Q&A with a person who does not have an internal monologue

I interviewed Kirsten Carlson, a PA Student at Francis Marion University, who is one of the few people that do not have an internal monologue. She does not hear herself think and people wanted answers.
[This video and its contents have no affiliation with Francis Marion University]
@RyanLangdon_
@kbcarlson96
The original article: ryanandrewlangdon.wordpress.c...
Tweeter responsible for the article: @KylePlantEmoji
Listen to my tall, slender friend's music: / zcrmadeit

[@Rlangdon7]

New Video Alert! Here is a collection of things that I learned during the process of this research! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZmmfWx_eM6UitE&ab_channel=PAStruggles

[@lucibuki9216]

try meditation techniques aimed at clearing your mind of thoughts in general. Something like: let every thought pass by like clouds on a windy day. Sounds dumb but it really does work. Object meditation is another take on this if the cloud thing doesn't work ;)

[@wanderinggypsy3203]

OMG thank you for normalizing our replay of past conversations.

[@user-rf7lf5yn8p]

This had to be bs I'm sorry. You are basically saying they cannot THINK. where are their thoughts? do they just think it's another voice? like I genuinely don't get it.

[@CCN-gz4ue]

@@gabrielbevan-rt5yl WOMEN DONT HAVE A CONSCIENCE, I KNEW IT

[@ET-sp6qm]

This is all completely unprovable. Also, apparently she can have a conversation in her head. At the beginning of the video she not only once but twice maybe hand gestures acknowledging the interviewer statements. This alone indicates she does have an unspoken monologue.

[@onestudios8660]

She must shower mad efficient.

[@katmandoot5941]

As someone with contamination OCD and whose showers are quite long, I would agree that taking that internal monologue out of the picture would make showers much faster! It would be more utilitarian and not so much brainstorming or distracting thoughts.

[@rightthewrong6050]

😂😂😂!!!

[@a.h.5296]

😭😂

[@sdew5437]

I don't have internal dialogue either, and mostly I just stand there staring at the floor and oops 30 minutes have passed, maybe I should wash and leave.

[@WhoThisMonkey]

A shower takes me all of 2 minutes, but I've always attributed that to phase 1 training of the British armed forces? (I don't have an internal dialogue)

[@Maya-so5py]

Daydreaming and talking to myself is like 90% of how I entertain myself.

[@happy_living4life]

literally same tho...lol

[@hattiegray8452]

LITERALLYYY

[@blackpink6478]

Same

[@djihaneben24]

SAME💀💀

[@LlamaDrama142]

Right. Not sitting in blank silence like a freakin NPC

[@chiinadoll8]

Now I'm just going ponder "the shape of sentences" all day in my internal monologue

[@PBart7]

I feel like I have a very *slight* grasp of what she's saying?? Sort of like thinking in images, at least that's how my brain comprehends what she's saying.

[@sh4rdz.]

@@PBart7She literally said no images, therefore no vizualizations. I'm pretty sure it's more like a train of unconscious thoughts but word related. Like, do you see how ChatGPT lines up words after you ask them a question? I don't quite enjoy the fact that I just compared a group of human beings to ChatGPT, but that's kind of how I imagine it. 💀 I really, *really* wonder what would happen if someone like Kirsten tried to medidate for about an hour every day, for a year, accompanied by a trained professional. Could a brain begin to fathom or develop this concept of internal monologue that probably seems so ridicule when you have never felt it in any shape or way before? 🤔

[@Llkolii]

@@sh4rdz. it makes sense why the Internet is so wild, people just spewing thoughts they can't think lol

[@sh4rdz.]

@@Llkolii What are you trying to insinuate? I'm a part of the 50-70% of people who have an internal monologue, asking myself questions or trying to grasp about how someone might feel is a common habit for me. Calling the internet wild because people are "spewing" thoughts is the essence of wildness.

[@youtubedeletedmynamewhybother]

@@sh4rdz.he’s more referring to some people being utterly stupid and talking at people on the internet as if they know 2/10ths of fuck all…. Clearly..

[@BigDan21.]

I was so amazed by this and decided to show my 15 - and 10 year old. Only to find out my 10 year old doesn't have an internal monologue! I was shocked, so i paused the video and started asking questions only to find out when we pressed play that his descriptions of how he thinks are almost identical to this lady!

[@malk6277]

Very cool. I wish I knew someone like this because I have so many questions that weren't covered here.

[@-Swamp_Donkey-]

Farty poopy farty poopy farty poopy farty poopy

[@DeezNutsInYourMouth101]

Your kid might be a psycho

[@onurbole7921]

Until last year I didn't know people could literally hear their thoughts. I can't, and the idea still feels scary to me lol. I thought inner voice was a metaphor all my life.

[@malk6277]

@@onurbole7921 Hey so you got me thinking. I immediately put myself in the camp of those who hear their inner thoughts, but you've made me wonder how much nuance there is to it. I don't literally hear my thoughts. For me it is like there are words, phrases, but not really heard? If I had to say whether the 'voice' is a distinct one, recognizable in some way, I'd have to say yes, and no? It is very familiar, being my own internal voice, but I couldn't begin to actually describe it, seeing as I don't really 'hear' it. Such a weird topic!

[@suzyq2189]

so when she gets "some peace and quiet" .... she literally gets silence

[@khwezay]

SHE GETS VIOLENT VISUALIZATIONS

[@taryn9850]

that blows my mind

[@onionmaster7673]

she is a undead NPC

[@TheChadPad]

Suzy Q that's pretty lucky

[@labsciescorned]

P E same. No silence for me since Feb 2019

[@yn-id8qr]

things i took for granted in my life: *day dreaming *winning shower arguments *random oscar acceptance speeches

[@herasean5720]

Same guuuurl 😂

[@gabriellauwumarongie9361]

Lol ... so glad random Oscar acceptance speeches and shower arguments are the norm. 😁

[@vynotix5087]

LMAO THE OSCAR I NEED TO DO THAT IN THE SHOWER

[@KC_Lake]

😂

[@bluelikesam]

Oh yes 👏🏻😂

[@nickrobinsonaws732]

When I’m watching a movie I’m CONSTANTLY trying to predict the end in my head and doing character analysis, I can’t imagine just straight up watching a movie and being like “okay now this is what’s happening, and now this is what’s happening”

[@crabcartel8156]

Does doing that require an internal dialogue though? You can imagine scenarios in pictures and or say your ideas out loud

[@PINEx2]

i reckon this is another good idea for this guy to ask people about, i always wonder about people who il be watching something with and start going on about the actor or what they think will happen next.. if im watching something and really into it im barely thinking at all. im more enthralled by the story like im along for the ride. almost like its a dream or part of my imagination playing out in real time. last thing i want is my thoughts to snap me back out of that trance like state.

[@juliannasetters8441]

​@@PINEx2omg that sounds so exciting! This must be how my husband experiences shows. I can barely sit through a single show.. I get bored but I have to try really hard to get his attention. He can binge watch all day too

[@dean5422]

That might be an anxiety thing. Trying to predict outcomes so you can subconsciously prepare for various eventualities.

[@KyleTremblayTitularKtrey]

​@crabcartel8156 or both happens and there is a mix of visual images and ideas with audio on top. Like I can run a trailer in my head or a video I know, say a tobuscus literal trailer.

[@abbytueller3168]

I honestly believe understanding this is the key to understanding human connection. There’s probably millions of people who process their life in a different way than the two mentioned here. Which opens up a whole other can of worms. In a way it’s kind of oddly comforting and validating to know people are perceiving life so starkly different than I am, as it explains all the times where connection has been difficult or where there have been disagreements on the semantics of a situation and things just feel so complicated. Damn, wild.

[@user-ve3oj9re2k]

woah

[@itsshaleevlogs]

She is a descendent of clones.

[@user-ve3oj9re2k]

@@itsshaleevlogs now that is an interesting theory. go on

[@itsshaleevlogs]

@@user-ve3oj9re2k yeah it started after the 1800’s when the fallen angels were released after their 70 generations sentence and gave humans technology. This is why we went from riding horses to cars in a blink of an eye compared to hundreds of years with no major advancements. People would call them aliens. But they aren’t. It gets crazy cause what’s actually real people don’t believe so they get played all the time. The reason for Hitler was to conduct experiments and cloning to host entities. These entities are the disembodied spirits called the Nephilim. Children of the fallen angels. When a human dies their spirit returns to The Most High and put to sleep until judgment. When the spirits of the nephilim dies they say on earth without a body. This is what humans would call ghost etc. Fallen angels can’t die like humans but their offspring can. This is why they are feeding humans information in secret to bring them back. There was an orphanage crisis in the 1930’s those children were all the clones. And because they were clones they had no parents. They don’t have a spirit they can only follow rules of what they already learn from what’s around them. They became adults and mixed with humans. If a human and clone mix it’s a 50/50 chance the child will be human or npc. I mean clone. The reason for it is to bring back the the offspring of the fallen angels. Today they are using humanoid robots with Ai which isn’t artificial intelligence but Angel intelligence. But hope that gives a bit more to it. It’s more sinister because they hate humans. But just imagine 50%-70% of a us are npc ( clones ) how much humans are actually real and how much of us are actually left compared to. Check the guy the record a gaint on the mountains and now he is dead… it’s safe to say their experimenting was successful.

