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Original poster

Can you do the following inside your head?

401 replies

AmbushedByTheCake · 16/02/2022 20:44

... or brain.

Various conversations recently with people, and following my ongoing ADHD research, I'm interested how people can recreate sensory detail/movements/memories etc. Can you do the following:

a) Summon a picture of a specfic person/place thing? Can you change the picture?
b) Can you 'hear' the voice of that person/sound in your head
c) Can you play a piece of music in your head? Some or most of it?
d) Can you play a scene from a movie/TV episode etc?
e) Can you run an animated or moving scene in your head? (like a horse trotting, or a waterfall flowing I suppose
f) Can you recreate or imagine smells in your head?
g) (finally!) do you have a voice running in your head lots? A sort of monologue or tangent?

Disclaimer: curiousity only! Not a scientist - questions clumsily worded. Trying to understand my own brain - I think I can do most of the above or some version. I can hear sounds and picture things vividly, and I get some sense of a smell (for example bacon frying) I can 'rememeber' the taste/smell of it.

Interested to see what this is like for others!

OP posts:
Original poster
AmbushedByTheCake · 16/02/2022 20:46

Addition: If what I have said makes no sense, how would you describe what is going on in your head?

OP posts:
Diablo2 · 16/02/2022 20:46

Yes to all of the above.

I was astounded to hear some people have silence in their heads sometimes - I would love that.

wildseas · 16/02/2022 20:47

I can do all of the above apart from c and I’m tone deaf so would struggle to recreate that with it in reality too.

GorgonzolaSouffle · 16/02/2022 20:47

I believe it’s called synesthaesia……it’s utterly fascinating and I have it.

WallaceinAnderland · 16/02/2022 20:48

None of those. I only have my own thoughts.

PickAChew · 16/02/2022 20:48

All of that.

I come from a very neurodiverse family.

SomethingNastyInTheBallPool · 16/02/2022 20:49

Yes to all the above. I find the auditory ones (hearing a piece of music or a conversation in my head) easier than the visual ones, though.

spacehardware · 16/02/2022 20:49

Yes all of them, I was astonished to learn (some time ago) not everyone does.

bluesugar · 16/02/2022 20:49

I can't do any except'g'. What does that mean?

pastabest · 16/02/2022 20:50

I can do C and F

the rest I can kind of see glimpses/ single frames but nothing in any detail.

SockQueen · 16/02/2022 20:51

All of them except f.

Tomnooktoldmeto · 16/02/2022 20:51

Yes I can, wish I could stop the music as it wakes me at night sometimes

itsevolutionbaby · 16/02/2022 20:51

Yes to all. I am neurotypical.

Boxbox2 · 16/02/2022 20:52

I thought being able to do all of the above is neurotypical- is it not the case?

Sockpile · 16/02/2022 20:52

Only g which can be exhausting as my brain never seems to shut up!

ApocalypseNowt · 16/02/2022 20:52

I do all of that. I thought everyone did Confused

What's going on in other people's head then?

IsDaveThere · 16/02/2022 20:53

Yes to all of them.

SomeOwlsCoo · 16/02/2022 20:54

Yes except 'f' but I have anosmia and can't remember what things smell like.

Elphame · 16/02/2022 20:55

Yes to all

Kite22 · 16/02/2022 20:55

a) Summon a picture of a specfic person/place thing? Yes
Can you change the picture? Yes
b) Can you 'hear' the voice of that person/sound in your head Yes
c) Can you play a piece of music in your head? Yes

Some or most of it? probably 'some' - that would be the same if I were singing out loud though - remember the 'chorus' or catchy bit
d) Can you play a scene from a movie/TV episode etc? No, I don't think so.
e) Can you run an animated or moving scene in your head? (like a horse trotting, or a waterfall flowing I suppose I was going to say no - I couldn't replay a whole scene, but I can imagine something like that...just a second or two, yes
f) Can you recreate or imagine smells in your head? Yes
g) (finally!) do you have a voice running in your head lots? A sort of monologue or tangent? Yes

I don't know if it is relevant but I don't have any diagnoses of anything, but 2 of my (adult) dc have ADHD and, in researching to try and support them, I do keep reading things and thinking "Well, I do that". Don't know if that helps or not.

Savingpeoplehuntingthings · 16/02/2022 20:56

Yes to all. I'm neurotypical.

Imsittinginthekitchensink · 16/02/2022 20:56

Yes. My brain does not SHUT UP. Despite all that, if you asked me to make up a story on the spot, I'd be screwed, I've got the imagination of a tin opener.

BearSoFair · 16/02/2022 20:57

a) Yes. Can make changes to an image of a person easily, not so much a place
b) Yes.
c) Yes, whole piece. I always have music in my head. If I wake up at 2am for a wee, I'll still be singing something!
d) Yes but very short parts
e) If I really focus on it!
f) No
g) Not always - more often the constant music!

DietrichandDiMaggio · 16/02/2022 20:57

Yes am able to do all except g, although I think could do that as well if I wanted to, but I don't have a running commentary going all of the time, which is what I presume you mean. All of the other things I can use my imagination to 'create' them in my head.

MaizeAmaze · 16/02/2022 20:57

I can do c) if it's a piece ive played on an instrument.
No to the rest. How do any of you ever get any quiet if all that's going on in your head?

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