Inner monologue - do you have one?

[Dipsydoodlenoodle]

I'm nearly 40 and about 5 years ago learned about aphantasia. I've never been able to visualise, if someone said picture a red ball all I can see is grey. Nothing, no matter how hard I try.

A few weeks ago I'd seen a post on Facebook about an inner monologue - again I can't "hear" a voice or anything - it's just empty with thoughts of what I need to do. I didn't realise that an inner monologue was an actual real thing.

Do you all have one and what is it like?

But how do you have thoughts without words? I don't understand this!

I constantly chatter to myself in my head, often in the form of a back and forth conversation, as though it's two people speaking to each other. I keep myself very entertained!

OMG! If I could have one wish it would be that my inner monologue would shut the fuck up. But then that would mean I'm dead so, actually not so much!

Although I don't quite understand. How do you think if it's not a voice in your head?

Mine never shuts up.
I would love to not have one and to constantly be having whole conversations with myself, it’s exhausting!

YES!

Yes, through it’s not son much of a monologue as a dialogue- I ask myself questions and answer them. I can visualize an object, imaginary event or activity very clearly and have chats with myself about it. If you asked me to describe a man going to get a glass of water I could describe it to you in great detail down to the colour of his eyes.

It doesn't even make any sense. Like, if you're at peace painting a picture, your inner voice is still telling you what to paint? If you are meeting new people, your inner voice is telling you whether or not you're having a good time because it's literally your brain. Or is mine just really REALLY chatty?!

This thread is blowing my mind more than any thread in 15 years on MN!

I’m the same, essentially my own voice in my head talking about what’s happening, what I need to do, how I feel etc- it’s like I’m telling myself the story of what’s happening, or that I’m talking myself into existence.
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This is me. Is this not normal? If people don't have an inner monologue do they not experience anxiety if they can't hear their own thoughts?

DH heard this on the radio a couple of months ago and it's been another "Roman Empire" for us. Like many, I constantly narrate my life or have imaginary conversations and was amazed to discover that neither DH or DD do this. I thought it might explain why DH is so laid back until it tuned out that permanently stressed DD was the same.

Very often my inner monologue gets out

My inner monologue is relentless, and can be quite mean to me.

I can imagine images in my head, but only when my eyes are open; if I close them, the image vanishes. It took me years to realise that why I was so bad at “close your eyes and imagine an elephant” (or similar) in art classes.

My inner monologue never stops. It never occurred to me that some people don't have one!

Yes, often several different monologues going on at once (as well as at least one song playing!) however if I’m really engrossed in something my mind is not always ‘talking’ there are moments where I can’t really hear my thoughts they’re just happening.

Yes, it never bloody shuts up. 🙄

Same. My brain is like a walking radio.

I don’t believe that anyone doesn’t have an inner monologue. It’s likely that they just aren’t as emotionally intelligent as others who are very aware of it.
My Dh lacks emotional intelligence & he can’t make sense of much of his psyche. He says he doesn’t dream either but he definitely does!

Hearing actual voices is not the same.

i'm another one with never a moment of peace. nearly constant inner dialogue.

Yes I have one.

I find it quite fun.

It sort of runs in my head in the background like white noise iyswim most of the time, but if I'm bored I can change it.

One of my favourites is to turn it into a "me" David Attenborough as I describe my own actions 😂. So think along the lines of "after a long and arduous search for much needed energy, the BIC used her stealth, ingenuity to take down the last remaining brownie from the tray bake. A truly remarkable predator".

But I also have other personas for my internal voice depending on my mood.

My DH thinks it bizarre - he doesn't have an IM.

Makes sense though as I like peace/quiet because I'm never lonely/bored in my head and he always likes to have the radio/music/tv on because he says he can't stand the silence 🤷‍♀️.

I don’t literally hear it but it has lots of time and inflection changes. It’s chatty.

Yes, mostly my inner monologue: runs through various theories, makes plans, weighs up options, thinks through scenarios. Sometimes also just drifts.

I don’t know, I have next to no emotional intelligence. My emotion identification is pretty much sad, bad, mad, and happy. And even that is pushing it 😂. But my inner monologue (well mainly outer tbh) is ridiculously active,

Mine, too. Permitting myself to talk to myself out loud may be one of the kindest things I've ever done for me 😂 My inner voice says so!

To add, I suppose my IM is the real me.

It "tells" me everything I think/want to say/reflect on. I often play devils advocate within my own head and have two IM's speak:argue. It's always there. Which is good most of the time (especially if I'm thinking of the pro/cons of a decision) but shit if I try to relax. For example getting a facial/massage. I don't tune out/sleep, my IM is still chatting away to me about random stuff or critiquing the treatment.

I tried being hypnotised by someone who'd always been able to put people under hypnosis (apparently). Didn't work. My IM just kept chuntering away telling me to tell the therapist "you're not putting me down motherfucker" with another IM saying to the other one "for fucks sakes shut up, I just want to relax". It's like two people in my head 😀.

It's the utterly unfiltered version of myself that in daily life I keep on a pretty short leash.

It is why l laugh at the phrase "bring your authentic self to work" 😂😂😂

So in a meeting for example my IM is saying "this person is fucking inept and should be sacked, go on tell them to STFU and stop wasting your time..do it" or "oh god not another person with the same shit vision that thinks they are the next Bill Gates" accompanied by my internal tiny violin sound (yes I hear the "tiny" music) but my mouth is saying "you've raised some interesting points but you need to strengthen your business case in xyz areas".

That said my DH says my IM can on occasion (if it's very arsey) escape from my eyes/facial expressions even if I keep my mouth shut 🤐.

I also have an Im
right now in my head I have the song jolene in my head on repeat and as I am reading the other comments I can hear myself reading the words and at the same time I’m thinking that’s me with most of the comments
I also have my IM escape through the looks on my face to if I’m pissed off 😂