[@itsshaleevlogs]

@@user-ve3oj9re2k I sent you a message. But I think KZbin removed it. Guess I shared too much. Let me know if you got it.

[@sarahnevaeh]

someone: * asks a stupid question * “sorry that sounded better in my head” *this girl: ?????????*

[@Radeo]

Seems someone only has one level of self-monologue. This exists by degrees.

[@tatesofthetots4195]

Radeo what???? Explain

[@Radeo]

​@@tatesofthetots4195 What good is it for a person to "sound something out in my head" if that person is not actually aware enough to evaluate what they have sounded out before speaking? You can have self-monologue and have the habit of not really listening to it either.

[@tatesofthetots4195]

Radeo ohhhh

[@JimTheCurator]

this girl:

[@mabilleadrianne]

maybe thats why Edward Cullen cant hear Bella Swan's thoughts coz she cant do internal monologue

[@catherinegarmon3027]

Nice.

[@Mollyjayn]

😂😂😂

[@kelseypryor1539]

This just blew my mind.

[@sarahwooden8988]

LMFAO

[@alibear902]

Lmaoooooo

[@elizabethmena9839]

Wow, thank you for this. As a teacher, we always say things like, “Think about what you are going to say before you start writing,” or, “Visualize the story as you read to help you remember the details.” I am starting to understand that some children might not be able to do that, no matter how many times I say it. I had no idea this might be impossible for some of my students. My internal monologue is always on overdrive, so it seems almost impossible to be able to function without it. I am never bored, because I can just retreat into a daydream, or relive all those moments I should have responded differently. Our brains are amazing machines!

[@barulicksama3838]

And it's for a lot. Studies been showing that.

[@mitchcumstein9808]

I just assumed everyone had that inner voice

[@carlos-zr1pt]

my is a bit negative at the moment how do you avoid the negative side of that??

[@bibsp3556]

Mine is depressed. However it's also kinda a genius at other things

[@victoriamyatt1709]

​@@carlos-zr1ptstart to look at the positive things you have and are and focus on them. When you find yourself thinking negatively about something try and ask yourself would your friend or parent also see it the same way, practice trying to look at situations from a different angle. This advice was given to me and i found it really helpful.

[@songbirds3712]

She is amazing and I think she did an awesome job of explaining what the lack of an internal language looks like/feels like for her!

[@averycee5192]

So if a girl asks a guy what he’s thinking about and he says “nothing” he might literally mean nothing...whoa.

[@austinlam8145]

lmao. they're still thinking. it's just visual instead of dialogue

[@seetu1500]

I ask this to my Maa all the time and she says nothing and I always made fun of it like she's lying. 😐😐😐

[@bobbyweirddick6556]

Seetu most people are lazy or are not thinking anything important so they’re answer is nothing, as in nothing important to share.

[@darkwebgirl]

@@austinlam8145 some people can't see visuals or have dialogue.

[@TheKingOfTrolling]

They are thinking though? They just think differently.

[@noellebright9386]

Imagine being able to lay in bed at night and not have cringe memories from 2006 keep you awake

[@ChaZarudo]

She might still have that but just as an image or concept, not the words "remember the time you did xyz in middle school..."

[@user-lk9wy7hi1d]

Noelle Bright lol you can still have cringe memories

[@videomodelling]

I don't have an inner monologue and my mind's is blank when I'm about to sleep.

[@SwerveGraphics]

@@videomodelling Lucky you. Mine is like the equivalent of flicking through millions of tv channels about your own life at 300mph.

[@aurorarose2630]

I don't have an inner monologue, and i still have this. I'm just thinking about the memory itself, like watching a movie. Not thinking words about the movie

[@AlexsaurusRex]

A person with no internal monologue turned out to be more interesting than I thought. She seems to be efficient and coordinated. I have an internal monologue/dialogue and a lot of the time is spent analyzing rather than performing. I am bilingual btw

[@Mehki227]

I'm bilingual ASL and spoken English. I constantly thought in pictures, so the ASL was perfect for me. The only language I've actually acquired, although I try to learn several, meaning I don't have to think about what I was to say in either.

[@pacerhythmandtiming.4109]

Internal monologue is just redundant. Solutions and original thoughts do not arise from "the monologue", the monologue is just a form of output. The display of a computer is not the processor, so to speak. So people without an internal monologue have more bandwidth for actual presence of mind, whereas the monkey-mind-NPC's do not. I personally find anxiously ruminating NPC´s pretty run-of-the-mill and thus uninteresting.

[@rubix1694]

Hmm, gatekeeping not having thoughts, that's a new one As a writer, and a musician, I can tell you absolutely having an internal dialogue DOES spawn creativity. I can control the dialogue in my head and form my own sentences, it doesn't just happen like it's another person's voice. I'm not schizophrenic 😂

[@pacerhythmandtiming.4109]

@@rubix1694 It's redundant. A waste of time. You'll understand if you start to meditate.

[@rubix1694]

@@pacerhythmandtiming.4109 So not having thoughts is less of a waste of time than having thoughts? Maybe for you. That sounds like what it's like to be a dog or a cat. I don't mind processing things.

[@alangriffin2711]

Side note: really great how these young people can openly talk about anxiety and depression 🙌

[@kyleee8]

I’m so damn confused. I’m currently having like 4 different conversations in my head just trying to understand this.

[@bigdaddydonagaming6652]

I just did the same fucking thing lol

[@alfonsolanderacevallos1176]

L.O.L.!!

[@MrAhmedUA]

me and my 10 self inside my head was like : 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@sophiaveraz5944]

😂😂😂😭

[@moonbabe612]

Omg yes lol

[@MEL444NY]

and here we are reading all the comments in our head

[@samerinaa]

Yep!

[@Salwerth2822]

See, I don’t get that. How could she read these comments without hearing the words in her head? It’s how you ponder/evaluate what is being said.

[@34weaselsinatrenchcoat11]

@@Salwerth2822 it's still a thought, it's just not an audio, it's like a concept kinda

[@SparklyDream]

But do you actually hear them audibly in your head?

[@SparklyDream]

I kind of just feel them in my head

[@tage_heritage]

I dated a woman with no inner monologue. On the one hand you always knew EXACTLY what she was thinking (great for guys), on the other I'd have essay length texts when I was at work or wasn't available. Looking back I realized she couldn't have a conversation with herself and just needed to get every thing out while she was thinking it.

[@extremelynormalperson]

Great for guys? Lol that's creepy. Sounds like it's great for guys to manipulate her 💀

[@katbailey3711]

I feel like I can see and hear all my thoughts. Even if my eyes are open I feel like I can imagine things so well. I can daydream about a whole story and someone will have to snap out of it. I just “space out” with my eyes wide open. I can imagine different colors, words, and anything else. The differences how humans think is so interesting to me. Would love to hear other views.

[@Boss1186]

Dame and I also really like not beeing around people because living in my own head feels like peace

[@jennadabomb]

Same i was scrolling to see if anyone else could see AND hear their thoughts as well. Im shocked by not having an internal dialogue but everything else she explained made perfect sense amd felt like something i could do. I think im more likely to speak in my head but i definitely bring up images and things as well.

[@Mehki227]

I have a constant running dialog that may or may not include pictures, but when I speak or people are speaking to me (or around me) then constant pictures form (which enable me to remember many details about a conversation even from years before, because I tap into the pictures of myself and the person and surroundings of the time and the inner pictures formed). I can spend long periods just with that dialog and pictures. Daydreaming was definitely a problem in school because I'd miss an entire lesson. Once that happened in a meeting. Something about the way the sun was in the room reminded me of 10 years before when a curtain blew in the window on sunny day at my office and reminded me of the time when I was a kid and the curtains blew in on a nice sunny day at my grandmother's house. Then my boss said to me, well, what to do think? I looked up. Look down. Furrowed my brow like I was thinking. And then said, I have no idea what you said. I just thought I'd that for a little while to make you think I was deep in thought... And then laughed and he did and everyone starting laughing, so got myself out of that embarrassing moment. So while it can pass the time very easily, it's can be very distracting when we're really trying to pay attention.

[@frog2538]

I am struggling to believe anyone unable to think on the multiple planes of perspective (visual, conceptual, audible, etc) is capable of complex thought. I really need more explanation. She said she has never thought and reflected upon specific things she's said in memories. How is she intelligent without self reflection and memory?? My brain cannot comprehend it

[@GraiXS]

​@@frog2538 to the best of my knowledge it's because it's not that she isn't thinking, she's not thinking with words. You can think with pictures, sounds, emotions, and probably some other stuff too. Also thinking because someone's brain is different they must be an idiot is really wrong. I mean compare it to a deaf person who's been deaf since birth, would you assume they can't have complex thoughts because they can't hear? It just sounds ridiculous. People without an internal monologue are similar in that one of their internal senses doesn't work.

[@GotMeYouSneakyBitch]

okay but how does she fall asleep without making up fake scenarios about her crushes

[@clumsy391]

Mandi Gail Nelson hey! I don’t have an internal monologue, and I do have those thoughts, but I just can’t hear them, they are just there in an abstract way

[@GotMeYouSneakyBitch]

nope wow thank you for answering! that’s so interesting, but it does make sense.

