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?

I have aphantasia.

I have no inner monologue.

I never hear music or songs in my mind.

I have great difficulty recalling people’s names, street names, directions and my age.

I don’t know if I dream - as I have never remembered one (even as a child).

I have no memories of my childhood, school, University, wedding, my DCs birth, birthdays or other events/activities - no actual memories either static or movie-like.

I have learned that when people read a book, they picture what the characters look like, how the environment is organised, etc - I don’t.

I have music playing in my head a lot. It keeps me happy and upbeat. I will talk to myself in my head to help me organise myself. Comments like "right, what's next?" Occasionally it can be exasperation like "FFS, how is it possible to drop it on the floor six times in a row or Jesus, not again, can you like get one thing right today? Sort yourself out or...how've you made it to 40 in one piece, I do not know.
I revised by taking mental pictures, I'd be able to hold a book, page by page and paragraph by paragraph. I'm great at remembering numbers but memories of experiences are sketchy. Dreams rare. I've never heard of aphantasia. It's interesting finding out about it this.

Yes, things will still keep me awake.

Sounds amazing to be able to visualise thay much!

Haha no, but I've never been able to, so why would I?

I think if a voice suddenly appeared that would be more worrying.

I definitely dream, but since this thread I'm wondering can I picture it or am.injist imagining a story, so to speak!

I'm good at spelling, but can't picture it in my head.

Crosswords for example if someone says a u t i could not imagine a word (always been awful) but I could help if I could see it.

I do have an inner monologue but I'm not really aware of it unless I'm reminded of it (by this thread), or when I accidentally say parts of it out loud when I'm in the garden and hope my neighbours didn't hear. Things like 'damn I'll have to do that again now' or 'you're looking like you need a water' to a dried up plant.

So, yes, but not aware until reminded - like when the dentist asks you to keep your tongue flat and it's then virtually impossible

This has been a really interesting thread.

In relation to my experience.

I'm a good speller, no I can't picture it, just good at spelling.

Could describe a person, but wouldn't be able to picture them, it's from memory, rather than seeing an image.

Can't picture a red ball, no matter how hard I try. Even though I know what one looks like.

Yes I dream, but i think its just a "story" rather than a "film". Although i do occasionally get a film. No, i dont dream often (that I remember).

I like my own company, I quite like the silence.

If i read, its no ones voice reading it...i just know the words.

I am very forgetful, but also quite well organised.

. . . surely in order to write you need an inner monologue? Otherwise how do you know what word or sentence you want to write next?

I have a condition where I can't "see' words for instance a red bus. I can't see a red bus but I see the words.

I used to have a very critical inner monologue and I'm on sertraline which has stopped it

My IM is just a much more sarcastic version of me that chats away to me all day. I like it. I also usually have a film of some kind playing in my head, often a visualisation of what I'm currently reading but also clips of my favourite films, memories and visualisations of the near and far future.

I read somewhere that being able to visualise is a key maths skill. It said that not giving children too many toys is actually really important. Pretending that a cardboard box is a boat and a wooden spoon is an oar, for example, helps you do trigonometry in later life.

Oh maybe, I was always good at maths and science at school.

As an adult, my career path has followed into a STEM career.

I don’t have an inner monologue and I can’t visualise things very well.

Do people with an IM actually hear a voice inside their head?

I also have synaesthesia. I read somewhere that synaesthesia and aphantasia are linked.

I can picture things but not always people. I have to really focus for people, even my own family. They don't drift into my thoughts naturally but their 'essence' does, if that makes sense.
Inner monologue goes all the time. Mostly it's either critical or planning the future and tasks that need to get done.

Yes, I do.

My own voice is saying these worlds as I am trying to them. Saying “fucks sake” as I make a mistake on my phone keypad.

I talk myself through things. Hard situations, hospital appointments, I talk myself though step by step to stop the panic eg “it’s okay, just park the car. The. We’ll walk to reception. then we will sit down”

Thats basically a coping mechanism though as I’ve been through so much shit in my life, either completely alone or with someone who couldn’t give a shit and mocks my fear. So I’ve had to be my own friend in my head and get myself though things.

It’s the imaginary conversations that piss me off though. If I am meeting up with someone, I will plan out and go though the entire conversation in my head before hand.

When I occasionally do say something without thinking it in my head first, it freaks me out, like “where the hell did that just come from?”

Again though, I think that stems from spending much of my life alone. I’ve probably had the same amount of conversations in my 44 years that most people have in 5 years 🤣