how to love, accept and treat yourself with respect. This too will help you become more self confident, you will also learn to trust your judgement, and that inner voice that is so important - that gut feeling we get when we meet someone and something feels off about them, or you know that if you do something that is not good for you and, if you don’t listen to that inner warning then you’ll get yourself into trouble. I’ve been doing this inner work since my early 20s and am 68 now and am still practising diligently these methods I’ve suggested to you. I’ve gotten so much better at it and some days I’m not so good at it. So look at how old you are and given yourself time and be willing to learn and grow. Thanks.

I say, it’s negative to have an inner monologue, so I suggest speaking to our selves out loud in front of a mirror and see what others see.

Thoughts can take one all over the place.

Years back, years forward, creating too much thought. Too much what if? Coulda, shoulda, woulda, why? Etc.

Plus, you can’t see any reaction.

But speaking out loud your thoughts in front of a mirror is more helpful in understanding, cause you can see your reaction to what’s being said and also, see what others see when you speak.

Self awareness.

Our faces express a lot of what we are feeling and facial expressions can be hurtful.

So you may think it, but learn not to show it.

The positive of an inner monologue, is beneficial when dealing with others, think before you speak, txt, call, post, comment, etc.

I talk to myself all the time, like when reading this question, I answered it and had a discussion about the answer afterwards.

Most questions I come across I handle this way - I don't always finish my thoughts, I rarely write them down like now and that doesn't bother me in the least. Writing my thoughts down force me to put my them in constructive sentences and then I have to read and edit, read and edit, which I hate. I'm more than happy to just think and converse with myself.

When I was younger like 15 or so I had a desire for someone to write a book about me, but now I don't care about validating my thoughts.

‘I should…’

‘Oops. There I go again. About to imagine what other people would want me to do. Gotta let that go. That always ends badly, with me feeling like a failure. Far better to let that thought go than to play it out. Playing it out is the road towards suicide. Been there once. Don’t want to go there again. So stop imagining what others would want me to do or approve of me doing. Only think about what is actually useful to me. Don’t judge it. It’s not good or bad. It just is what is me. Accept me. I am a person who has done many things, some that caused harm and others that helped. It’s ok. Move on. Think about what is useful to me, not what others would think. No more shoulds! Put it on a leaf and let it float away.’

That’s probably one of my most common inner monologues.

Of course, there are many different inner monologues, but that’s one that I practice the most.

Here’s another one:

‘Oh. I’ve gotten caught up in a thought. Let me feel my breath again. Where do I feel it. There. In my stomach. Feel it flowing in my mouth and through my lungs down into my stomach. Feel my stomach expanding, and contracting. Just focus on this feeling.’

Or…

‘Focus on what is happening now. I’m lost in the future or the past. What is happening now? What do I feel? What do I see? What do I hear? What do I smell? What am I experiencing? Respond to this experience, and let go of all the memories of past experiences or imaginings about future potential experiences. Be here, now. Oh God. That cliche again. But it’s true. Focus on this experience. Respond as I feel, with authenticity. Do what is me, and stop calculating what is most strategic. Let that go. Respond as I feel. Go with my first impulse. Ok, I can think about how it will go over with others a little, but not too much. Then I lose myself. Stay with myself, with my impulse. That is the best way for people to know who I am and what I want. That is the most authentic and effective way to interact. Trying to be strategic just punts the problems down the road. I have to be myself because my desires will always come out sooner or later. Sooner may cause more harm now, but it saves harm in the long run. Face the music of the consequences of being myself now instead of trying to protect myself for a bit. The protection never lasts. Who I am always comes out, and if it comes out later, it will be worse than letting it out now, in this moment, when it is what I really want.’

good question. I know when I first went to therapy one of my complaints was rumination, I couldn’t control my inner monologue, it was going on 24 hours a day about everything. but the key was I couldn’t control it.

we eventually started doing meditation and I did learn how to control it (read my book in 6 years when I’m a master in pshychology and I understand exactly what happened). now I control my inner monologue instead of it running rampant.

what I can say from experience is constant inner chatter isn’t normal nor healthy, go talk to a psychologist. the first day I felt piece within I cried it was so Beautifull

This is the most engaging question I’ve come across. I want to answer it here. By the way, I use Quora to answer questions even if they are easily queried from the internet, because it helps to sharpen my ability to think through things. It’s like a mental exercise for me, and it helps me to stay focused in my work. But I set a standard for myself—that I really supply good answers, and sometimes reformulate the question in order to get at the root subject of the question.

So, the reason this is so engaging is that the answer to this question would take up whole a book, and the question actually alights to a whole field of neuro-cognitive science.

So, you’ve stumped me. That’s all I really have to say. Cheers, cm