Mandi Gail Nelson lol sis 😂

[@mihiyoon4274]

@desertrosereads I imagine things like a movie to but I then narrate the scenes like some movie narration at the same time in my head😂

[@kansasgoldilocks]

How do you fall asleep when you do that? It keeps me awake if I do that.

[@theblackchicken2011]

This all makes me so confused and uncomfortable. Everytime she explains I understand less.

[@sophiarose778]

Yes! It’s like I know she’s a human being with emotions but this is always how I imagine a robot functions. Especially when she describes her thoughts being organised as “files”.

[@dariaprajo4539]

YES

[@properconciete14]

@@sophiarose778 I have an internal monologue, and I call my brain, "the database". Basically where I store bits of information, memories, internal shower debates, and useless trivia, where I can pull them out when I need to. But I also have the internal monologue that accompanies that, and sometimes it takes a while for my mind to articulate an abstract thought, so I need to pause and take a moment to formulate my sentences to more accurately reflect that thought. I also tend to speak my thoughts aloud to internally file and organize the important ones from the other noise. People I work with often catch me "talking to myself" when I get some quiet time alone. I think the "internal filing system" is a thing most people are capable of, not just for non-internal monologue people 🤔

[@johnnyfrankenstein0123]

editing comment for the 54th time to make it more readable "I CAN have an internal monologue, but it is slow as $&#! and really make me feel incredibly dumb and thick. I think visually and it is one hundred times faster than waiting for the verbalisation." full thread here if you're curious www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/7tqjvd/how_do_people_with_no_internal_monologue_think/

[@lijohnyoutube101]

She is me in many ways her responses seem normal. I always thought day dreaming was a silly movie troupe. I have never had a day dream! I also know a bit of a second language. I don’t do papers completely the same she does am a bit more like him.

[@user-kp7vn1rt3m]

I don’t have an internal monologue, I’ve only just found out that only a small percentage of the population don’t have one. I’m nearly 40 years old and I thought people were making it up regarding ‘not being able to switch their brain off’. I can really relate to the woman on the video. In my head it’s a very calm place to be. It’s amazing how different we all are!

[@threatened2024]

An inner monologue stems from thoughts, of course, so having no inner monologue isn't the reason for being calm. You still have thoughts. People aren't playing word games in their minds, they're identifying with thoughts.

[@brentt6714]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this too, and I think I've found a thread of an idea: imagine what it's like inside the mind of a deaf person. How could they possibly have an internal monologue if they've never heard a sound? So all that's left is visual, and their mindscape would be like a silent movie. Instead of hearing an internal voice they can see written ideas? She mentioned "yes/no checkboxes" to categorize what she might like/dislike about someone. We would hear what our voice says and remember the voice. She would remember the checklist and remember the list. We have visual thinkers and audial thinkers. Visual thinkers are better at processing lots of surface-level data quickly, while audial thinkers take in data more slowly because they're thinking about each piece deeply (maybe overthinking).

[@Mehki227]

I do both, sometimes together and sometimes separately. People talking to me or around me cause the pictures to form the most. It's constant and somewhat distracting and causes me to jump from topic to topic when speaking. Coincidentally, my husband is Deaf and I've asked him and Deaf people about their thoughts and they have no idea what I'm asking. I've observed my Deaf teacher looking at his hands to confirm how to spell a word, my husband's free hand moving (signing) when he's driving. He's not looking at it, it's usually laying on the console between us and in at least one book I've read written by a Deaf person, he said before he had any language (until he was sent to stay at a school for the Deaf), he thought in pictures. Not sure how he thought as an adult with a language. ASL was a perfect language for me as I constantly thought/think in pictures. It's the language that finally made me realize why I can't spell off the top of my head - I have to see the word. Zero problem when typing/writing because I can see the letters. Problem if you ask me to spell c-a-t. If I falter fingerspelling, I have to close my eyes to see the word.

[@mariadanton]

Great perspective 👏🏽

[@kifi672]

there is actually a French actress who wrote about that. She was born deaf and sign language was not taught in French schools at the time, it was believed children would be better off learning to vocalise. Age 7, her father took her to a sign language school. She says that suddenly she had a language, could think and express herself. It's not that she didn't have thoughts before, but she had no language to organise her thoughts. So she remembers the first 7 years of her life through flashes, pictures, smells, but she has no idea when or where these happened, she had no means of chronology and lost lots of these memories, perhaps the same way an animal would, living in the moment? Someone with no inner speech still has a language, so it can not compare with a deaf person's experience.

[@marybell2897]

It sounds like, whereas we "hear" our thoughts, she "sees" them.

[@0hpalpitations]

I think it's that she literally sees words (not images or sounds) and she reads her thoughts? But I don't get how she learned how to think in this way, or learn how to do anything until she learned how to read and write????????

[@joanehutchington5547]

When someone is thinking in sign language they don't use actual vocalised words, they think in concept of a sign that they associate with a shape of hand. But they don't verbalise it. And I'd say thats pretty accurate for my way of thinking, just omit the visual aspect of a hand :) I'd die if I were to hear voice in my head, like what do you even say to yourself?

[@jasminenieto9397]

That’s cool kind of like how dead people see sign language instead of hearing words

[@daniellerodgers6493]

Dominika so when I read your reply, I was reading it aloud in my head. How do you read then?

[@daniellerodgers6493]

Dominika oh... you see the word/letters and interpret that into...a knowing? Do you see words then translate them to hand signs then you comprehend? Also when you type, do you visualize the signs in your head then translate that to letters/words?

[@CJ-mn6iw]

“I just say what I’m thinking.” Yeah I’d be in trouble with that one from time to time. 😐

[@1Pineapple]

I was thinking tourettes when she said that and now i'm curious wether ppl with tourettes also doesn't have an internal dialogue, as everything seems to come out loud 😀 To Sweet Anita I must go! 😁

[@TheGazelle85]

Yes but I think that also means that she doesn't think as much as the majority of people

[@aslozbilen6555]

laboomerang yes she seems like robotic... not having much emotions or deep thoughts, just doing things that needs to be done

[@v3ryr4re55]

Pineapple people with tourette’s do have internal monologue.. with tics it’s just random things (usually words they don’t want to say) coming out

[@minksrule2196]

@@aslozbilen6555 I thought this at first too but now I'm starting to think that we shouldn't be too quick to judge. Just because she can't hear her thoughts, it doesn't mean she doesn't think. As she said, thoughts can be visual. I think it's similar to how some people learn visually and others need to hear things being explained. I do have an internal monologue btw, I'm just trying to better understand people who don't

[@matthewgregg3979]

If you don't have an internal monologue, you probably just live in the present moment which is probably really good in general. You get a lot accomplished.

[@anh1192]

YES. It is good and something I’m striving to do more of. I don’t think it’s “accomplishing more” … it’s “appreciating more.” To be submersed in each and every moment as it is. Always living in your head robs you of this immersion. This is what my inner monologue tells me 🥴

[@RainyDays-jl6jw]

I'm jealous

[@violetdusk1968]

my husband doesn't have an internal monologue but he has ADHD as well and he does not get things done because he gets so distracted. I ask him to do things and he just forgets or was to busy doing other things.

[@anh1192]

@@violetdusk1968 sounds A LOT like my husband 😂 Mine passed the adhd test with flying colors tho 🤔😅 Alexa has helped him a lot with reminders cuz sh*t I got my own stuff to remember!

[@jobbynobby2589]

Appeared in my recommended today, and I decided to watch it because I have aphantasia, which means I have no internal monologue. Funnily enough, when I opened the comments, I saw my own comment from three years ago that said “wait, people have voices and shapes and inner monologues in their heads?!“ my dumbass did not realise three years ago that I didn’t have an internal monologue, I just recently realised that I am one of those people😂

[@reujpg515]

Idk I can't believe this how is this possible. I literally talk in my head more than I talk out loud.

[@stealthis]

Information is stored in multiple senses, it doesn't matter which one is primary for each purpose. If I wanted to convey the idea of an apple to you, I could say the word to you, show you an apple, have you taste an apple, or touch an apple. It doesn't matter which one because at the end you will know it's an apple, although language saying/seeing it will be the fastest to communicate with. However, the sound of the word apple is not necessary to know it's an apple. For those without an internal monologue, it's like this but all the time. They express things in a non-auditory way, but it still conveys the same information.

[@bribbri3697]

@@stealthis This was the most helpful description. Thank you for helping me wrap my mind around this. I feel like one's own native language would play a huge role in this.

[@caitlinlouiseee]

@stealthis you’ve done it!!! Best explanation ever.

[@claria4620]

I don’t believe that she has been moving in her entire life. Her answer is so sketchy, like when he asked what she thinks about when she’s alone. Gurl, you obviously had an alone time in your life. 💁🏻‍♀️

[@teresahowick5197]

Yes it’s constant talking to myself in my head.

[@martianpudding9522]

I've always assumed an inner monologue to be central to the human experience so this honestly really unsettling.

[@daphne4983]

This is akin to how animals think. I need to know more about this.

