this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2023
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No Stupid Questions
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I think that's pretty much the same as asking "do you dream in voice or in images". I'm sure the vast majority of people use a mix, and not one or the other.
That said, it's just a feeling? Like, you feel pulled towards or repulsed by one or the other action.
Strong sensations might even have a "blitz" or snapshot of the possible future, but without blocking or occupying your eyesight. Something really bad might have you see yourself or others in tears, or whatever action is likely to fit them given the situation.
I wouldn't say that I think in images, at least not purely. If it requires deep thought then I'll spell it out in my mind, and if it requires speed (such as simple math) then I'll just skip the voice and use the abstracts of my mind directly.
This is why I was asking tbh, as it seemed to me like it's somewhere between a clear, conscious thought (be that voiced/images/etc.) and a sort of subconscious feeling or intuition that may not be as clearly expressible. The common description of a "little voice" for conscience would seem to suggest for some who experience it this way it may be closer to something one might transcribe, e.g. "I thought I should, but..."
Which is why it led me to wonder, "So how's that go for those who don't experience it as a little voice...?"
I personally feel, as that is how I experience it, that thinking using your inner voice is just another layer on top of your more basic consciousness which of course is layered on top of your subconsciousness, as, at least for me, using the inner voice is something I do to acknowledge and analyse a feeling i already experienced.
Experiencing the thought and using it for making a decision usually takes 100ms~1s, and trying to articulate it for communication to other people takes seconds to minutes.
Communication by talking is painfully slow, discussions would be so much more exciting if we could just send thoughts or ideas directly.
If it's a more complex problem, like confessing love or being angry at someone, then I'll flash through multiple thoughts, options, and consequences in quick succession, perhaps followed by the usual slow recreation of a hypothetical situation in a theater of mind, which is often supported by, but not centered around, my inner voice, and which I imagine is much more similar to articulating everything you think.
To clarify, this theater of mind is heavily centered around emotions. It expresses these using visualized motions and direct feelings, both in my own position, but also if I were in theirs. The inner voice usually sets the speed, as I can only think so fast using it. Without it I might jump around, from scene to scene, marking each with a feeling, state, or emotion that I wish to achieve, and then later revisit each scene and adding the voiceover.
Again, I cannot but believe that everyone also experiences that first step of just flashing through thoughts before living them out in your mind.
Please apologize my long answer, this is very fun but also somewhat challenging to talk about, as I have only ever experienced my way of thinking. I'm sure you understand. :D