[@daphne4983]

Years ago I tried to think without words only images. I got the hang of it. But concepts were tricky, I had to find images for them. A visual dictionary. I'm going to do it again, the image thinking.

[@crazitaco]

@Tobyy They're different, but still people.

[@crazitaco]

@Tobyy They do have the ability to think, but its in a different format.

[@martianpudding9522]

@@emmautterback3927 It's mostly the same as an 'outer' monologue would be although it probably makes a less narrative sense. You're not talking to anyone else so you don't have to segway into a different topic, and you don't have to explain why you make connections between things. If you wrote out an inner monologue it would probably look like someone rambling. It can also be directed at someone, like for example before I wrote this I thought out most of what I was going to say first. In a conversation I think it kind of depends on the timing, if possible I say something right away without thinking it out all the way first, but if the other person is still talking I sometimes think out what I want to say once I get the chance. In other words if I'm thinking words I can just switch to saying them out loud while I think them, but if not then I'll still think the words. I also find that a way to mostly shut up my inner monologue is to listen to other people talk without interacting, like a youtube video or a podcast or something.

[@betsybattles2696]

I cannot wrap my head around this at all! I have a constant running monologue with occasional dialogs in my head. This seems so alien.

[@randolm7698]

I'm one of those people that have zero problems going out to dinner by myself, or going to see a movie by myself. But I 'inner-talk' to myself constantly - everything I see and experience is accompanied by inner-talk. Now I'm wondering if part of my comfort level of doing things on my own is due to that.

[@helenaorr]

i can’t wrap my head around how thinking can occur at all without an internal monologue

[@BrokenGodEnt]

I thought I was starting to understand, but she lost me as she kept talking

[@jcaashby3]

Just reading your comment and others...and even typing this I am using my inner monologue. How is it possible to read, write or do anything without being able to think. To me THINKING about something...is that not an inner monologue to think. My ex once told me she can not visualize things in her mind...its rare and called Aphantasia

[@househipppo]

for me personally i visualize things and see images rather than have actively talk to myself in my head

[@cynister7384]

@@jcaashby3 It's really hard to explain, but when I'm reading I don't actually read out the words in my head, I just kinda skip over that and my brain just understands the meaning of what I read.

[@ome33ga42]

Instead of hearing the words in her head she visually sees the words in her head I think

[@amidreaming333]

All I want to know is if she's ever had a song stuck in her head?

[@connieparker8586]

FOR REALZ!!

[@meganorr7110]

I was also wondering about how music is in her head!!

[@travelandshred4690]

Literally just said that

[@Khaleesi_Of_Kittens]

Good question!!!

[@Rlangdon7]

She doesnt hear the song. But she will catch herself singing outloud occasionally.

[@rickybarrett3282]

It almost sounds good to not go through life with a million conversations going on in your head.

[@liverskins]

just because the conversations arent words doesnt make them less of conversations.

[@phil.c.]

Conversations with yourself?

[@spookymiraclepreacher6037]

It’s like trying to write an essay with both arms tied behind your back.

[@somerandomguy001]

i don't know how exactly this happened, but back in 2020 when i used to meditate a lot, one day i was walking in my house and i suddenly realised that i was thinking a thought without hearing it. i do have an inner monologue and have had it since as far as my memory goes to my childhood. but that day i just felt the thought. i was thinking, but no words were involved. i just felt what i was thinking and started to laugh like "wtf why don't i hear this right now" it was not too different from how i usually used to think thoughts, it just wasn't verbal.

[@aval7481]

That means she's never thought of pretending to be on a talk show in her head

[@Blue-me8vm]

Ava L actually as a silent thinker i'm imagining being on a talk show all the time, i see the imaginary host and my inaginary self sitting across each other and an audience, and clapping and laughing effects, but i sound out my answers (sometimes mumbling, sometimes like i'm speaking to another). When we want to, we can hear things as well, visual thinkers are not limited to visuals only, we can turn the sound on and off as the situation warrants it

[@jivecjedkin]

Conan Obrien since I was in high school.

[@valeb410]

OMG I thought I was weird for doing this! 😂😂

[@noemietarrade2423]

Ava L i can’t even imagine what my life would be without pretending I’m in an interview 24/7

[@duffman18]

I'm kinda confused as to what she can do and what she can't. I can hear a voice in my head if I want to. But when I read, I do the same thing she does, I don't hear voices in my head when I read, that'd be way too slow, and I thought this is how everybody does it, you take in the information without having to read out every word individually. And I've seen studies that confirm this is the normal way, people see shapes of sentences and words rather than reading them individually, except for people with things like dyslexia who can't do it. We recognise common shapes and read those instead. It's why people can read words as long as the first and last letters are in the right place, even if the letters in the middle are all jumbled up. It deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. So she reads the same as most people. And it seems like she can visualise stuff just fine, so it's only the voice thing that is different.

[@PHILIPPAHANNAOFFICIAL]

I wanna know: Can she play music in her head? Can she replay someone else's words in her head? Can she think a negative thought about someone without saying it aloud??

[@aimeeistired]

hey, as someone who also doesnt have an internal monologue: i can play music in my head? but i don't exactly hear it, i know the rhythm but i never know words. and i never "hear" music voluntarily. i cannot replay others words in my head, i usually have to mutter it under my breath if i struggle to process a sentence. i can. i'm not sure if kirsten also experiences this, but my thoughts are very abstract. i know what i'm thinking without hearing it, and i know when i shouldn't comment things aloud. hope this answers your questions :)

[@a_bear]

I think you can have a negative tought without saying it. You can still feel and understand the concept of negative and bad.

[@SyriusJupiter]

@@aimeeistired when you remember memories do you hear the voices of the people in that memory ? like when I think about a friend or something that happened I can replay those events with everyone voices, can you do that ?

[@anotherdepressedmusician]

@@aimeeistired I suppose language can be a separate aspect as a fundamental thing our brain processes. But the question is can you hear sound at all to begin with in your head? For music, it is called audiation, the ability to reimagine (keep in mind, same as what we say "remember") the melody or harmony or rhythm without it being played for you in real life. So can sound have that lingering quality, where you can think of the sensory detail itself after it has been produced?

[@aimeeistired]

@@SyriusJupiter i cannot do that :( i can't hear anyone's voice in my head - not even from memories. however i'm able to recognise voices from memories.

[@tdahli]

Thank you so much for being so open about it. This is proberbly one of the best video's I have seen in a long time.

[@EP-nv8ly]

This video was incredibly useful. I've been learning extremely recently that I am both lacking and internal monologue in addition to a mind's eye--being that I can't see anything in my head. So, what Kirsten was saying about visualizing was useful to understand how other people might do it, yet is something which is completely out of my grasp. Thank you to everyone involved for creating this video!

[@connor6284]

I think not having a ‘mind eye’ is way more crazy to me than an internal monologue. Just sat there not talking mentally and trying not to imagine stuff and idk it seemed really dull compared to letting my mind wonder. I can’t even comprehend how u remember stuff at all cuz my memory is all images or voices so I’m just completely baffled. Like does it just come to you like an instinct or what?

[@thefunniestfarm4731]

Did you have a problem learning in school? I am extremely curious if this might be why some kids can't learn even when they try. I would imagine it like walking through a maze with no sound or sight, just touch. I am not trying to offend anyone here that has no internal monologue or a mind's eye, I'm just curious because to me it sounds like a form of mental retardation that is ignored today. If it is the case, then kids lacking these traits might learn better in a classroom that teaches in a way they understand. I seriously wonder how many kids that get constant Ds and Fs while trying have this issue.

[@EP-nv8ly]

@@connor6284 See that's the neat, thing-- I have a really terrible memory. There's a condition known as SDAM which tends to correlate with total Aphantasia. Long story short, most of my memories are through muscle memory or blanket knowledge about events which happened without being able to relive them. Like the statement, circles are round. I hope that people don't have to imagine the image of a circle to state that it is round, but rather that it is a statement--one which holds little/no emotional value for them. You know it by the virtue of knowing it and not needing to re-experience when you learned that circles are round.

[@EP-nv8ly]

@@thefunniestfarm4731 fascinatingly I was actually a gifted kid in grade school and was part of the G.A.T.E (Gifted And Talented Education) program. I historically tend to do very well in school earning primarily A's with a few B's over the years. I love to learn new concepts and tend to hyper-obsess over what I am learning which leads to me talking about classes and content within my spare time thus creating that muscle memory which allows me to recall the information at a later date. It also helps that while growing up I was taught that it's okay to go about accomplishing tasks through methods which may appear strange or foreign as long as I was able to complete my work in an efficient and productive manner. However I do not speak for all who share with this combination of mental processes, and so it may be possible that they do perform worse in school--I just have never experienced it impacting my education

[@bogdiworksV2]

If I read/hear "circle" I see it in my mind. It's definitely round 😎 that's how i know I don't mean "square".

[@stardust_7827]

girl: doesnt have an internal voice my internal voice: writes several books when im trying to sleep

[@strawberrymagpie]

Fr tho

[@feifizheng9986]

Saame!

[@sarahbbeauty6149]

💯 💯 💯

[@dagmarbrovnbresson1466]

I don't have an internal voice, so I just make up several films when I try to sleep. The imagination is just as active, it's just pictures, feelings, and concepts more than.. words, I guess.

[@imaremi351]

God. I hate how much I dream. It’s like, let me fricken sleep. I feel so active during sleep that I don’t get any rest.

[@courtneyc3510]

My mind is blown. I can’t even imagine just typing words that look right in an essay. Or not thinking about what I’m writing as I’m writing this.

[@lauraholzinger5875]

I didnt completely understand How she explained her way of writing in the Video but I for example do obviously think about what I am going to write in an essay, Just Not in words. I have the Theme And arguments in my head as a abstract feeling Thing and the words only come while i Write them down

[@hayleymarse2853]

I feel like I have more internal monologue than most people but I kind of understand what she means about the whole sentence structure and shape thing. To me sentences are more like rivers of words and when I spell words I tend to see them in my head. If I see a word I (usually) will be able to always know how to spell it after a few seconds because my brain takes a picture of it. Unfortunately it doesn’t do that for most other things

[@irrelevance3859]

@@zviyeri9117 I think that's why you find it weird because you think differently. Its not as if we thing every single word down to the core is like. They all just come out, at the same time we're just typing it all out the words are being played in our heads. Atleast for me (with internal monologue) for example me typing this right now I'm just typing it just as fast as anyone. I'm not thinking about what to type down I just know it as I'm doing it. In my head 'all I hear' is the voice repeating after what I've already typed down/at the same time. It doesn't slow me down at to be honest. If anything my fingers have to keep up with my mind. Ever heard of the phrase 'you think faster than you speak/write' that's it.

[@angela_somanythings5670]

She FEELS what she is writing as she writes it: As for the Shapes of sentences: Like the movement of information as it relates to you or in the order that you recieve it.. I do both think and visualize "packets of story or thought content" . I think in voice when I am doing things like reading or repeating things in my mind, and i think in "content" when I'm just instantly summarizing how I feel about something or someone or myself.. Content is like Information: it can be something or someone, it can move in a way or not, it can be good or feel bad etc it can bring up a possibility or remind us of a sudden blob of memories.... (That's why the sentences have shapes) however ... I think we're all somewhere on the spectrum of both, just using them more or less depending on our situation and personality etc, and who knows maybe a chemical reason? But ultimately we all do feel the totality or shape of the "content" or words Right before we say it. That's why some of us are very good at improvised poetry etc without having to plan it all out beforehand ; )

[@nerowolfe736]

@@zviyeri9117 - Not so with me; the voice in my head is usually about two sentences ahead of my hand or fingers, so I'm scribbling or keying frantically trying to keep up. Or perhaps that is what you would find inefficient?

[@jenniferhaas3874]

Mind blown! This is such an awesome interview. Thank you for diving into this concept. As a visual thinker this is unreal.

[@RainyDays-jl6jw]

There's always so much going on in my head. It never stops

[@100SmilesAway]

As someone with social anxiety who practices what they're going to say before everything they say... I must say, I am PERPLEXED.

[@mmmmmmmmmmm111]

Social anxiety here too albeit mild, and it works out just fine without an internal monologue.

[@recoveringsoul755]

I recently learned that a starfish has no brain. If I get reincarnated, i want to be a starfish so I will never have to worry about anything again. I simply won't care. I guess they just run on instinct, response to stimulus. They would never feel guilty, or a need to apologize. How can someone like this have feelings or care about other people?

[@connercuts7098]

100SmilesAway well I’m high functioning Autistic I find this quite interesting and no chance I could not talk to myself

[@victoriaharris3113]

Most of the time I dont know what I am going to say until I am actively speaking it, if I do have a plan its abstract like a picture or feeling not exact words

[@sebastianinchaustegui2615]

@@victoriaharris3113 what how???

[@AliceVibe]

And I don’t understand how she takes information in as he speaks. When someone is talking to me, internally there is a form of voice repeating what they are saying so that I’ve processed it. This has messed me up haha

[@kaelynmoyer9689]

Right??!!! I don't get it!

[@NishutiP]

I don’t have that! I just comprehend the words and it’s hard to explain but there is no voice. It goes from the mouth of the person to my brain and it processes it. If it’s a more complex idea, I’ll either take time for my brain to make links or I have to ask verbally to clarify it.

[@AliceVibe]

Nishuti you know what that makes some sense to me. I guess our brains are doing the exact same thing but for us it’s a bit more noisy haha. This is so interesting!!!

[@Ayesha-ps5ze]

Really? I have an internal monolouge but when someone is speaking, I just comprehend the words. Maybe the voice will talk when I need to respond, but not before

[@nikol2014]

Wow, same! Especially when what’s being said is not on your first language, you kinda need to repeat that in your head slower with the voice of that person 😂

[@TheloniousCube]

There is a book called "The Breakdown of the Bi-Cameral Mind" that discusses the relationship between the inner monologue and our sense of self. The book is controversial because he asserts the the modern sense of self derives from the inner dialogue and that the inner dialogue developed within recorded history. It's interesting even if his conclusions are not all well-supported.

[@_Szerman_]

All this explains a ton of stuff that variates for people, like journals or diaries or people being worse at recalling some stuff/imagining/understanding. One of the most informative videos ive seen that made me rethink a lot.

[@hayloftii]

her: the sentence shape ryan: o.O

[@Darkrider6970]

me: o.O

[@vangogo6819]

She over complicates things way too much, over thinks. I have always just played out scenarios, ideas, daydreams and on and on in my head. I won't even get into what the voices say!Lol, just kidding. I also do a lot of dissasociation under stress. Example, when my husband d starts to lecture me I have learned (with practice) to completely tune him out by playing music in my head or picturing myself somewhere I would lime to be. Problem is he has caught me in it a few too many times and I admitted to Him what I do, so now I can't get away with it and have to listen to him rant at me.

[@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim]

Van Gogo Wow, your husband needs a kick in the butt.

[@Notius]

@@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim My girlfriend is similar, she zones out daydreaming all the time and sometimes I just want to tell her something that happened and it's like trying to get the attention of a brick wall. I understand her husbands frustration but if he is actually ranting at her (not just to her) then he probably needs some anger management.

[@obi-wankenobi9871]

The shape of the sentence is a weird expression. Best analogy I can think of is a physics problem. While someone outside the field might think of the issue figuratively, so in terms of forces, objects and movements, someone very deep into the field or a mathematician might think of the issue purely as an equasion, so basically the shape of the issue.

[@MzSoulll]

She must be very present in her reality.

[@samerinaa]

Yeah! I feel like when I think of the past or future possibilities, I'm like traveling there in my mind.

[@xXRubella666Xx]

@@samerinaa Not necessarily. I'm usually a silent thinker but am not very present at all. I spend most of my thoughts lamenting the past or fearing the future.

[@xXRubella666Xx]

@Candace Vasquez Her "yeah" at the start made it sound like she was agreeing that silent thinkers must be very present in their reality though?

[@motorhead48067]

What do you mean silent thinker? If you spend time lamenting the past and future then you are using internal dialogue, and don’t have what the woman in the video has. Or are you somehow able to have thoughts about the future and past without using language based thought?

[@Ghost-wy3iw]

I feel like she’s probably really productive lol

[@tiffanyscottxx]

she said it’s like there are files in her head and all i can picture is that one spongebob episode

[@theyarnkitty]

I'm blown away. I have internal dialog in my head constantly. I think I would feel very much alone without it. So hearing someone who doesn't have it is eye opening.

[@a1yssum]

On the bright side, she doesn’t have to worry about someone reading her mind

[@Sneakymaple]

_ Alyssa _ if you could read minds and wasn’t aware of people like this you may think they are robots. Hah

[@WorldsShortestShow]

_ Alyssa _ this is why Edward Cullen couldn’t read Bella’s mind, she didn’t have an internal monologue omg 😱

[@beepbuupbuupbeep]

ahhahah

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Okay, ignoring the fact telepathy is pseudo science... A theoretical telepath would very much be able to read my mind, in fact I'd imagine it would be easier, because it's straight up images(for lack of a better word) of what I'm thinking?

[@Elyzeon.]

Except there is still thoughts in her mind and her brain is functioning so real mind reading (MRI scans) still work, maybe this technology can actually be applied to what you refer to as mind reading but it Would still work

[@shankuverymuch888]

I feel like not having an internal monologue is the literal definition of “living in the moment”

[@Zombied77]

Ya, like a cow.

[@callumanderson6373]

I've had periods in my life when I think I've experienced this and it's actually the opposite for me. There were periods where I went entire days at school where I felt like I had few or no internally voiced thoughts and it felt like I was perpetually zoned out and unable to live in the moment. An awful lot of "living in the moment" involves noticing things in your environment and having thoughts on them, and I felt like I had very little reaction to the things around me. It's not really living in the present, or the past, or the future, it's living on auto-pilot. I think my "blank mind syndrome" (you can research this if you want) was a manifestation of anxiety or a form of dissociation based on what I've read, so my experience may be different from hers. I also wasn't completely unable to voice thoughts in my head, I just had to make a conscious effort to do so. Verbal thoughts wouldn't spontaneously appear in my head.

[@Cloudburzt]

Rather long comment regarding having no inner vision or inner monologue: As someone without an inner monologue (and aphantasia) I can tell you that it's NOT living in the moment. I think that's more to do with your personality than anything. I live way too much in the past and worry way too much about the future - or not achieving the things I want to do in life. And just to re-iterate what always seems to be lost on most people: NOT having an inner monologue does NOT mean you have no thoughts, memories, worries, mental health struggles and so on. That's not how it works. Unfortunately! I wish it did though. And just to blow people's mind now: I have no inner monologue - and no "inner vision" (aphantasia), yet I teach and play music, both written and improvised - and a lot of people are confused that I have any sense of melody. I write poetry. For me it's actually bound more to feelings in music i.e. "add9 extensions make a minor chord sadder and a major chord happier", and utilizing that in solos, songs etc. even if it's soloing on simple triad chords. Same for any other intervals. And in poetry more so about descriptions. I usually compare my mind to a computer without a monitor (inner vision) and without speakers (inner monologue). A computer without those still function. You can still input and output data. I bet if you placed your Browser icon in a specific place on your desktop, you could probably still find it without turning on your screen, you could probably even type in Google, search for something specific, albeit without the monitor turned on, and hit CTRL+p to print it. Or you'd know how to navigate with your arrow keys. Anyway, the "brain" of the computer isn't the speaker or the monitor. It still functions without those. It still stores data and it can still process data. Most of my brain revolves around "data" and language, preferably descriptive language. Now, with that said, I can't recall my mother's voice or face in my mind, but it doesn't mean I don't instantly recognize her when I see her. I absolutely do, but it's not like I have to check things first. They just "appear". It's not like those flip a card memory games where you have to compare the card in your head to your mother's face. You just instantly know it's your mother. As for poetry and descriptive language, no inner-vision and no inner monologue, here's an example of my writings: The Diet of Muses I have force-fed my brain mouthwatering inspiration for far too long; 7-course feasts with delightful phrases and exquisite expressions, too many second dinners and too much indulging in desserts when already full. I have stuffed my mind with honey glazed verbs and deep-fried superlatives, and it has become overweight and immobile, unable to move through my pencil onto the impatient paper. The graphite artery is always obstructed and clogged with nothing pulsing through its restricted veins. Even though the pen often glistens and shines; from all the melted fat of the filthy steaks it has literally ingested, served up with a side-dish of sugar coated truths falling on my deafened ears, I kept swallowing whole my own false validation that may just have been crummy excuses to write nothing at all. I never stopped to wonder what the diet of Muses even consists of. It seems I am not half as well-read as I am mis-read. I have been perverse with my inspiration for far too long; pig-sized portions instead of healthy nonsense and word-salad. I miss being 5 years old, and I miss Barney and Friends.

[@lemon4087]

@@Cloudburzt this reminds me of the time when I closed my eyes and forced myself to just see whatever I can and not conjure up images. I lasted abt ten seconds until I found a shape that resembled a human and went on day dreaming. It happened like how we see shapes in clouds and then those shapes form an animation in front of our eyes opened. Ever happened that with clouds?

[@Cloudburzt]

@@lemon4087 I get hallucinations when I'm in the dark with or without eyes closed, when I'm about to fall asleep and so on - I kinda justify it as my lack of visual sense and my brain making up stuff to compensate. I also wake up at night with hypnopompic hallucinations, but again, that's slightly different to inner vision or visualizing stuff. But I'm not able to have any control over these visuals that may occur in my "mind" - even at night in the dark. It's just there and not something I consciously conjure up. It feels more like my subconscious going crazy like "is that a ghost lady in the darkness of your room that you see with or without your eyes closed? Seems like it! Have fun, you two!" 😂

[@markii187]

Omg. The thing about seeing a sentence structure as a shape and knowing where it needs to go without thinking about the words specifically is me… I’ve never heard someone articulate it like this before.

[@chanellaDaboss]

I really love this conversation, i love understanding how other people think or how other peoples brain work. It’s beautiful ❤

[@chy8697]

I thought having an inner monologue was non-optional and everyone did. I’m so blown away by this.

[@andrewnotgonnatellya7019]

For me, it's *optional* funny enough. I turn it on and off at will.

[@user-pv7cf3ye6n]

@@andrewnotgonnatellya7019 thats amazing i havent heard anyone say that before, i am the exact same way

[@andrewnotgonnatellya7019]

@@user-pv7cf3ye6n Welcome to the club

[@liya8287]

it's literally the opposite for me. i never even thought not having an inner monologue was weird. this video made me realize why i'm awkward and have a hard time conversating...

[@chy8697]

@@andrewnotgonnatellya7019 so, sometimes you decide to not think in intense detail?

[@overpriced.cheese]

Poor girl, she cant have a imagined argument in the shower like i do every night

[@overpriced.cheese]

@@elizabethpappas6802 she said she don't day dream, i can't even imagine going through my days without that

[@kissme8970]

Yeah, I always make up imaginary movies in my head where I'm the main character 😂 don't know how she can live without doing that

[@vangogo6819]

@@kissme8970 I do that and everything else mentioned so far, I'm never bored, my mind is like my own private amusement center. Guess there is an upside to being utterly mad!🤣🤣🤣

[@Notius]

Nah, it's possible, but it would b out loud if she really wanted to. Additionally, I don't have an internal monologue either but I have a very active imagination, there's just no words unless I add them myself.

[@norespineli3839]

Nguyen Hong Minh while me always day dreaming. It’s hard to control daydreaming especially when you are bored.

[@shannonjones3714]

Excellent video! Great topic! Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@malapropia]

This is so great. There is so little good content out there about this. Thank you.

[@spazzwad]

I’ll bet she’s better at listening than those of us that have an internal monologue.

[@jaycharles3356]

no, the other way around

[@abbynay]

@@jaycharles3356 how is it the other way around?

[@sarahsizzle367]

YES! because while having a conversation my little voice is just going sicko mode with everything else i’m thinking about

[@hurryingglint23]

Did you say something? Sorry my internal monologue was talking

[@hurryingglint23]

⁠@@sarahsizzle367 you probably have ADHD or ADD to be honest. My mom and best friend have it and that’s how they describe when they are talking to someone.. they have to really focus to listen to someone

[@j39389]

This whole concept is INSANE to me. My brain is, literally, making noise ALL of the time. All. The. Time. There's no quiet, there's just this voice reminding me of all of the things that have happened, could happen, might happen, might have happened... The possibilities are endless. Endless in that it never stops 😅

[@Scroolewse]

Do you think she's saying she doesn't think at all? You don't have to experience thoughts as words to experience thoughts at all.

[@ellaizcool]

same !! and with adhd and ocd (specifically the intrusive thoughts/rumination kind) i literally can’t fathom how she experiences life lmfao

[@venlu382]

Bro u might need to see a doctor

[@user-jh6eo9hj3f]

literally tho, and its like 1000000 different things at once

[@traveling3429]

meditation is good for you brother

[@TheloniousCube]

I feel very attuned to what she's saying. A lot of the things she says about her inner life I think I experience as the background to my inner monologue. For many years now I've been interested in getting that inner monologue to shut up - I find that music can take me there as well as other non-verbal art forms, but sometimes I can exist in a flow state (look that up) where words just aren't involved and I'm just DO-ing. Improv has provided me a regular opportunity to experience this in a creative setting. This is all quite fascinating.

[@TheKristinals]

Dude! I just learned this today and I actually can’t understand. Been watching videos all day trying to fathom not having an internal monologue

[@DaRay814]

Did you watch Tim Pool too and realize that there are humans who don't have inner monologues. I'm dying to know more, bc I can not fathom what that is like at all

[@teclinsoro4523]

i cannot even fathom not having an internal monologue. my brain literally never shuts up, it’s always saying 3 different sentences and playing music at the same time. when it’s not speaking it’s because i’m making up a vivid story in my mind. how can you not think worded thoughts?? and how can some people not even picture images in their minds?? i find it so hard to wrap my head around.

[@apockypocky2345]

Lmaooo this comment is hilarious and so accurate. 3 different scenarios, background music, the list goes on 😂

[@beautrice1202]

Your description sounds very stressful to me. I have neither monologue nor images in my mind - that feels very peaceful. This is called "unsymbolized thinking" - words and images are defined as symbols.

[@-Keith-]

I can think with an internal monologue and I can think in wordless fully formed concepts, so I can see how other people may think with only the former or the latter. For example if I'm driving down the highway and I see someone cut off another car further down the road, I may think to myself that the driver is an idiot, but it's not words that come to me in sequence that need to be spoken internally. It's the fully formed idea of the driver being an idiot that manifests in an instant. I can then turn that into an internal monologue if I want, but the process of internally hearing myself think out the individual words as they would be spoken is way slower than just identifying the fully formed, underlying concept of somebody being stupid. I've always been a very visual/spatial person. I spent a lot of time as a kid taking things apart and putting them back together. Memorizing lego instructions and trying to rebuild the sets without looking at the booklet. Just speculation here, but I imagine that your early formative years probably have a lot to do with whether you think conceptually or with internal dialogue.

[@3n3j0t4]

try concussing yourself and that’s gonna fix it up for you

[@stuart959]

Lacking in an internal monologue and being unable to visualize is exhausting. If you frame the struggle in terms of computer software. Those like myself in either or both ways are lacking part of the core set of machine code instructions. So we have to create a constructed higher level language to inefficiently and ineffectively attempt to emulate the results of those missing instructions. Which often results in a poor quality, incomplete, or unintelligible interpretation of what the result should be. To complicate matters for myself personally I am also on the ASD spectrum. So life is one big mess of working 3x as hard in my head to get half the results. While being accused of laziness, incompetence or idiocy.

[@PlagueBunny]

This is literally the “No thoughts, head empty” meme.

[@ryanj116]

None of Your Business yeah these people were the basis for the “NPC” meme, lmao

[@honkhonk8759]

@@default2826 stfu freak

[@chaddad1236]

LD321 - I’m the same and far from an NPC. There’s no correlation. Audio vs visual thought doesn’t determine critical thinking skills. That’s pretty dumb.

[@bodyofhope]

@οὐτόπος Thinking in images or data as opposed to language is not "primitive" or "normal." Humans are varied and diverse. We already know this. We have a long way to go understanding the human brain much less neurodiversity.

[@madeline6221]

I was literally thinking this when I clicked on this video😂

[@Aloha4Maui]

Ohmygosh, that would make me not take showers anymore if I experienced arguments in my head😱 very interesting the interview

[@verse8833]

Honestly, it's super hard for me to wrap my head around the phenomenon of individuals not having an internal dialogue.

[@keith19882011]

As someone with ADHD, this sounds like so much more of a peaceful existence.

[@justmorenoise]

I agree Keith! I just found out not everyone is having conversations, hypothetical questions, constantly hearing thoughts and questions/ accusations in their head. I want this ability. I have like 15 different inner voices lol This truly does sound like peaceful life

[@jodibraun6383]

And can you imagine how much stuff you could *actually* get done without the constant mental twisting of your to-do list, the proper order in which to do things, and without the internal whinging about *having* to do boring things, like paperwork? Wow. She just gets up and *does* stuff. Mind blowing. 😮😂

[@TRUECRIMESPTV]

Like word. I can't imagine the peace and quiet.

[@bootsontheground4913]

Its not all that different. I'm ADHD with no internal monologue

[@youraveragefan6953]

I’ve heard it’s just as chaotic if you don’t have the internal monologue, we can’t escape the ADHD

[@cao0323]

I feel like these people DO have an internal monologue. Theirs just isn’t processed in the auditory part of their brain like most people.

[@carolinas5132]

define auditory, as they are not using their ears lol

[@99petrovic]

Carolina S auditory is already defined, look it up

[@99petrovic]

Cayla agreed

[@anthonynorman7545]

That's about what I was thinking

[@smpolit]

@@carolinas5132 I think they mean auditory as in you "hearing" it in your head. Just like you "see" something in your mind even though you're not actually using your eyes. You can see something in your mind's eye, so I guess you're hearing it in your mind's ear??

[@sackedpotatoes4170]

This made me realize I don’t use my internal monologue that much. Usually with exams, reading, or writing. The rest tends to be visual. When I rely on my internal monologue too much, I tend to over think and be anxious. But thinking visually helps with my creativity and problem solving.

[@elainebryant1124]

This is beyond mind blowing!!

[@Natalie-fb2ol]

I love how he nods as if he’s understanding but he’s just as confused as we all are lmao

[@Darkrider6970]

I'm so confused haha

[@rocks1012]

I have ADHD and I have never had a moment in my life where my brain isn’t filled with constant noise and chatter. I already talk a lot but I have 10x as many thoughts as I verbalize. This is so out of my ability to comprehend.

[@ajp7968]

Yesss !! I also have ADHD (inattentive type lol) so I’m constantly daydreaming and even when I am present there’s so much chatter in my head. If it’s not one song or phrase repeating itself over and over in my head it’s me having a conversation with external me but also external me reminding internal me about stuff I need to do because I just saw a visual cue in front of me, and at the same time not realizing I’m singing that bit of a song out loud on loop. It’s exhausting 🫠

[@Lily-vb6xv]

Literally 😭

[@AntiJameela]

I FEELLLLLL i legit have ten streams of conversations going on at once

[@bhante1345]

If you want to make it a bit quieter in there, Vipassana meditation is very useful, but it takes time for it to work. Could be weeks, could be months, but you have to stick with it if you want to see results.

[@thecolorjune]

I have ADHD but I often find that an inner monologue is too slow to keep up with my thoughts. Instead I think in packaged concepts most of the time. It’s like when you skim read you don’t sound out every word in your head so that you can read faster. I do frequently sing in my head though haha

[@MoMadNU]

This is like asking how a dog or a cat is able to function without a language. I have often caught myself completing routine tasks without internal dialog. It's not a big leap to perceive that it's possible. What she does is move her lips while thinking, so the physical movement becomes a substitute for the mind's "ear"

[@regancambridge3413]

I actually understand what she means. It's probably more if like a feeling of "knowing" for her instead of a manifestation of hearing words in her head. Like you can have a thought or opinion without thinking the words

[@juckey2730]

My brain is like a local bar at friday night: someone's having an argument, one is just mentioning stupid things for no reason and there's always music playing in the background.

[@zacharysheridan764]

Fr that guy playing the music is the only part keeping it all together

[@ncs6707]

My brain is one of those episodes of "the office"

[@RatDad69]

This is the best description of my brain....

[@PenZon]

Yeah, that's what I got. Only the arguments randomly flip between different languages , the guy at the jukebox is flipping through songs at the slightest stimuli, the next guy is wondering out loud how they were played and recorded and the bartender is worrying that someone should go get more beer.

[@elijones7926]

Juckey well its good im not the ony one doing this. Do you have a problem getting them all to shut up too? I certainly do...:[ also, in the event there is just ONE voice, does it change and morph into other peoples that you knw personally? Or is it the same voice but from multiple peoples perspective? Mines a mixture of both. Sometimes i read in my mother's voice, sometimes my own. Sometimes when im getting on to someone, my grandpa's stern voice is in my head like hes telling me the words to say. This is all very facinating!

[@Paokesm]

I’m currently trying to read comments without my internal monologue I can’t

[@lizethcastillo3760]

Myra Did me too! I almost exploded lol

[@hopfritx5045]

Reading and writting without an internal monologue is completely impossible if you have one lol. Like I can hear my internal voice in my head as I'm writting this saying what I'm typing.

[@stuckkt5533]

This comment fucked me up

[@Katie-jm2th]

I’m trying so hard to do this I’m clenching my jaw and trying to look at the words and not read them internally and it’s impossible.

[@avib9525]

I’d love to hear some deaf people people weigh in on this particular thought. If you haven’t heard your own voice, what does the internal monologue sound like, if it is even possible?

[@marinaevans5933]

This makes so much sense and seems so peaceful.

[@secretsauceskateboarding4337]

I didn’t know until 1 minute ago that some people don’t have an internal monologue.

[@bn_rose_gold9531]

As someone who lives with OCD, I am perplexed. My thoughts are constantly screaming at me. And the idea that someone just doesn’t hear their thoughts is mind boggling

[@GUITARTIME2024]

Zoloft

[@noname-of2yl]

i have no internal monologue but i still have ocd and severe panic disorder. my thoughts aren’t in words but they still exist

[@bn_rose_gold9531]

@@GUITARTIME2024 already take it 👌🏼

[@bn_rose_gold9531]

@@noname-of2yl oh wow that’s really interesting!

[@doormatthew3995]

i have OCD and no internal monologue. TBH it makes it a LOT harder to manage my OCD because its harder to connect my obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours

[@cappuccinocoffee9734]

Lemme guess: *YOU DID NOT SEARCH FOR THIS VIDEO* Edit: 1.1k likes omfg!!! Thanks for the likes!!!! May you all always wake up to a fully charged phone

[@victoria126]

liquid nitrogen i didn’t but i was reading a viral tweet thread about it so I’m happy this popped up. I need answers

[@Grettss]

My friend sent it to me and i didnt click on it then went to youtube and it was in my recommendations

[@liberty1816]

I was talking about it last night and then it was in my recommendations

[@Ashatu639]

I read the article on Facebook and this video popped up on my KZbin suggestions

[@verybarebones]

No one searches for commentary/documentary/vids

[@ieva5948]

This is adorable and funny as heck! 😅 I like this woman, congrats for just being so casually open. Great video.

[@warsmithstefanos2095]

I don't have an inner dialogue or the ability to form pictures in my head. I've always thought people were metaphorical when they said they pictured something och listened to inner monologue. Funny thing is I'm a very creative person who can easily get caught up in my own thoughts. I only think in "concepts". When i think of words and speech it forms like a kind of instant memory of words in my head. I thought this was how every person functioned 😮

[@sleep3417]

What killed me was realizing that the "Internal monologues" in movies were...actually real and not just plot devices?! I had no idea other people would actually have such things.

[@TristanSune]

Lmao I had never considered that perspective, that's hilarious

[@Maric18]

@@TristanSune thats why it seems so fake when people say they have to use words to think i can just ... you know? think i can see a tree and not think "wow thats a tree, it has bark and leaves and is tall and there are browns and greens" and so on i can feel hungy and want to go to the kitchen to grab something to eat, without thinking "hello yes i, maric, am hungry and to avoid starvation i shall go into the kitchen to search for food

[@LesserMoffHootkins]

@@Maric18 You live a genuine life, the kind that has been beaten out of most of us

[@karahoglund]

@@Maric18 i was about to say that an internal monologue isnt making a clear sentence like that... then i realized that is exactly what i do.. lmao

[@flowerasteroid6241]

​@@Maric18its not all calculated like that all the time. Mostly " damn thats a nice tree" or "damn im hungry i gotta eat something"

[@guitarsoap]

0:22 “So it blew my mind… and I wrote an article about how it ruined my day…” best line

[@Hello-sq3eh]

I read this comment as he said it 😂😂

[@bapbirb]

I don't quite understand why he seems almost offended by the condition. Is it just him implying he's jealous because the woman don't have to deal with the agony of having inner voice?

[@davidjdreid6285]

Who did he write the article for?

[@Emmaem111]

@@bapbirb He’s definitely not offended lol, it’s just that hearing about this for the first time makes it so it’s all you can think about (for some people at least) due to the curiosity that arises from this new information that’s been held from you your whole life until that point. When you speak inside your head all the time, hearing that some people literally can’t is crazy to think about at first and some people could become a little obsessed with questions about how that even works 👌

[@xxpoisonblxx]

@@Emmaem111 And, to expand on that, it calls into question the fundamental "I think, therefore I am"... as interpreted by many with an internal monologue. Their "thoughts" form to words in their inner voice. Their formation of concepts, by and large, form into words in their inner voice, often even talking themselves through visualizing concepts. For them, it's such a fundamental, intrinsic, part of "thinking" that the realization that some people don't, and *cannot* do that... it's a bit world shattering as they try to integrate a completely different approach to thought into their concept of how thinking itself works. The key point she makes, though, is that she still has, in a sense, that "inner voice", it's just not in the form of a voice. She *sees* the concepts she's working with in her mind. She just doesn't put them to words until she needs to for communication's sake (written or verbal). And, even language itself... she processes in an, as she describes it, visual way, while many are just so used to doing it in a sort of auditory way. The most telling part was... she *sees* her lists of stressors that're keeping her awake at night in an eerily similar way to someone laying there listing those things off in their inner voice. The underlying conceptualization of the things is very similar, with the difference just being how her brain shuffles the information around into focus, interrupting sleep. The lack of dwelling on the past... could be that she's just a healthier person, mentally, on that front, or it could be a side effect of the difference in how her thought processes work. There was a distinctly loaded tendency to dwell on "discussions" in that branch of questions.

[@hotrodjunkie]

I’ve just learned that there are people without an internal monologue/dialog, my own partner (of 8 YEARS!) being one. Mine never shut up unless I’m totally focused on music I’m listening to. This has my mind blown and I’m in overdrive trying to understand and can’t imagine it. Just as you describe here- I feel like I’m spiraling. I’m asking everyone I know, even asked a stranger on the elevator today and he had no idea, same for a building manager, had no idea some people have no inner dialogue.

[@lp3389]

imagine not being able to rehearse your food order in your head before the waitress gets to you 😳

[@shienne8208]

*for those who can’t understand this:* when she says “i can see the sentence structure” ( 2:07 ), it means that she sees and memorizes the shape of the letters. think of it as imagining an image of a house; your brain will understand that it’s a house. so when she sees a word, it’s silent in her mind but her brain understands it. another example is when you’re learning another language with different characters, and let’s say you don’t know how it’s pronounced so you memorize the meaning of it. so when you go back to look at the character, you know what it is but just don’t know how it sounds like. (木 = wood, though u don’t know what it sounds like, your brain now comprehends that 木 is wood) this is kinda similar to the last point but the last example is when you’re looking at symbols/emojis. your mind understands what ✨ or ☯️ means, but there’s not necessarily a sound. when someone texts “hi 😗” your thoughts don’t say “hi *kissy face* “, but you still understand what 😗 means.

[@lauren-ru6tw]

SHIENNE this is a perfect explanation!

[@HARDCORESINCE84]

Great explanation. I was having some trouble on how she explained her reading.

[@odincarlston3144]

omg! i love this analogy. i am a very visual person but i think with an internal monologue. I never noticed that when i read an emoji in a sentence, my internal "voice" pauses for a moment and i just hear silence as i look at the image, (but obviously still understand what it means)! so cool to kind of experience her thought process, even just for a second.

[@xNouk94]

While reading this I even made a sound for the symbols in my head

[@Mayakran]

Exactly!

[@Mishina375]

As a child, I was fascinated by the realization that I could replay other people's voices in my head, even if I couldn't replicate them out loud. It amazed me how the brain can do this so perfectly, even when we struggle to match names to faces. But with voices, we can easily replay them in our minds.

[@FriedRice3519]

tbh, i never struggled with faces, in fact I can see most things in my head how they are in real life. That honestly makes it much more easier to draw and I don't easily lose things bc I basically take mental pictures of almost everything I come across.

[@misanthr0pic]

@@FriedRice3519how clear/opaque are the images in your head? are they fuzzy, clear/realistic could be right in front of u?

[@rxa_xna9370]

i cannot replay others voices in my head, or visualize faces at all. interesting! im definitely gonna end up a psychologist, i love finding out how others minds work, why, and how etc!

[@salj.5459]

@@rxa_xna9370 So you can't imagine what your parents look like unless they're right in front of you?

[@rxa_xna9370]

@@salj.5459 exactly!, i can recall some features like their facial shape but otherwise yeah no

[@HW.37]

I. Am. Mind. Blown.

[@johnwyoder]

Dude. What??? I've never heard of this! That is so fascinating. I can't imagine not hearing "the voice." I mean, seriously, I'm hearing it right now as I type this. And the part about sentences having a shape??? Wow.

[@Tubeytime]

Imagine how productive she must be because she doesn't have any mental distractions. I feel like my internal monologue is always in overdrive, I find it hard to NOT daydream (my natural state). I always need to check myself to stay in the moment; almost the exact opposite from her.

[@skaibby]

I don’t have an inner monologue and I am not productive AT ALL

[@elenatall5182]

This is super true for me - I’m crazy productive to the point of burnout so it’s good and bad 😂

[@lacy01]

right??? i cant count the number of times i just sit and think about pointless stuff. it’s so distracting and definitely wastes some time lol, but i can’t even imagine not doing it!!

[@randomdude8327]

@@skaibby but you choose to not be, we don't have a choice

[@fauxintellectual5299]

@@randomdude8327 lol people without an internal monologue still get distracted and daydream, it's just visual and abstract concept based. I have no internal monologue and these issues still exist, they just look differently.

[@lachy4565]

This doesn’t even seem real. I can’t even imagine how someone can not have a voice in there head.

[@happiflowrr]

I think in pictures; this blew my mind cuz I didn't know people actually thought in sentences

[@dragnar12]

@@happiflowrr same here. I am dyslectic as fuck but i thought myself to see words as picture,s. So it helped solve some ( but not most ) of my dyslectic problems,

[@gf1917]

I always thought that the "inner voice" was just a figure of speech because, I figured, it would be super distracting to always experience it.

[@lachy4565]

@dragnar12 @Mari Flores how does that work though. Like when im typing i hear thw words in my head as i type. Do you see pitcures of what your typing or do you not see anthting.

[@dragnar12]

@@lachy4565 is see the words as a picture like how u see a tree wen u think of one. This is nice for me but if I lurned a word wrong I have a really hard time adjusting it cus for me that word is linked to that picture. Wen I type i am basically fitting in puzzel pieces to match the picture. My sentences also make nog gramatical sens sometimes till u read it out load. ( I type the same sentences as in a conversation ) so instead of formal sentences it's like having a spoken conversation. ( Like how they record spoken words in USA court )

[@sgvincent100]

These questions are fantastic! 🫡

[@thefashionhoe]

I feel like the fact she doesn’t have an internal monologue makes her really productive & good at studying. Especially bc she doesn’t day dream

[@victoriasweet7870]

blah I feel like she lying

[@camila_jc]

blah exactly I’m always daydreaming and is really hard to be productive

[@aysaaa965]

Camila Jaramillo is daydreaming a bad thing?

[@animegraveyard776]

@@victoriasweet7870 Same.

[@animegraveyard776]

@@aysaaa965 Not at all.

[@Ghost-wy3iw]

Imagine not having the downward spiral of negative thoughts when you’re depressed

[@streetlights111]

I’d give anything for that!

[@mollyelton1139]

she still has thoughts? these people aren’t immune to mental illness that’s not how it works?

[@wavy6470]

@@streetlights111 Don't you think depression is more about feelings than thoughts?

[@99xara99]

Who said she doesn't??

[@miyounova]

You clearly didn't watch the video attentively.

[@Louisiana_aceofspades]

I cant comprehend how someone is like this.....

[@wowzanpakutou]

The way her brain works sounds so efficient, i wish i could just recall or visualize stuff right away without having to think it out completely in my head.